Fennel

Chef Sal Passalacqua of Dimaio Cucina in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, writes: "My father's family is from Sicily and I spent my teenage years there, so that's where a lot of my culinary influences come from. At first glance, Sicilian cooking seems very simple, but that simplicity depends on using the freshest ingredients and often the combination of sweet and tart flavors. The anchovy pasta is a perfect example." This dish is a variation on the traditional Sicilian pasta made with sardines. Anchovies have replaced the sardines, but the flavors are still very authentic.

Serve this with plenty of crusty bread.

This light and refreshing slaw is best eaten the day it's made, chilled or at room temperature.

This succulent dish is an adaptation of a recipe that Dario Cecchini, the most famous butcher in Italy, shares with his clients (his shop is in Panzano, near Florence). Vin Santo, Tuscany's celebrated dessert wine, lends its sweet, nutty flavor to the dish. Sautéed spinach would be a colorful side.

An alternative to traditional gefilte fish, this cold, oven-steamed halibut makes an elegant fish course. Conveniently, it should be prepared one day ahead.

If you're making this entire menu in a single oven, roast the vegetables and bake the souffléed gnocchi while the lamb stands (increase the oven temperature as soon as the lamb comes out).

Healthy bonus: Fiber from tomatoes; calcium from basil and fennel

If you're making the striped bass in agrodolce sauce as well as this salad, save 1/3 cup chopped fennel fronds for garnishing the fish.

Warm spices, a little olive oil, and less than an hour in the oven transform familiar fall vegetables into a terrific side dish for roasted leg of lamb.