Ricotta

For a quick defrost, microwave the veggies in bowls for one to two minutes on high.

With Lidia by your side, this showstopping dessert is foolproof. You'll need to start preparing the dough and filling at least one day ahead.

Make this dessert, from Jesus Gonzalez, creative chef at Rancho La Puerta. Then kick back while it chills.

Using goat cheese and nonfat ricotta skims fat, not flavor.

Serve these mini pizzas as an appetizer with drinks.

Homemade ravioli are well worth the effort, and making them is the perfect task to share with a kitchen full of cooks (even novices can get in on the fun). Mixing the pasta dough is a breeze in the food processor, but if you don't have one, don't worry — we've given the method for making the dough by hand as well. A brown-butter pine-nut sauce is light enough to let your efforts on the pasta really shine through.

These pretty frilled-edge rolls conceal a spiral of creamy ricotta and deep-flavored Parmigiano-Reggiano. Roasted tomatoes and eggplant fulfill the promise of lasagne.

Food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez got the idea of using egg fettuccine in place of lasagne noodles in this deliciously over-the-top lasagne from Mary Ann Castaldi, the mother of her college roommate, who would send her daughter back to school with a giant pan of lasagne after weekends at home.

Using a freshly made ricotta makes all the difference in these delicious fried morsels.

Inspired by an antipasto that's popular at New York City's Lupa, this substantial salad takes a hearty, rich green that's usually cooked and proves how delicious it can be when served raw.

Pumpkin, packed with vitamin A, proves it has a life after Thanksgiving.

This classic Italian dish is said to have been created in the 1800s after the opening night of Bellini's opera Norma.

At the restaurant, this dish is drizzled with tomato sauce, then garnished with salami and sautéed zucchini.

A few simple ingredients come together in an unexpected way to create a delicate beginning for a luxurious dinner.