Ricotta

No-boil noodles cut down on the prep time.

An old-fashioned pasta dish with a new-fashioned filling. Basil and chives accent the luscious ricotta and feta cheese stuffing in this comforting main course. Conclude supper with fruit and your favorite cookies.

"I developed this recipe last winter and think it makes excellent cold-weather fare," says Lora Anderson of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Good as the centerpiece of a meatless meal.

The recipe calls for purchased roasted chicken, which eliminates a step.

Mafalde, similar to dried lasagne noodles but not nearly as wide, work well in this dish, as do campanelle, the bellflower-shaped pasta shells. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 35 min

There is no oil in this most original salad.

Pastiera Napoletana If you can't find hulled whole-wheat kernels (sometimes sold as "pastry wheat"), substitute barley, skip the soaking, and cook as described below, but for only about 30 minutes. Whole wheat kernels — grano in Italian — are used for this traditional Neapolitan dessert that became a mainstay in Italian-American restaurants and bakeries. In Italy, cooked whole-wheat kernels can be found in cans; if you spot some, it will make this recipe a little simpler.

You can use 4 small regular bell peppers (1 1/2 lb total) instead of the 24 baby bell peppers, but you'll need to make 1 1/2 times the filling.

These can be served as hors d'oeuvres, or placed atop a salad of spinach, walnuts and sliced apples.

Most people think these Sicilian treats are available only in Italian bakeries. But here's delectable-and easy-proof that you can them at home. We've exchanged the usual addition of candied fruit for the more contemporary one of bittersweet chocolate and apricot preserves. Look for the cannoli shells at Italian markets.

Originally this dish consisted of topfenpalatschinken (Hungarian cheese crêpes) baked in a rich custard. This variation skips the time-consuming process of making blintzes. Double the recipe and bake in a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.