Tomato

This old-school, rectangular pizza bakes right in a sheet tray. The flavorful, doughy crust is thicker than the more standard thin-crusted Neapolitan-style pies.

Use a very sharp cheddar to make this—it's the difference between pimiento cheese and cheesy mayonnaise.

The thinly sliced zucchini ribbons replace pasta in this delicious, low-carb, noodle-less dish. This lasagna totally satisfies my cravings for cheesy and indulgent Italian comfort food. It's perfect in the summer when I have tons of garden-fresh zucchini and herbs, but I also love making it during the colder months when I want something hot and comforting. Although it takes a little longer than most of my recipes, it's totally worth it!

Pasta, lush tomatoes, and a pool of ricotta lend this dish all the flavor of a lasagne—without the heaviness.

Telmo grew up in a Mexican neighborhood in San Jose, California. On warm evenings, he could be found at a busy roadside seafood joint called La Costa spooning up refreshing bites of coctel de camarón, or "shrimp cocktail." Served in a tall Styrofoam cup, the La Costa cocktail combines a sweet (but not cloying), tangy, and spicy tomato-based sauce, briny poached shrimp, avocado, cucumber, and pico de gallo, all topped with some shakes of a salsa picante and served with tostadas or saltine crackers. Our version is made with roasted fresh tomatoes instead of the traditional ketchup to brighten it up. The resulting sauce is more like a gazpacho than the typical country club-style cocktail sauce. The cocktail can be assembled a couple of hours ahead of time, but not too far in advance, as the shrimp becomes rubbery if left in the lime juice for too long. To make this shrimp cocktail into easy party fare, spoon it onto small store-bought tostadas, garnish with a little cilantro, and serve.

You can use any firm fish and fresh shellfish you like for this brothy stew. (A little crabmeat is a luxurious addition, as well.) Make the base a day in advance for a low-stress Christmas dinner.

The best thing about making ranch from scratch? If you like a more garlicky or more herby ranch, the choice is yours to adjust the recipe accordingly.

Think of this as a carbonara, but with tomatoes in place of the eggs.

David Chang's buttermilk dressing is our kind of ranch. Use the freshest beans possible: You want that tender snap.

Let colorful, sweet heirloom tomatoes shine in a simple side salad.

If you don't happen to have eight ramekins, you can assemble the sauce and eggs in a single baking dish and increase the baking time if needed.

You can also make this dish with littleneck or cherrystone clams instead of mussels.

The key to this sauce is a creamy emulsion of the oil, cheese, and pasta water. Toss and stir—and stir and toss—adding liquid freely, until it comes together.

Use very ripe—even overripe—tomatoes; they'll give up even more juice.

If you love dipping bread into tomato soup, you’ll love this rustic Italian dish, known as pappa al pomodoro.

The flesh immediately surrounding the seeds is the most succulent part of any melon; if you haven't tried eating the crunchy seeds before, hold on to your hat.

A super-juicy watermelon is key; it should feel heavy for its size and sound hollow when tapped.

Eggplant is like a sponge. Salting it draws out moisture and firms up the flesh, and deep-frying ensures it cooks evenly until creamy throughout. Worth your time.

Sugared, roasted lemons are edible from rind to flesh and give this salsa-like mix a bracing jolt of sourness.