5 Ingredients or Fewer

This is a salsa, but whenever I make it I just end up eating it by the spoonful like a salad. The combination of the tart, crisp pomegranate, creamy cheese, and crunchy pine nuts makes a wonderful topping for grilled fish or even a carne asada taco. Pine nuts can be expensive because of the labor-intensive work of extracting them from the pine cones, plus they have a high fat content, which makes them turn rancid quickly. So buy a small quantity and store them in the fridge for no longer than three months.

Pastry chef Jennifer Jones of Topolobampo in Chicago shared this recipe as part of a Cinco de Mayo feature on Mexican desserts. Jones encourages you to use different fruits in this refreshing dessert, but recommends sticking to ones that are sweet but have acidity. Raspberries are a perfect example.

Adding grated apple, a pectin-packed fruit, naturally jells the jam and gives it a pleasant tartness.

My aunt Martha swears that this smoky, sweet, tropical salsa takes her back to Yucatán no matter where she is when she makes it. It works especially well with Cilantro Tandoori Chicken, but it will enhance any grilled fish or meat. If the grill's fired up, throw the pineapple right on it; a grill pan will do just fine if you're cooking indoors.

This is the classic salad dressing, one I rely on all the time not only for salads but as a marinade for meats, to drizzle on crostini, and more.

I love these cheesy, salty, crispy wafers not only because they are so yummy, but because they are so versatile. I put them in bread baskets, add them to soups, and serve them topped with scoops of salad.

This simple recipe is not only great for bread-dipping, but can also be used to liven up the flavors in other dishes—as your cooking oil, or in salad dressing, or as a pasta topping, or just drizzled over grilled fish or meat.

This basic white sauce is what gives many pasta dishes, like lasagna, a rich creamy texture. It’s not hard to make and you’ll find lots of uses for it.

The secret ingredient in this dish is the garlicky croutons. I buy good-quality prepackaged garlic croutons from a local bakery and keep them in my pantry for emergencies (I also have been known to snack on them from time to time). You can certainly make them from scratch, but in this dish, it’s fine to substitute store-bought if you have a good source. I love the almondy and garlicky flavor the crumbs give the pasta.

When I was very young, this was my staple dinner; it’s an Italian child’s comfort food, our version of mac and cheese. It’s really easy to make and the ingredients are very simple, which is part of its charm. Serve it to the child in your life, or as a side dish with any kind of roast meat or poultry.

Next time you feel like pasta and a salad for lunch, why not combine the two? I love the way the heat of the pasta warms the greens. I often make this when I’m cooking for one; just adjust all the ingredient quantities accordingly, and start with 6 ounces (about 1 cup) of dried pasta.

Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons and, unfortunately, are in season for only a short time each year. Since they are hard to find, I’ve fallen in love with Meyer lemon olive oil, which captures their flavor very well and adds both citrus tang and a hint of sweetness to all kinds of recipes. Because this is such a simple dish—the sauce is just onions, the oil, and fresh marjoram—do try to get your hands on some Meyer lemon olive oil; I use the one made by DaVero. If you can’t find it, though, you can use the citrus oil on page 226.

Simple, simple, simple, but so good—this is truly one of the fastest dishes you can make, and one of the best.

In Naples, fried zucchini is a street food, and it was always my favorite component of Frito Misto (a dish of mixed fried foods) when I was a child. I’ve made it lighter by coating it in the Japanese bread crumbs called panko instead of regular bread crumbs, a method you could use equally well with sweet potato slices, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers—really any vegetable you like.

When I visited St. Louis on my first book tour, I sampled these addictive little cocktail nibbles. They are a perfect addition to an antipasto platter or a fun and easy party appetizer; serve them on a big platter with a small bowl of marinara in the center for dipping.

I love this sweet syrup. It’s similar to chocolate sauce; in fact, beyond the antipasto platter, you could even use it as a dessert topping, drizzled over ice cream or berries.

Think of this bruschetta as a portable salad that doesn’t require utensils or a plate—perfect for entertaining!

Be careful not to overheat the crostini; the cheese and tomatoes should be just warmed through and softened but not melted or falling apart. It’s perfect if you have slightly underripe tomatoes.