Canned Tomato

The people of Tuscany are known in Italy as mangiafagioli, or bean eaters, and when I was in Florence as an art history student and then in Lucca as a teacher I learned the reason why. All the trattorie served fagioli all'uccelletto for only a few lire. I was fortunate to find an Italian friend in Arkansas who had a recipe.

There's a lot of liquid here, so be sure to use a very large pot to prepare the stew.

A fine version of a hearty classic.

The combination of ricotta, Parmesan and goat cheese and porcini and shiitake mushrooms makes this classic dish new again. Offer red wine throughout dinner and Italian ice cream and cookies-gelato and biscotti-for dessert.

A colorful and delicious side dish reminiscent of succotash.

This recipe was inspired by Aunt Gladys's beef, from Laurie Colwin (Gourmet, January 1992), and Nathalie Waag's leg of lamb with tomatoes and garlic (Gourmet, September 1986). The best chuck roasts for this recipe come from the supermarket—fancy butcher shops' meat is too lean and often becomes dry when cooked.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Pappardelle Bolognese .

Chilies add a southwestern twist to this traditional chowder.

For a thicker, more traditional soup, replace all the green peas with a half cup of drained canned white beans.

This dish, a specialty of northern Italy's Emilia-Romagna, is named for the regions capital city. Although the meaty sauce is classically paired with tagliatelle (ribbon pasta just slightly wider than fettuccine), it also marries well with a variety of pasta shapes that trap the savory sauce.

This low-fat rendition of the classic dish comes from Gil Martínez Soto of Restaurante Virrey de Palafox in El Burgo de Osma, Spain.

This eggplant and lamb casserole, a taverna staple, is known the world over as the Greek national dish. In this lightened version, it's topped with yogurt rather than the customary béchamel sauce. (Moussaka is often made with beef instead of lamb.)