Pasta

This dish has wonderful smoky flavors and just a touch of sweetness. Using oven-ready lasagna noodles simplifies the preparation.

For some time I had been thinking: How can I pare down a classic meat sauce for those occasions when I have neither the time to make nor the voracity to consume a full-scale ragù? The sauce below is the answer I came up with. I replaced beef with veal; eliminated the milk, the wine, the carrot, and the celery; and reduced the cooking time from several hours to half of one. It is as easy to take as it is to do. Is it a favorite dish? Sure — it is my favorite simple meat sauce. Suggested pasta: The ideal carrier for this simple meat sauce is a homemade noodle, in particular one scented with rosemary and sage, cut into fettuccine or tonnarelli.  Boxed dry pasta in a short tubular shape such as penne or maccheroncini  can be a satisfactory alternative.

Crisp baby radishes, blanched snow peas and mini rice cakes make a light starter. The salad tastes even better with cold Asian beer to wash it down. For dessert, crumble coconut macaroons over orange sorbet. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Except for the Parmesan cheese, which is pretty much a requirement, this ultra-cheesy cousin of fettuccine Alfredo can be made with any number of four-cheese combinations.

A U-shaped peeler with a horizontal blade (available at most supermarkets) makes peeling the squash easier. Here it’s okay to pulse the parsley in a food processor rather than chop it by hand, but pat it dry with paper towels first.

This pesto, from Trapani, in Sicily, is made with almonds and tomato and far less basil than traditional pesto — don't expect it to be green.

An easy no-bake lasagna.

Add a glass of rosé and some crusty Italian bread to make a perfect summer lunch.

Joan Macht of Manistee, Michigan, writes: "My wedding shower was held at the Blue Slipper Bistro in Onekama, Michigan. For dinner I had the veal scaloppine saltimbocca, and now I want to make it for my new husband. Will you ask owner Cheryl Kissel for the recipe? The word saltimbocca in this classic Italian recipe means "jumps in your mouth," because of the great combination of flavors. The addition of herbes de Provence gives this version a bit of a French accent.

Suitable sides for the vegetables and pasta are grilled pita bread and assorted olives. End with baklava and fresh apricots.

Marisol likes to serve the Candied Butternut Squash atop the couscous.

A little grated Parmesan sprinkled on top is a nice addition.

From Ristorante Chianti, Geneva, Illinois.

"No one wants to eat this kind of food in a restaurant," Franco Ricatti, owner of the Ristorante Bacco in Barletta, Puglia, told me, "but we make it all the time at home." As he described the following, one-pot preparation of pasta boiled with diced zucchini and potatoes, dressed with olive oil and grated Parmesan, I begged him to make it for me. Franco breaks the spaghetti into 2-inch pieces, but I don't bother. And he doesn't use any herbs — unusual behavior in Italy — but I like to add a little basil or parsley. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.