Canned Tomato

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.)

A robust mix of white beans and macaroni in a light tomato sauce, ready to serve in under 30 minutes.

Add chopped jalapeños for some extra zip.

Broiling the eggplant gives it a delicious deep roasted flavor.

Serve these hearty meatballs over noodles or mashed potatoes.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

"On a trip to San Francisco, I had a terrific bowl of cioppino at Rose Pistola, star chef Reed Hearon's Italian restaurant," says Gail Haines of Westerly, Rhode Island.

Jamie Oliver calls this "another great pan-baked recipe that is perfect for coping with lots of people without a huge deal of effort." Oliver uses plaice, a popular flatfish in England favored over flounder, but lemon sole is a good substitute. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr