Tomato

Although bisques tend to be thick and creamy, the following intensely flavorful version is light, with very little cream added.

No-boil noodles cut down on the prep time.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

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 quick vegetarian main-course salad.

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.

Both the tomato coulis and the salsa can be made up to one day ahead.

This attractive and flavorful main course is perfect for weeknight entertaining.

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.