Oven Bake

While soufflés often sound difficult to make, this recipe is easy to follow and yields impressive results. We like to serve ours with high-quality vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

These versatile soufflés can be served for breakfast or lunch, or as a side dish for dinner.

**Editor's note:**The recipe below is from Perfect Parties by Linnea Johansson.

In Chalcatongo, Jiménez purchases pit-roasted lamb, then warms up the meat in a simple tomatillo sauce rich with the earthy zing of costeño rojo chiles. On this side of the border, you'll have to cook your meat first, but our adaptation (we slow-roast it) couldn't be easier.

Don't be frightened by the word soufflé. This subtly sophisticated dish isn't difficult at all (just be careful not to overbeat the egg whites).

What happens when you take the tomato sauce out of a lasagne? The delicacy of the noodles (egg-enriched lasagne sheets are a must here) and cheese really comes through. "My very good friend Claudio from Perugia gave me his family recipe for this dish many years ago, and I was delighted by its lightness," says Ferrigno.

This unorthodox panino—you work in reverse, griddling the bread first, then layering it with prosciutto, Fontina, and arugula before baking—results in a warm, gooey flatbread with a crunchy crust.

The trick of leaving the base attached to the quartered escarole is one we learned from Lidia Bastianich, and it makes the whole process far less fussy. Studded with plump raisins and crunchy pine nuts, the rice makes for a flavorful filling—perfect for the slightly bitter edge of the greens.

There's really no trick to recipes like this: Using moist, flavorful chicken thighs and good marinated artichoke hearts will result in a simple but memorable single-pan dish.

The fennel bulb we've added to this Little Italy combo is a natural complement to the fennel seeds in the sausage.

A favorite Barese recipe (often named for San Nicola, the guardian saint of sailors), these little packets seal in the fish and vegetable juices, with the potato slices insulating the fish from the heat of the oven and the olives and lemon slices emphasizing its bright flavors.

If you like stuffed clams, you'll love this variation. The mussels are steamed open, then topped with garlicky herbed bread crumbs that truly complement the plump bites of briny flavor beneath.

Crisp on the bottom and chewy in the center, this gluten-free pie gives pizzeria fare a run for its money. Feel free to vary the toppings to suit your taste (keeping in mind that processed pepperoni and even some brands of pre-grated cheese may contain gluten, so read ingredients carefully.) This recipe makes two 10-inch pies—perfect for two very hungry people or two to three pretty hungry people. For easy weeknight meals, make a double recipe of the baked crusts and freeze some to top and broil when you need them. See our related story for more information and sources for gluten-free ingredients.

Aged Gruyère gives extra-nutty flavor.

Kugel is most often made with potatoes or noodles. Here, carrots, zucchini, and two kinds of onions add color and flavor to a potato version.

A flavorful light supper or first course.

This classic French dessert relies on eggs for its pool of rich custard and its islands of soft meringue. In this easy and updated version, the meringue is baked instead of poached, and the custard is enhanced with lemon and a scattering of raspberries.

There's pure asparagus flavor in each bite of this elegant tart.