Pasta

For a richer dish, splurge by adding an ounce of reconstituted dried porcini mushrooms to the sauce.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you're feeling extravagant, try replacing the scallops with half a pound of lobster. Or substitute a pound of cubed chicken for the seafood and chicken broth for the clam juice.

This earthy pasta dish is delicious made with the wide, long noodles called pappardelle, or with the thinner and more readily available fettuccine.

A full-flavored Italian blue cheese adds pizzazz to this pasta. Serve the dish with a salad, bread and a glass of white wine for a lovely weekday dinner.

An elegant but easy first course. Frozen artichoke hearts are used for the filling, and purchased gyoza or wonton wrappers replace homemade pasta.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Crusty bread and a salad complete the meal.

Usually clam sauce is loaded with cream and butter. Here, only a touch is needed in a lighter version of an old favorite.

Toss chopped endive, radicchio, fennel and roasted bell peppers with oil and vinegar for a pretty salad course. For the finale, offer poached pears drizzled with chocolate sauce and sprinkled with crushed toffee. Learn how to make your own ravioli with our hands-on streaming video demonstration.

"Mi Piaci, a local restaurant, serves a pasta entrée with wild mushrooms called Fusilli alla Boscaiola," says Karen Mungioli, of Dallas, Texas. "Its flavors reminded me of a dish I had in Italy recently. I’d love to try my hand at preparing this authentic-tasting recipe in my home kitchen."