Risotto

Orzo—rice shaped pasta—is easier to find than Arborio rice (the traditional ingredient in risotto) and makes a delicious risotto-style side dish.

Making risotto is often thought to be an ordeal of stirring, but it really only takes about 20 minutes. In actuality, it's an easy dish, especially when it's the main course.

Lobster and truffle oil give this dish the true stamp of indulgence.

Italian risotto, traditionally served as an appetizer, makes a great vegetarian meal when served with a salad. In this recipe, butter and cream have been replaced with a flavorful mushroom broth. Porcini mushrooms and Arborio rice are available at Italian markets, specialty food stores and some supermarkets.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A fabulous all-in-one dish, similar to paella, from Lucques in Los Angeles.

This recipe came to be when I was preparing risotto and realized I was out of Arborio rice; I used barley instead. The results were so delicious that I now prefer this version.

In Alba, and throughout the region of Piedmont, a pumpkin-like squash called zucca is found on many fall menus. Butternut squash substitutes nicely here.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. If you have Arborio rice on hand, use it in place of long-grained rice.

Barley gives this a wonderful chewy texture.

Bourdain embellishes this risotto with black truffle shavings, but we thought it was delicious even without them. We opted for a cost-effective alternative — drizzling the risotto with truffle oil just before serving.

"Being a vegetarian, I was delighted to find a hearty meatless main dish at the Stamford Plaza hotel in Auckland, New Zealand," writes Barbara Abbott of Santa Rosa, California. "The mushroom risotto was outstanding; I'd be pleased if you could get the recipe."