Arugula

Complete this one with cherry tomatoes, potato chips, and lemonade.

Fresh kernels of raw corn are so sweet and tender that they don't need to be cooked. Their natural sugars and crisp juiciness pair wonderfully with the salty Parmesan and peppery arugula.

This salad was inspired by one we had in Rome that was made with Stracchino cheese, but we've used mascarpone, which makes an admirable and accessible substitute. (Stracchino, a springtime cheese, is difficult to find here, even in season.) Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

Bottled vinaigrette adds a tangy twist to the chicken. This stylish dish goes well with couscous. Molasses cookies and vanilla ice cream sprinkled with chopped crystallized ginger would be a lovely finish.

(Grain and Tomato Salad) One summer my husband, Massimo, and I vacationed with our son, Max, near Lucca, about an hour from Florence. There we discovered a local specialty, farro, an ancient grain (emmer, often called spelt, in English) similar to barley, traditionally used in bean soup there. We bought lots of it, and Massimo then made a salad based on panzanella but substituting the boiled farro, for soaked and squeezed bread — a terrific idea that has become a warm-weather favorite.

Roasty, bright, sweet, and pickly, this sheet pan salad—a vegetarian main OR ample side dish—checks all the flavor boxes.

Stable enough to last days in the fridge (and hearty enough to sate a breastfeeding mom).

Seared chicken thighs render enough fat to form the base of a vinegary pan sauce, with pockets of sweetness from golden raisins.

Frozen cauliflower deserves to be more than a side. Here a quick zap in the microwave primes the veggie crumbles to become a hearty vegetarian main.

All of the hallmarks of a sheet-pan dinner (quick! simple! very few dishes to do!), plus big slabs of warm, melty feta.

A speedy take on a focaccia-based pizza (only 40 minutes of rest required!) with Calabrian chile–spiked sauce and salty cured olives.

Show off peak season citrus in this bright and tangy salad that makes a great counterpoint to some of winter’s dark, rich foods.

Thick and eggy with a browned cheesy top, this puffed pancake (as well as the dressing for the arugula salad on top) comes together entirely in the blender.

Tangy vodka sauce and grilled chicken make a savory base for this pizza, which gets topped with a bright arugula salad and pickled red onions after it’s baked.

Zucchini is one of summer’s most abundant offerings; here it stars on a pesto pizza alongside ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms and a showering of mint.

This is the love child of a grain bowl and arugula salad—with charred scallions, avocado, and thinly sliced jalapeño for smokiness, richness, and heat.

Forget cranking up the oven—these adorable little pizzas take only six minutes to cook on the stove.

Summer dinner comes together in no time when everything’s thrown on the grill and finished in an easy tangy dressing inspired by Italian mostarda.

You can—and you should!—eat fried slices of lemon in your salad. (Trust us.)

Toasty griddled Korean rice cakes, melty cheese, and a spicy, nutty brown butter–gochujang sauce come together in this truly decadent snack.