Dairy

The key to this sauce is a creamy emulsion of the oil, cheese, and pasta water. Toss and stir—and stir and toss—adding liquid freely, until it comes together.

The best blue cheese for this is salty but creamy, not too sharp or funky.

No ice cream maker? Use store-bought frozen yogurt, or serve this over lightly sweetened Greek yogurt.

Use very ripe—even overripe—tomatoes; they'll give up even more juice.

A super-juicy watermelon is key; it should feel heavy for its size and sound hollow when tapped.

The flesh immediately surrounding the seeds is the most succulent part of any melon; if you haven't tried eating the crunchy seeds before, hold on to your hat.

Eggplant is like a sponge. Salting it draws out moisture and firms up the flesh, and deep-frying ensures it cooks evenly until creamy throughout. Worth your time.

Cooked summer squash can be mushy. Solution: Eat it raw. If you can't find buckwheat groats, use chopped toasted almonds instead.

Delicate squash blossoms are a farmers' market treasure. Look for flowers with perky, intact petals and a generous length of stem still attached. Wrap them loosely in damp paper towels and tuck them into a zip-top bag; they'll keep this way in the fridge for a few days. Or bypass the storage completely and turn them into a predinner bite as soon as you get home.—Alison Roman

This dish turns the satisfying Italian American sandwich filling–sausage and peppers–into a hearty pasta dish.

If you don't want to heat up your house with the oven, you can bake any muffins on the grill but the lightly smoky flavor that the grill imparts is especially nice with corn-based ones. Because keeping the grill at a steady temperature can be tricky, the baking time can vary, so keep an eye on the muffins. For the best muffins, be sure that the entire pan is not set over direct heat (otherwise, the bottoms will burn).

Grilling the tomatoes concentrates their flavor slightly while still leaving them fresh enough to make a light, juicy sauce. Studded with cubes of fresh mozzarella, this dish is a summery crowd-pleaser.

Zucchini bread is one of those things that is almost always good but rarely spectacular and a slice can serve as a breakfast, snack or dessert. Sprinkling it with sugar and grilling it so it becomes nicely caramelized moves it firmly in the dessert category (and, along with adding a spoonful of mascarpone, makes it much closer to spectacular). This recipe works with your favorite zucchini bread recipe or try it with this Spiced Zucchini-Walnut Bread .

Toasted walnuts and tender green beans add a delicious flavor to sweet bell pepper & roasted chicken ravioli.

Three Cheese Asparagus Ravioli flavored with lemon, garlic and basil make a delicious meal to enjoy any night of the week. This one comes together in about 15 minutes so "too busy" is not an excuse.

This meal has everything you need in one dish. Chicken & roasted garlic tortelloni pair up with pancetta and broccoli rabe for a tasty dish worthy of entertaining.

Ravioli tossed with asparagus, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and pancetta creates a delicious meal. The lemon juice and olive oil drizzle provide a light, fresh taste.

Roasting corn brings out the natural sweetness and combining with ravioli, garlic and basil creates a delicious meal your whole family will love.

Sweet bell pepper & roasted chicken ravioli is complemented nicely with a sauce made with yellow tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan cheese and basil. An upscale taste that is still quick and easy.