Parmesan

The zing of fresh lemon enhances both the peas' sweetness and the natural flavor of the spinach. The whole quick, creamy dish is bolstered by soft pillows of potato gnocchi.

The broiled disks of polenta in this dish bring to mind an extra-delicious version of johnnycakes, topped with a hearty, savory ragout that's ready before you know it.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jamie Oliver's book Cook with Jamie.

This twist on the Caesar salad is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Ananda spa in India. Iceberg lettuce is topped with a crispy buttermilk, cornmeal, and chickpea flour pancake, low-fat cheese made from yogurt and spices, and an anchovy-free dressing. Note that the raw garlic is rubbed on the croutons after rather than before toasting to preserve its volatile oils. Garlic—particularly when it's uncooked—has been attributed with numerous health benefits, including fighting cancer and killing harmful bacteria. If you are following an Ayurvedic diet, the experts at Ananda recommend this for vata and kapha doshas. Be sure to start this recipe at least one day ahead.

SERVING SUGGESTION: With pre-dinner drinks or on a salumi platter.

These fried cheese crisps are fun to make, so enlist a few guests to help if you decide to make them at the last minute.

These have the lively crisp exterior and cloudlike interior you expect from a gougère, but with an incredibly intense combination of smoky bacon, roasted corn, and extra-sharp Cheddar.

This recipe could easily become a year-round favorite—simply substitute supermarket rotisserie chicken for the turkey. And as a special treat for the kids (or the kid in you), make individual-size pies, using eight 10- to 12-ounce gratin dishes.

You've encountered a million potato-bacon-cheese combos in your lifetime, but in retrospect they all seem to be rehearsals for this one, a classic of Miraglia Eriquez's Calabrian grandmother Mary Pacella, who immigrated to Brooklyn in 1934. Crispness abounds, from the bacon to the slight crust on the roasted potatoes, yielding to creamy, very potatoey interiors.

A bit of soppressata and cheese stuffed ingeniously between each leaf gives these artichokes a heartiness worthy of a special course. (Eat them as you normally would, scraping the leaf with your teeth—but in this case you'll get a mouthful of flavor-packed filling, too.) Using a pressure cooker speeds up cooking time and also results in incredibly tender artichokes.

Over-the-top delicious.

These will add a southwestern-style kick to your Thanksgiving menu.

Pan-roasting gives these paper-thin slices of turnip—a study in richness and lightness—a delicate sweetness.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Molto Italiano by Mario Batali. It's part of a special menu created by Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. Insalata Caprese Invernale I love this winter version of the Neapolitan classic because it is very easy to do, and the slow-roasted tomatoes are better than any regular tomatoes for all but about three months of the year. The extra pesto keeps well in the fridge for two weeks, provided you cover the top with a half-inch of extra-virgin olive oil.

Tiny bow-tie pasta takes this supreme comfort dish into another realm—it's kind of like fancy macaroni and cheese with bacon, and what could be better than that? At Zazu, the bacon is house-made and the eggs in the pasta and sauce come from their own hens. To stay true to that ideal, you might want to track down some local eggs and artisanal bacon when you make this dish at home.

This recipe was created by chef Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson of Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. Frico caldo are Italian cheese crisps. Chef Mackinnon Patterson's version includes potatoes and onions and makes for a slightly thicker crisp, similar to a potato pancake. Start making this recipe a day before you plan to serve it. The pickled shallots and cilantro vinaigrette are best if prepared 24 hours in advance.

Here's an autumnal twist on pesto—with walnuts standing in for pine nuts and with a mix of herbs in place of summery basil. It's great on pasta or chicken.

The toasted crumbs on top have a cheesy crispness, and the pasta beneath is creamy and rich. Kids will appreciate the individual servings, but the recipe makes plenty, so why not pour the extra into a baking dish to feed the ravenous parents?

Why you'll make it: Because it's the simple version of the omelet, and works as well for breakfast as it does for lunch, a late dinner, even with drinks.