Parmesan

This pasta showcases spring produce.

Frico are Italian cheese crisps that make a fun garnish. Typically sprinkled atop osso buco, gremolata is a mix of parsley, garlic, and lemon peel.

Cheese power: Monterey Jack and parmesan are creamy and smooth, while blue lends a subtle savoriness.

Think of it as a giant potato pancake, or latke, made even more savory with the addition of cheese. This skillet-fried cake of Yukon Golds, cut into neat wedges, is elegant enough for guests and versatile enough to serve any time of day.

Pork and beef are the usual suspects when it comes to ribs, but the rich, bold flavor of lamb is a perfect match for this tangy Tex-Mex marmalade glaze. Grits cooked with a generous amount of Cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano round out the meal.

This recipe makes more than enough pesto for Chef Ryan Hardy's Artichoke and green garlic soup . Leftovers, which freeze wonderfully, are great with pasta.

The broccoli gives bright flavor and color to this easy vegetarian pasta dish.

Great with orange or Romanesco cauliflower. Serve with a green salad.

A V-slicer— sold at some supermarkets and most cookware stores—makes quick work of slicing the potatoes very thinly. Serve these alongside Martinis.

Add a salad and your meal is set. Or serve small squares for an appetizer.

Cara Brunetti Hillyard of Hamilton, Virginia, writes: "I come from a long line of great cooks. My father owns an Italian market in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where my mother gets a lot of the ingredients she uses in her wonderful dishes. My mother-in-law is a recipe developer, and I've been known to sit next to my great-aunt Stella with a pen and paper as she details her amazing recipes. I live far from home now, but I reconnect with my family traditions every evening when I make dinner."

This will disappear fast, so doubling the recipe might not be a bad idea.

There are fluffy eggs, melting cheese, and golden hash browns in every bite of this one-dish meal. It makes a good stand-in for quiche, with potatoes acting as a crust.

If you're going to take the time to make fresh pasta, you want to know the dish is worth your while—and these ravioli definitely fit the bill. They're even better with the bubbling sauce of cream, fresh plum tomatoes, and parmesan cheese.

Perfect for entertaining, this gorgeous torta—sheets of delicate crespelle layered with rich besciamella and sweet Italian sausage—won't disappoint. You'll be deliciously rewarded for your effort.

Pasta with butter and mushrooms is appealing all by itself, but the cheesy, garlicky bread crumbs make this dish a showstopper.