Squash

In Venice you’ll find this soup in nearly every restaurant, and every version is a little bit different. I use two kinds of beans because I like the different textures each contributes: the cannellini are creamy while the garbanzos (chickpeas) have a slightly firmer bite. The final herb sauce brightens and freshens the long-cooked flavors. You can substitute any mild white fish for the snapper, but try to keep the fillets whole as the soup cooks. I always feel if I’ve spent the money for a beautiful piece of fish, I want people to see it, not just find tiny flakes throughout the soup.

This moist cake combines the fruits, nuts, and spices from the New World that the Spanish conquistadores discovered in 1508. Chocolate was part of this Mesoamerican tableau. Brown sugar and ginger arrived much later, but this cake pays homage to the riches of the original jungles and river valleys.

Don’t be scared off by the use of sugar in this highly aromatic one-dish meal. It just heightens the flavors of the spices, onions, and pecans.

This vegetable-rich entrée is a breeze to make with prepared polenta.

This mildly seasoned frittata—basically an omelet without the work—is a different way to use leftover pasta.

Rich-tasting, thick, and so flavorful—no one will miss the meat in this stew.

This recipe is a great example of how to prepare a classic French dinner in minutes and in only one pan.

Roasting vegetables usually takes 45 minutes or longer. The technique we use here takes only 15 minutes, yet provides excellent slow-roasted flavor. For a change, omit the pasta and serve the vegetables as a side dish.

With its Old World flavors and tempting aroma, this versatile dish is a big hit at potluck suppers. Depending on whether you use the main recipe or one of the variations, you can create an entrée, a one-dish meal, or a side dish from the same basic ingredients

Lemon-tinged cream cheese tempers peppery arugula in this nutrition-packed entrée.

Serve this attractive side dish with your holiday meal or with roast beef for Sunday dinner. Baking at a high temperature slightly caramelizes the bottom of the squash for a delightful taste.

A seasoned cornmeal crust makes the zucchini so crisp that you could easily mistake it for deep-fried. Try the zucchini and dip for a party appetizer as well as for a side dish.

An attractive dish for entertaining, this recipe has a Middle-Eastern flavor. If you are really in a hurry, try the alternate cooking method.

Unlike many other poppy seed dressings, the one used in this fresh vegetable salad is sweet and sour.

Probably one of the easiest soups you will ever make, this smooth, creamy delight is perfect whether you’re entertaining or curling up in front of the fire.

You’ll be happy to eat veggies for dessert when you taste these cakelike brownies. Zucchini is the surprise ingredient.

Baked with pumpkin for added flavor, moisture, and body, these gingerbread muffins are perfect for brown-bagging or after-school snacks.