Broccoli Rabe

We've substituted the florets of regular broccoli for broccoli rabe, since they are more readily available. Use rabe if you can find it at your market; it will lend a stronger, more authentic flavor to the dish.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For this recipe, Lisa uses broccoli rabe, a type of bitter Italian green. But the everyday supermarket broccoli works fine, too.

Clyde's Restaurant Group owns several successful restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area. Tom Meyer, head of restaurant development, is especially fond of this popular dish, served with mashed potatoes at Clyde's of Chevy Chase. If you can't find broccoli rabe (an Italian green), collard greens, Swiss chard or mustard greens will work well also.

Pecorino cheese brings more bold flavor to this side dish, which is an excellent complement to Broiled Veal Chops with Mixed Peppercorns.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve roasted bell peppers and olives before this hearty entrée. Spoon sliced and sugared strawberries over ricotta cheesecake to complete the meal.

If you have leftover cooked chicken or turkey on hand, use it instead of the shrimp.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

In Apulia, women still make pasta at home. Their favorite pasta shape - and the symbol of the region - is arecchiette, or "little ears". Called recchie or recchietelle in the local dialect, orecchiette is eaten just about daily, but is prepared a different way in almost every village. The sauces for this whimsical pasta are straightforward and usually contain vegetables, beans or legumes. This recipe is one of the most basic.

(Emilia-Romagna Flatbread with Broccoli Rabe) A piadina is baked on a griddle, folded in half, and filled. In Emilia-Romagna, the fillings might include sautéed greens; cold meats such as prosciutto or salami; and semisoft or soft cheeses such as Fontina Valle d'Aosta. Piadine are usually eaten like sandwiches but can be cut into small wedges to serve as a first course.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The slight bitterness of the broccoli di rape contrasts pleasantly with the sweetness of the garlic. The pasta makes the soup more substantial.

Braised Broccoli This dish is to Christmas Eve dinner in Amalfi what apple pie is to July Fourth in middle America: an absolute necessity. The Amalfitani choose a leafy, lighter colored broccoli from Campania for this dish; the closest substitute in this country is broccoli rabe; choose a bunch with as many leaves as possible.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.