Ricotta

One great thing about this lasagna is that the noodles don't need to be pre-boiled. The dish has a lot of liquid (in the form of sauce) and goes into the oven covered, so the noodles get cooked perfectly as the lasagna bakes. Add a green salad, and serve some Chianti or California red Zinfandel with the main course.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

To complete the menu, serve seeded Italian breadsticks and a salad of radicchio and marinated artichoke hearts tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. Spumoni ice cream is a perfect ending.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Homemade ravioli are made simple here with readily available gyoza wrappers (look for them in the refrigerated Asian section of your supermarket).

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Though cheese blintzes rate as an all-time favorite in my family, I don't always have the time to prepare them in the usual fashion. Therefore, I created the following casserole, which has a fantastic flavor very similar to blintzes (some say it's even better); yet it takes only a few minutes to prepare. In fact, I make it often throughout the year. It is quite different from the popular cheese blintz casseroles made with frozen commercial blintzes. For my version, a layer of cheese filling is baked between two light layers of a special blintz-type batter. The casserole is then cut into squares for serving, making it a perfect choice for a dairy buffet and great for Shavuot. Since the first edition of this book was published, this layered blintz casserole has proven to be one of its most popular recipes. The dish is served at the famous Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York, where it has become a favorite brunch offering under the name "Easy Cheese Blintz Puff." And the recipe has appeared in a number of books and magazines. Like some of the other "creative" recipes in this book, this one appears to be on its way to becoming a classic of "new" Jewish cooking. <a name="note"></a>Notes: The types of cheese in the filling were determined after much experimentation with various mixtures. It is the best combination to produce the desired results of separate layers. The top of this casserole is rather plain. If desired, it may be sprinkled lightly with cinnamon or cinnamon-sugar before the casserole is returned to the oven for the final baking.

At Valentino, this is prepared with fresh pasta. Wonton wrappers make a convenient substitute.

Fresh Ricotta, Anchovy, and Oregano Toasts Crostini refers to a whole family of antipasti based on thin slices of bread, toasted, sometimes brushed with olive oil, and covered with any number of savory toppings. If you can, buy fresh anchovies and marinate them yourself or buy them already marinated from an Italian or Hispanic deli (where they are known as alici marinati or boquerones respectively; see note below).

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

A delicious take on lasagne, made with tube-shaped pasta instead of long noodles.

Healthy bonus: Vitamin A and lycopene from the red peppers

Many of the cake's components can be made a head, and once the tiers are filled and decorated, they can be refrigerated up to two days or frozen up to two weeks before the wedding. The rich, lemony cake has a dense texture like that of a pound cake. To prevent discoloration of the filling, use a saucepan with a nonreactive interior, such as enamel or stainless steel. (The lemon juice acid will adversely affect the filling if it's made in an unlined iron or aluminum saucepan.)

This recipe was created to accompany <epi:recipelink id="14115">Rib-eye Steaks with Arugula Oil</epi:recipelink>.