Provolone

(BEEF AND SAUSAGE ROLL WITH PROSCIUTTO, PROVOLONE, SPINACH AND EGGS) At one time very little meat was eaten in this region. When it was, humbler cuts were transformed by long cooking into delicious stews or combined with other ingredients to make meatballs or a meat roll such as this one. It is good hot, at room temperature or even cold. Leftovers are great in sandwiches. Serve with the Mixed Salad and some bread.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Rice pilaf and roasted vegetables are good choices for side dishes. Using purchased pesto makes this dish a snap to prepare.

These are great with almost any kind of stuffing — corn bread, oyster, sausage, you name it. Pour Spanish wine throughout the meal: a chilled white Albariño or a red Rioja.

Broccoli is called sparaceddi in Sicilian. In this side dish, it is "drowned" in a heady mixture of olive oil, onions, anchovies, olives, red wine and cheese. While there are variations of the basic preparation throughout Italy, food historians generally think it to be of Sicilian origin.

Pasta Fazool is slang for the classic Italian pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans). This recipe includes Italian sausage and beef along with kidney beans and pasta. It's all topped with Fontina.

At the restaurant, this pizza is made with smoked chicken, but turkey is easier to get and works just as well.

Serve with: Crusty French rolls and steamed new potatoes tossed with butter and chervil. Dessert: Meringues filled with purchased lemon curd and sprinkled with blueberries.

The secrets of a great cheese steak are the quality of the ingredients and the thinness of the raw beef. The beef is best cut into paper-thin slices on an electric slicer. If an electric slicer is out of the question (many home kitchen stores sell these small machines inexpensively), try our method below to achieve similar results.

In these stuffed artichokes, based on a recipe by Marie Miraglia — mother of one of our food editors, Gina — the provolone melts into each bite, and the soppressata adds more depth of flavor. Though we've given a regular-pot method in our recipe, there's nothing like the tenderness the leaves acquire in a pressure cooker — and the artichokes are done in a fraction of the time. Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 2 hr

Salami and Cheese Rolls Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

Pomegranate molasses is sold at Middle Eastern markets and some supermarkets; panko is in many supermarkets' Asian foods aisle.

Button mushrooms would also be fine here. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This sandwich goes well with macaroni salad and sweet-potato chips. Scoop strawberry ice cream into waffle cones afterward.

(Italian-Style Meat and Cheese Sandwiches) Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Vidalias star in a nice version of the relish that is essential to this New Orleans specialty. Try the relish on grilled halibut, too. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

"At the Manhattan law office where I'm a legal secretary, it seems as though the phones are always ringing," writes Lisa Caiazzo of Franklin Square, New York. "And if it isn't the phones that have me occupied, then there are lots of documents that need my attention. By the time I get home from the city, I usually have only about 45 minutes to put together dinner for my husband, Angelo, and myself. Still, that's enough time to make something filling and delicious, like a salad and a hearty pasta or soup." Three cheeses make this a delicious appetizer or a nice partner for soup, salad, or pasta.

Here's a versatile recipe that can be served as a first course, a side dish or even a meatless main course. For extra flavor, add sautéed mushrooms, diced salami, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or sautéed strips of bell peppers to the topping before baking.