Side

This fragrant dish would be great served over couscous.

The flavor intensity of watercress can vary, so the amount needed for this soup will vary, too, depending on whether you like a strong or mild watercress taste.

Sfogliata Served with a glass of full-bodied red wine or a Martini, this anchovy- and oregano-flecked Italian bread makes for an appetizer extraordinaire.

Make this multicolored salad a day ahead and chill it overnight for best flavor.

No other vegetable signals spring like asparagus. In this recipe, it makes for a rich, creamy side dish that's beyond delicious. We love it with a simple roast chicken.

Fried sage works on two levels to make these carrots spectacular: First, the leaves' crisp texture offsets the carrots' tenderness, and second, the aromatic oil that remains in the skillet after frying infuses the vegetable with deep flavor.

Ann Gillespie of Alexandria, Virginia, writes: "Because I'm balancing graduate school and a family, I try to cook things that don't take a lot of time. But I love experimenting with ingredients, so most of my recipes are easy to make and use interesting flavor combinations. During the week, salads are our mainstay. When we get bored with veggies, we add different fruits, like the blueberries in the recipe here."

Ann Gillespie of Alexandria, Virginia, writes: "Because I'm balancing graduate school and a family, I try to cook things that don't take a lot of time. But I love experimenting with ingredients, so most of my recipes are easy to make and use interesting flavor combinations. This pasta dish is reminiscent of what my husband and I would cook when we were first married."

Serve this hearty side dish with a pork or lamb roast.

This dip is also delicious with thin baguette slices, toast, crackers, or tortilla chips.

Featuring flat little pieces of pasta filled with semisoft cheese, this soup is made by families in the countryside around the ancient spa town of Brisighella, in Romagna. If you don't have time to make the broth called for here, use your favorite homemade broth instead.

With its tantalizing aroma of garlic, sesame, and Asiago cheese, this Middle Eastern flatbread may well be gone before you can even put it on the table.

Fresh, peppery arugula pairs nicely with the Steamed Clams with Pasta.

There will be extra tamarind sauce: Drizzle it over vegetables, chicken, or fish; stir it into pilaf; or use it as a marinade.