Fontina

Four ingredients and a few minutes are all it takes to put together this crisp, bubbly masterpiece. A quick drizzle of truffle oil adds a final flourish of decadence.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from I Like Food, Food Tastes Good: In the Kitchen with Your Favorite Bands by Kara Zuaro. To read more about the book, see the related story. Patrick Phelan
from Patrick himself Singer-songwriter Patrick Phelan crafts dreamy, lingering music, studies human rights, and has spent time in Italy to focus on his cooking, as he has been a chef for more than eleven years. This decadent dish is something you should save for a special occasion because (a) you're going to have to drop a lot of cash to make it happen, (b) you're going to need to kill a pair of lobsters in the process, and (c) it'll make your special day that much more special. This is a challenging recipe, but if you follow the directions carefully, you'll end up with a dish that's as fancy as it is comforting — and big enough to feed a crowd. If you're cooking for two, just make half — you'll still savor the leftovers for lunch the next day. "This recipe comes courtesy of the great influences of David Shannon, one of my many teachers over the years." —Patrick Phelan

Roasted vegetables and Italian Fontina lend this lush-tasting lasagne a more intense flavor than than you'd get with the usual spinach and ricotta filling.

Tender, faintly bitter escarole gives a unique, delicious earthiness to this double-crust pizza, which stands apart from its traditional saucy brethren.

Perfect for entertaining, this gorgeous torta—sheets of delicate crespelle layered with rich besciamella and sweet Italian sausage—won't disappoint. You'll be deliciously rewarded for your effort.

Creamy Italian Fontina, earthy mushrooms, and a dash of truffle oil transform a childhood favorite into elegant little sandwiches.

A savory take on noodle kugel, this beautiful dish is creamy on the inside with a golden-crisp crust. Using thin egg fettuccine rather than traditional short, wide egg noodles adds elegance.

No time to heat up a pizza stone? This easy alternative method yields a crisp crust in just minutes. Good-quality cheese, olive oil, and prosciutto go a long way toward making the pie truly memorable.

Torta salata
Great on its own or as part of a meal, this tender bread is wonderfully rich, particularly when served warm.

Cookies may seem odd in a vegetable galette, but Italians often use amaretti to enhance squash—and it works with sweet potatoes, too. Whereas the potato and kale galette is savory, this is a little sweet, so it's worth making both.

Grape focaccia is a Tuscan classic. Here, we've reworked it with two kinds of cheese and a dash of sweet wine.

Heat the pizza stone and prepare the eggplant and other pizza toppings in this recipe while the pizza dough is rising.

Healthy bonus: Vitamin A and lycopene from the red peppers

Healthy bonus: Vitamin C and beta-carotene from the squash.

Healthy bonus: Bone-building magnesium and calcium from arugula

Marsha and John Antonelli of Whittier, California, write: "We recently had lunch at Bistro Jeanty, in Yountville, California, where the ham, leek, and three-cheese quiche was so outstanding we went back twice. Could you persuade the chef to share this excellent recipe?" Extremely creamy and rich, this quiche could be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can make your own crust, but the premade kind will save some time.

Why a trio of cheeses? Fontina for its melting quality and nutty flavor, Gorgonzola for its biting blue punch, and Parmigiano-Reggiano for its uncanny ability to amplify other cheeses.

Fresh fennel adds crunch and goat cheese lends tang to this meatless pizza.