italian

A beef-and-pork meat sauce and herbed ricotta make up many of the layers in this family recipe from Valerie Bertinelli, host of Food Network's "Family Food Showdown."

"These meatballs are a riff on my filling for meat cannelloni and my white Bolognese sauce," Rach says.

A simple dressing shaken together in a jar gets tossed with all the flavorful elements of the standard antipasti platter — with crisp lettuce, too.

Mozzarella is melted over a meatball patty sauced with marinara and served with a tangy antipasti salad.

"Ribollita translates to 'boil again' and refers to reheating beans and greens soup with some stale bread," Rach says.

"The fresh garlic and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese make it something special," Rach says.

Ricotta adds a lighter texture to these meatballs that are simmered in a spiced-up tomato sauce.

Daphne Oz, author of "The Happy Cook," pairs the Italian duo of "cheese and pepper" with spaghetti squash for a filling and deceptively indulgent dinner.

Roasted mushrooms, mushroom broth and reconstituted mushrooms add rich umami flavors to this creamy and fulfilling vegetarian risotto.