Plum Tomato

This recipe can be increased to serve any number of hungry people as a main course or appetizer. Chopped olives, chopped red or green bell peppers and kidney beans are also good in this dish.

(PALOMBO CON PESTO TRAPANESE) Here shark and pesto are teamed up in a great entrée. Offer it with the excellent dry white wine, Nozze d'Oro from Regaleali, the star of the Sicilian wine industry.

We loved these tomatoes after they were cooked for 6 hours. We served them on crusty bread with a little olive oil and thought they'd also work well as a side dish. But to toss with pasta, we wanted a more intense flavor, so we cooked them an additional 2 hours. They were perfect.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Since the tomatoes in the sauce are cooked just briefly, this dish is a breeze to make.

A classic duo adds an Italian accent to an American favorite.

To round out the menu, offer a tossed green salad and uncork a Chianti to go with this delicious pasta dish. Sharpen your chopping and mincing skills with our technique video.

Ideally, the sweet wine in the marinade should be Muscat, a famous Samos wine.

Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 4 1/4 hr (includes making stock and rouille)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For easier crumbling, chill the cheese before adding it to the salad. The French lentils called for here are sold at specialty foods stores; regular brown lentils can be used, and the cooking time is about the same.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.