Recipes with olive oil

An Italian spinach lasagna with a slow-simmered meat sauce of ground beef, pancetta, chicken livers, and dried porcini mushrooms layered with ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Old-world flavor in every bite.

Polipi Veraci all'Aglio is Italian braised octopus with crushed garlic, cumin, bay leaf, and olive oil, slow-cooked in a sealed earthenware dish until tender. Finished with rosemary, parsley, and green pepper.

Classic risotto alla Milanese with saffron, Marsala wine, and prosciutto. Arborio rice stirred to a creamy finish with Parmesan and butter.

Poblano and smoked chicken chowder with hominy, tomatillos, cumin, and white wine, topped with avocado, cilantro, and fresh lime. A smoky, spiced Mexican-inspired soup.

Microwave polenta made with just cornmeal, water, olive oil, and salt in 10 minutes. No stirring for 40 minutes at the stove. Creamy results, zero fuss.

Pennsylvania-style cucumber pickles with olive oil, dry mustard, black pepper, and apple cider vinegar. Salt overnight, jar them up, and wait 6 weeks for a bold, mustardy pickle.

Fire and ice chili with cubed pork loin, pineapple chunks, jalapenos, green chiles, and a quarter cup of chili powder. A slow-simmered pork chili where sweet fruit meets serious heat.

Italian-style pork tenderloin roasted and marinated in balsamic vinegar, rosemary, sage, and pink peppercorns. A make-ahead dish that gets better up to 3 days in the fridge.

Asian-inspired venison cutlets seared and coated with fresh herbs and sesame oil, served with a ginger-soy pan sauce. A quick, elegant wild game dinner with bold flavor.

Poached shredded chicken and cumin-spiced black beans with jalapeño, tomato, and cilantro wrapped in warm flour tortillas. Finished with lime juice and a cool yogurt drizzle.

A slow-simmered marinara built on three layers of tomato, a splash of red wine, Italian herbs, and just enough red pepper flakes to earn the name "zesty." Low-fat, feeds a crowd, and freezes like a champ.

Grilled fish fillets in balsamic-ginger marinade: light, bright, low-fat fish fillets marinated in balsamic vinegar, lemon, garlic, and fresh ginger, then quickly grilled. Heart-healthy summer dinner.

Rustic Italian spaghetti from the Ciociaria region with plum tomatoes, sweet peppers, oil-cured olives, and Romano cheese. A bold, no-meat pasta that's ready in under an hour.

There is a bit of confusion about these two plants. For some reason,the fennel plant, which resembles celery with fern like tops, has been called sweet anise in produce markets. The true anise is cultivated only for its seeds. So what you see labelled "sweet anise" in your market is probably fennel, but no matter what you call it, this is a highly interesting vegetable. Every part of this aromatic plant has a taste and aroma similar to licorice. The stems are eaten like celery,uncook, or cooked and served as a vegetable (heavenly with apples in waldorf salad) available from September to May.

A tasty and scrumptious seafood pasta dish that will have you hooked from the first bite to the last!

A Cajun showstopper: whole roasted chicken rubbed with Creole seasoning and stuffed with homemade dirty rice built on a dark roux, gizzards, ground pork, and the holy trinity.