Recipe: Quick Vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli

This Italian-American classic combines small pasta shapes, such as ditalini, with canned tomatoes and diced celery, carrots, and onion to make a thick stew. Save your Parmesan rinds in the freezer to add flavor to broths like the one here. This version of pasta and beans is thick, like a stew. To thin it, use a little extra broth.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 celery stalks, diced medium

2 carrots, diced medium

1 small red onion, diced medium

2 garlic cloves, minced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 sprig oregano

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 Parmesan rind (optional), plus 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan for serving

1 cup small pasta, such as ditalini

1 can (15.5 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. In a medium heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add celery, carrots, onion, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft, 9 minutes.
2. Add oregano, tomatoes, broth, and Parmesan rind (if using). Increase heat to high and simmer rapidly until liquid thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
3. Add pasta and cook, partially covered, until tender, around 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Add beans and cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes.
5. To serve, remove rind and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan.

Recipe: Vegetarian Mediterranean Grain Salad

Reminiscent of tabbouleh, this hearty salad combines bulgur wheat with grape tomatoes, parsley, and tangy goat cheese. Excellent at room temperature, this one-serving recipe is a great choice for a take-along lunch. Enjoy this satisfying vegetarian main: a generous bulgur salad with crumbled goat cheese and juicy tomatoes.

Ingredients

1/3 cup medium-grind bulgur

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 small shallot, minced

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 ounce fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. In a heatproof bowl, mix bulgur with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 cup boiling water. Cover, and let stand until tender but slightly chewy, about 30 minutes.
2. Drain bulgur in a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to remove liquid; return to bowl. Add tomatoes, parsley, shallot, vinegar, and oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. Top with cheese.

Cooking notes:
Bulgur is pre-cooked wheat that's been dried and cracked. It has a nutty taste and is sold alongside rice in many supermarkets.

Recipe: Vegetarian Whole-Wheat Greek Pizza

The Haloumi cheese on this pizza, made from a blend of sheep's and goat's milk, remains satisfyingly chewy even when heated. Cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and pine nuts evoke the flavours of the Mediterranean. There's no need to buy a special pizza pan; an upside-down baking sheet works just as well. If you like, you can add a little cornmeal to the baking sheet before cooking.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking sheet

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Whole-wheat flour, for work surface

1 pound whole-wheat pizza dough, thawed if frozen

1 cup (4 ounces) grated haloumi cheese

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 cups baby arugula

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Turn a large baking sheet upside down; rub with oil. Place tomatoes, garlic, and 1 tablespoon oil in a food processor; season with salt and pepper. Pulse 3 to 4 times until ingredients are incorporated but chunky.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin and your hands to roll and stretch dough until large enough to cover the surface of the baking sheet. (If dough becomes too elastic, let it rest a few minutes.) Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
3. Spread tomato sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Top with cheese and pine nuts; season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake until crust is golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss arugula with vinegar and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle arugula and olives over pizza.

Recipe: Vegetarian Traditional Gazpacho

The quintessential ingredients are all here: tomatoes, leftover bread, garlic, and a hint of sherry vinegar. Ripe tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, and green bell pepper are pureed with day-old bread to make this classic version of the cold Spanish soup. Refrigerate the gazpacho for several hours -- or up to a day -- before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Ingredients

2 cups cubed crustless day-old bread

2 garlic cloves

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, preferably beefsteak, seeded

1 four-inch piece English cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 one-inch-thick slice green bell pepper

2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 cup cold water, plus more for soaking

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup torn rustic bread

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Make the gazpacho: Cover bread with cold water, and let soak for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cover garlic with water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes; drain.
2. Transfer garlic to a blender. Squeeze excess liquid from bread, and transfer bread to blender. Add 2 teaspoons salt, the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and vinegars. Puree until smooth. With machine running, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream, blending until emulsified. Blend in cold water. Season it with salt and pepper. Refrigerate gazpacho until chilled, at least 3 hours (or up to 1 day).
3. Make the croutons: Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add bread, and fry, tossing constantly, until pale gold and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bread to a paper-towel-lined plate. Season it with salt and pepper.
4. Divide chilled gazpacho among 6 bowls. Drizzle with oil, and top with croutons just before serving.