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2 cups chopped fresh basil

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or ½ cup commercial grated Parmesan

1 pound linguine

In a covered blender, process oil and garlic on high speed until smooth. Let stand for 15 minutes. Remove inner cap or cover of blender and gradually add nuts and pepper, blending until smooth. A little at a time, add basil. Stir mixture down with a thin scraper (turn blender off first) and add Parmesan cheese. Cook linguine and drain, reserving ½ cup cooking water. Toss linguine with reserved water, transfer to a large heated platter, pour on sauce, and toss with two forks until evenly blended. Serve with additional grated Parmesan, if you wish.

Complementary protein: nuts + wheat + milk products

Emptying the Fridge

3 servings

This recipe is a variation on San Franciscan Terry Gilbreath-Hart’s suggestion for a quick and tasty way to use just about any leftover vegetables you have on hand. The essence is a delicious white sauce that lends itself to endless adaptation. The cabbage and carrots called for here were what happened to be in my refrigerator.

Oil for sautéing

1 onion, chopped

½ head cabbage, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

¾ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons margarine

½ cup low-fat condensed milk

½ cup low-fat milk

1/3 to ½ cup yogurt

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds or chopped walnuts

Heat oil in a large skillet and sauté vegetables until barely tender. Add ginger, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper. In a saucepan, brown flour in margarine and add milk, a little at a time, stirring until sauce rethickens between each addition. Take sauce off the heat and add yogurt, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper, if necessary. Stir sauce into vegetables. Garnish and serve over noodles, rice, or boiled spinach.

Complementary protein: milk + grain

2. Something from the Oven

Baked Italian

* Spinach Lasagne Special

* East-Meets-West Lasagne

Ricotta Lasagne Swirls

Spaghetti for Peanuts

With a Mexican Flavor

* Enchiladas Gomez Style

Enchilada Bake

Easy Mexican Pan Bread

* South of the Border Bake

Vegetable Bake

* Baked Stuffed Anything

Sue’s Famous Vegetable Squares

Spinach-Rice Pot

Sesame Eggplant Parmesan

Bean Bake

* Bolinas Soyburgers

Broiled Falafel Patties

Savory Stuffed Peppers

Garbanzo Bake

Cheese Bake (mostly low-fat)

* Pasticcio

* Greek Cheese and Spinach Wedges

Noodle-Cheese “Soufflé”

Golden Parsley Potatoes

* New recipe.

WHILE THE COOKING time for these dishes may be longer than for stove-top meals, your actual work time is no greater. Most can be easily adapted to the food you have on hand. Remember, never feel you have to follow the recipe to the letter; just try to keep the major protein ingredients the same or in the same proportion. After trying just a few, you will see that none of them deserve that drab old label, “casserole.”

Spinach Lasagne Special

6 to 8 servings

What’s special about this lasagne is that it calls for no tomato sauce and uses low-fat cheese, so that its taste isn’t heavy. Peggy Ritter of Bellingham, Washington, won “Best Entree” in a nutritional-awareness contest with it. Her recipe calls for 3 eggs combined with the cheese mixture. I eliminated the eggs to cut down on cholesterol; you can achieve their congealing effect by adding 2 or 3 egg whites.

2–3 tablespoons oil

½ pound lasagne noodles (about 12 noodles)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

10 medium mushrooms, sliced

½ teaspoon each oregano, basil, and rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 pound spinach, washed, drained, and chopped

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

8 to 10 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles until al dente, drain, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat oil in a big skillet and saute garlic, onion, tomatoes, and mushrooms. When onion is translucent, add herbs and spinach, stirring until spinach