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We’ve taken some of the weight out of this Italian-American favorite to give brighter, fresher flavors. Makes 6 servings

2 medium eggplants, sliced into ½-inch rings

2 teaspoons salt

Nonstick spray

6 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved into thin strips

4 cups (that is, a double recipe) Marinara Sauce without the pasta or 4 cups purchased marinara sauce

Lightly salt the eggplant slices and stand them up in a colander or lay them out on paper towels on the counter to sweat for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.

Blot the eggplant dry with paper towels. Spray two lipped baking sheets with nonstick spray and lay the eggplant slices evenly and in one layer across them.

Place one tray on each rack and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the slices over, then reverse the trays top to bottom. Continue baking until the slices are a little dried out and firm, about 10 more minutes. After you remove them from the oven, lower the top rack so that it’s in the middle of the oven (be careful—it’s hot) and maintain the oven’s temperature.

Spoon about 1 cup Marinara Sauce into a 13 × 9-inch baking dish. Lay half the eggplant slices in the dish, making a layer. Top them with half the shaved cheese. Spoon and spread about 1½ cups Marinara Sauce over the cheese. Place the remaining eggplant slices in the pan as a single layer, then place the remaining cheese on top of them. Spoon the remaining Marinara Sauce over the casserole.

Bake in the middle of the oven until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.

III. Baked Pasta Marinara Casserole

with Blue Cheese, Peas, and

Artichoke Hearts

Here’s comfort food with pancetta, peas, and artichoke hearts—and three kinds of cheese. Makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 ounces pancetta, diced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cups (that is, a double batch) Marinara Sauce without the pasta or 4 cups purchased marinara sauce

1 pound dried, shaped pasta, such as fusilli, farfalle, ziti, penne, or rigate, cooked and drained

One 10-ounce bag frozen peas, thawed

One 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and quartered

8 ounces provolone, mozzarella, Swiss, Emmentaler, Gruyère, shredded or diced

6 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago, or ricotta salata, grated

4 ounces Gorgonzola, cambozola, or Danish blue, crumbled

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until frizzled and crispy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes, then pour the contents of the pan into a large bowl. Mix in the Marinara Sauce, cooked pasta, peas, and artichoke hearts.

Combine the cheeses in a second bowl.

In a 13 × 9-inch baking pan or a 3-quart, high-sided, round casserole, layer the ingredients in this order: a third of the pasta mixture, a third of the cheese, half the remaining pasta mixture, half the remaining cheese, the remaining pasta mixture, and the remaining cheese (see Note).

Bake, uncovered, until bubbling and gooey, about 30 minutes for a 13 × 9-inch pan or 45 minutes for the round casserole. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: A 13 × 9-inch baking pan makes a crunchier casserole; a high-sided round one makes a creamier casserole.

Pasta with Cream Sauce

Along with the Marinara Sauce, Cream Sauce is the other pasta topper that can be varied endlessly; it is the basis for Pasta Alfredo and a host of other dishes. Makes about 2 cups sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano, grated

Freshly ground white pepper to taste (see Note)

1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta, cooked and drained

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter, wait for 5 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Do not brown the flour, but do let it cook about 15 seconds,