Tomato

This hearty fish soup get tons of flavor from smoky bacon and fragrant saffron.

This intense base is the secret to the full-bodied richness of the stew. Roasting emphasizes the vegetables' best qualities, and they're simmered with red wine and plenty of herbs and aromatics.

With its notes of cumin, cinnamon, and chocolate playing off the gentle spice, this meatless chili combines the best parts of a mole sauce and a Cincinnati-style chili. Its rich body makes it a seriously satisfying dinner any night of the week.

Lightly poached eggs add luxurious body and sophistication to this weeknight soup.

Pasta at Thanksgiving? Even the most epic of meals in Italy will never skip the crucial primo course, and Italians in America make no exception. Though a bit of prosciutto underlines the savoriness of the tomato sauce, the dish is still light enough to take the edge off that holiday hunger without filling everyone up.

Use this classic Mexican mole sauce to marinate the Mole-Roasted Turkey with Masa Stuffing and Chile Gravy . You'll be left with plenty of extra, which can be served alongside the turkey or frozen for later use. (Try it on turkey sandwiches, roasted chicken, or as a sauce for turkey or chicken tamales.)

For a great vegetarian entrée, serve the vegetables on a bed of couscous.

The legacy of San Francisco's Italian and Portuguese immigrants—many of them fishermen—lives on in this fuss-free take on the North Beach favorite, with fresh fennel adding a subtle touch of anise to the tomato-based seafood stew.

Like an eastern European take on ravioli, this embodiment of Polish comfort food is right at home in a lively tomato sauce with dill and caraway seeds.

These are the Jay Gatsbys of sloppy joes—suave, debonair. But we'd be remiss if we let the black-tie frippery of these cosmopolitan joes belie their true nature: Just as with Fitzgerald's famous hero, there's substance underneath all that class. These civilized sandwiches are hearty, delicious, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Sweet summer corn, a whole-grain source of potassium, is delicious on its own. Even better: Spread it with one of the flavorful butter blends created by Bonaparte for a luxuriously indulgent touch.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Molto Italiano by Mario Batali. It's part of a special menu created by Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. Insalata Caprese Invernale I love this winter version of the Neapolitan classic because it is very easy to do, and the slow-roasted tomatoes are better than any regular tomatoes for all but about three months of the year. The extra pesto keeps well in the fridge for two weeks, provided you cover the top with a half-inch of extra-virgin olive oil.

A quick chili becomes the topping for these messy open-face sandwiches.

Barely a day goes by at the Puerto Rican table without rice and beans making an appearance, but this version is pull-out-the-stops-special rather than everyday—you won't believe how much flavor can be packed into such an understated dish. The secret is an abundantly seasoned sofrito—the flavor base—and the slight crust, called pegao, that forms on the bottom of the pot.