Delicious Italian food was made for bountiful and flavor-filled variations, not weak substitutions - which is why none of these recipes calls for tofu, soy milk, or other ingredients that mimic meat, dairy, and eggs. Now readers can treat themselves to something scrumptious - even if they can't make it to Italy this year.

Donna Klein, a food writer who has contributed to The Washington Post, Vegetarian Gourmet, Veggie Life, The Herb Companion, and Yoga Journal, studied French regional cooking at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris.