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Asiago Beef Tart
I love simple recipes that are fancy enough for guests. To get a velvety texture in this tart, I use creme fraiche, but sour cream works, too. āVeronica Callaghan, Glastonbury, Connecticut
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Pesto Chicken Strata
I like this rustic strata for its hearty flavor. It's also nice to have something savory along with sweeter brunch dishes like cinnamon rolls and doughnuts. āMichael Cohen, Los Angeles, CaliforniaLearn how to make pesto from scratch.
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Fresh Heirloom Tomato Salad
This tomato salad is a summertime must. A standout dressing takes the tasty ingredients to a brand-new level. āTaste of Home Test Kitchen
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Arugula Pesto Chicken
We had an abundance of arugula in our garden, so I turned it into pesto. The bold green color reminds my son of something the Incredible Hulk would eat. āCourtney Stultz, Weir, Kansas
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Tuscan Truffles
For holiday potlucks, I make an appetizer truffle out of prosciutto, figs and toasted pine nuts. Mascarpone and goat cheese make them melt-in-your-mouth creamy. āRoxanne Chan, Albany, California
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Sauteed Radishes with Green Beans
Iāve heard radishes are the only vegetable you donāt cook, but a cookbook from the 1950s disagrees. Green beans and wax beans round out this dish. āPam Kaiser, Mansfield, Missouri
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Mahi Mahi & Veggie Skillet
Cooking mahi mahi with a mix of vegetables may seem complex, but I developed this skillet recipe to bring out the wow factor without the hassle and fuss. āSolomon Wang, Arlington, Texas
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Classic Pesto
This versatile pesto boasts a perfect basil flavor. Pair it with pasta and you've got a classic Italian dinner. āIola Egle, Bella Vista, Arkansas
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Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
I always loved Brussels sprouts growing up, so I decided as an adult to bring them home to our family table. I've been making them ever since.āBrenda Washnock, Negaunee, Michigan
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California Avocado Salad
Spread a little sunshine with this easy salad. Just four ingredients drizzled with Orange Yogurt Dressing and you have a light lunch or a pretty side to serve with dinner. āJames Schend, Taste of Home Deputy Editor
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Italian Pignoli Cookies
Cookies are the crown jewels of Italian confections. I canāt let a holiday go by without baking these traditional almond cookies rolled in mild pine nuts.āMaria Regakis, Somerville, Massachusetts
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Mediterranean Hummus Nachos
My husband once piled all the Middle Eastern dishes I'd made on top of pita chips. It was delicious and fun, so we've kept doing it! We love this combination with ground lamb, too. I am half Lebanese, so we usually call these Lebanese nachos. Whatever you call them, you can't help but like them! āGina Fensler, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Crispy Goat Cheese Appetizers
Want an amazing party starter? Coat slices of goat cheese with seasoned bread crumbs, fry them until golden-brown and top them off with tomato, basil, vinegar and pine nuts. āJulia TenHoeve, Richmond, Virginia
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Tuscan-Style Roasted Asparagus
This is especially wonderful when locally grown asparagus is in season, and it's so easy for celebrations because you can serve it hot or cold. This is how to bake asparagus. āJannine Fisk, Malden, Massachusetts
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Sausage and Swiss Chard Pasta
I whipped up lunch with fresh produce from the farmers market and the result was amazing. āKate Stiltner, Rockford, Michigan
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Caramelized Onion & Fig Pizza
This is a sensational variation on traditional pizza. It's creamy, sweet and a little salty, with a buttery crunch from the pine nuts. I like to serve it with mixed baby greens salad and a vinaigrette. āConnie Balbach, Bemidji, Minnesota
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Orzo with Spinach and Pine Nuts
I have shared this salad many times with the teachers at my school. They enjoy it so much that they ask me to bring it in. It's best to put the tomatoes on the salad just before serving so they won't wilt from the heat and moisture. In my opinion, the dish would not be as delectable if you substitute another vinegar for the balsamic vinegar.āKate Whitehead, Lindenhurst, Illinois
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Mediterranean Mashed Potatoes
It's hard for our family to imagine eating mashed potatoes any other way but this. It tastes great on its own or drizzled with tahini sauce. āNikki Haddad, Germantown, Maryland
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Pine Nut Snowballs
My great aunt Commieās Russian tea cakes, along with pine nuts and amaretto, inspired this recipe. āChristianna Gozzi, Astoria, New York
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Fresh Tomato & Cucumber Salad
This bright, fresh recipe is so easy to prepare. It helps us to find a use for the many vegetables we accumulate from our garden and from friends who kindly share vegetables, too. āJodie Gharbi, Shreveport, Louisiana
Originally Published: December 20, 2018