Green Bean

To prevent the pasta from getting too soft, we cook it separately and toss it with olive oil and chopped parsley, then spoon it into each bowl of soup.

Finely chopped toasted walnuts bulk up the yogurt dressing for this gorgeous salad. It's pretty enough to serve to company, either as the main course of a vegetarian meal or as a meatless offering at a summer potluck.

This simple recipe for roasted salmon packs gobs of flavor for little effort. The natural oils in the fish intensify the seasonings. This recipe also can be used for smaller fillets or salmon steaks. You'll just need to watch it as it cooks and adjust the time accordingly. Editor's note: This recipe makes 4 servings, plus more for leftovers. Please see "Deconstructed Sushi" and "Monster Salad" below for tips on how to enjoy, pack, and serve the leftovers.

It's low-cal and filling—as in perfect for swimsuit season. I make it a day ahead so the veggies can marinate and the flavor pops.

This pasta salad is a clever take on a well-loved soup. Because it's served at room temperature, it makes a great side dish at a picnic or barbecue. It's colorful and extremely flavorful, with pesto, beans, and vegetables.

Instead of using canned tuna, this recipe puts you in control of the quality of the tuna and how long to cook it. We like it on the medium-rare side.

When it comes to buying feta, you've got choices. We love the firm texture and sheep's-milk tang of Bulgarian or Greek.

Chef Josh Keeler brings out the best in vegetables with…meat. He drizzles a vinaigrette made with cured soppressata over a rotating cast of seasonal produce, like okra and green beans. "It adds a bit of acidity, fat, and richness without overpowering the dish," he says. And it makes a strong case for using meat in a supporting role to veggies, not the other way around.

"As a kid, I loved frenched green beans drenched in butter! Here, in a creamy raw slaw atop barely hardboiled eggs, they're all grown up." —Allie Lewis Clapp, food editor

"Battering and frying green beans makes them addictive, obviously!" —Sue Li, recipe developer

"Paris chef Alain Passard, who is famous for unusual pairings, inspired this dish." —Chris Morocco, associate food editor

The pleasantly earthy flavor of black rice pairs well with the bright acidity of this vinaigrette. If you can't find it, use wild rice instead.

Green beans have a certain suave, slender elegance that makes them a classic accompaniment to rosy-red roast beef. But too often, they get short shrift: a quick drizzle of butter, a squirt of lemon, and onto the table they go. We suggest you coddle them a little this year. Try tossing them in a hot skillet with shallots and pecans that get caramelized in buttery brown sugar, and you'll see just how special green beans can be. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for A Christmas Classic. Menu also includes Herb-Crusted Beef Rib Roast with Potatoes, Carrots, and Pinot Noir Jus and Tiramisu Yule Log .

This salad is a beautiful chorus of peas and pods. Cook all the beans in the same pot so you boil the water only once.

The crisp beans and potatoes can be cooked an hour ahead and kept at room temperature, but toss the potatoes with the dressing while they are still warm. To soak up any extra herbed garlicky goodness, serve with the Garlic Bruschetta.

These versatile small tartlets can take top billing for a light lunch or play appetizer to a lazy weekend brunch. A creamy custard forms the backdrop for three fillings: goat cheese and tomato; crab and tarragon; and pea, onion, and pancetta. The empty pastry shells can be baked up to a day in advance, then filled and finished when you’re ready to eat. Pack them for a picnic—they’ll easily travel!

Pistou, the simple combination of fresh basil, garlic, and olive oil, introduces the same savory spirit when tossed with tender, buttery green beans. One of the secrets to this salad is soaking the red onions: a quick water bath moderates their intensity without diminishing their crunch.

Chef Kris Wessel of Florida Cookery in Miami Beach, Florida, shared this recipe as part of a Palm Tree Christmas menu he created exclusively for Epicurious.

Forget the rule about cooking vegetables just until they're crisp-tender. The oven-roasting method used here results in lusciously soft beans with intensified flavor. Be sure to use fresh beans; older ones can be dry and tough.

A wonderful make-ahead summer meal, this dinner is just as delicious served chilled as it is served warm.