Cook Fresh Tomatoes. Add Beans. Watch Your Head Explode.

Plus, rabe with sausage and grapes and why Caesar salad is dinner

Maybe it’s a coincidence that the three dinner recipes we chose for this week are Italian, or maybe we just really wanted an excuse to shower some stuff with grated parmesan. Either way, these are all classics. There’s Caesar salad, which needs no introduction other than my saying it’s often considered a side dish or a nice “light lunch,” which never really seemed fair. It’s rich, luxurious, and loaded with delicious croutons: That’s dinner in my book, especially in the summer heat, when sometimes all you want is a really satisfying salad.

Then there’s the incredible combination of broccoli rabe, sausage, and grapes, which is one of my favorites. The sausage-and-grape thing is traditional, but kind of under-appreciated; with the rabe, it’s a meal unto itself. Throw in some crusty bread for good measure if you want, or toss it with pasta or a hearty grain —think farro or wheat berries. I’m often inclined to skip the grapes if I go the pasta route, but I’ll admit that they’re kind of fun and unexpected in there.