Cookbook author, TV host and celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich is one of the most famous Italian cooks in the U.S. She’s also a successful restaurateur, with eight restaurants specializing in Italian and Italian-American cuisine. Yet when she prepares meals for her own family at home, she’s like the rest of us: She likes to keep it simple, with straightforward, no-fuss recipes that don’t require impeccable technique or fancy ingredients.

Take cannellini beans, for instance. Found in every classic minestrone and many Italian salads, the white kidney-shaped legume can also add an inexpensive punch of protein to a plate of greens or make a fish dish more substantial.