Lean Italian Meatless Meals

For those who believe that pots of simmering Bolognese sauces and heaping plates of cheese-topped pasta are the ultimate in Italian cuisine, Casale (Italian Family Cooking) serves up quite a few surprises. Drawing on a largely unfamiliar area of Italian culinary history, she revisits childhood memories of meatless meals to offer 130 recipes that are low in fat, sodium and cholesterol. Lean does not mean flavorless, however; these high-fiber recipes--and reasonably sized portions--ensure satisfaction. But Kale with Raisins and Pine Nuts, and Escarole and Kidney Beans, while listed in the vegetable side dish section, are worthy main courses in themselves, as is the Lentil Salad with Orange-Mint Dressing, in her salad section. Among the pastas is a delicate Lemon Couscous Salad with Spinach. Of course, she includes more traditional pasta dishes, many of them calling for her simple Tomato-Basil Sauce. Mamma mia! what a sauce it is, and with only 76 calories and three grams of fat per half-cup serving, it should be a staple in the kitchen of any health-conscious cook. (Sept.)