Pasta recipes

Snack pizzas made on flaky refrigerated biscuits, topped with oregano-spiked tomato paste, mushrooms, onion, and sharp cheddar. Ten mini pizzas in 8 minutes flat, perfect for game day or after-school bites.

A quick microwave chickpea and zucchini curry with seitan, raisins, and mild curry paste in tomato sauce. Vegetarian, low-fat, and ready in 30 minutes.

A hearty ground beef and spinach casserole layered with cottage cheese and bubbly mozzarella in a rich tomato sauce with mushrooms. Like lasagna without the noodles.

Italiano meat pie packs the flavor of spaghetti and meatballs into a buttery pie shell: spiced ground beef simmered in tomato sauce, layered with parmesan and mozzarella, and baked bubbling.

Onion soup topped with Gorgonzola toast instead of the usual Gruyere. Deeply caramelized onions in rich beef stock with thyme and a hit of tomato paste.

Kidney bean dip blended with Dr. Pepper, sharp cheddar, green chiles, and Worcestershire, then topped with crispy bacon. A wild game day dip that actually works.

Classic Greek moussaka with layers of sautéed eggplant and slow-simmered ground beef in tomato sauce, topped with beaten eggs and grated cheese. Baked golden in 30 minutes.

Super cheese pizza sauce: a herb-loaded tomato paste base with oregano, marjoram, garlic and onion. Spread on crust, layer with mozzarella and parmesan, and bake at 450F for 8 minutes.

A scrumptious turkey dish made with enchilada sauce, plain yogurt and monterey jack cheese.

Layered Mediterranean casserole with brown rice, pearl barley, zucchini, and a basil-tomato sauce topped with melted mozzarella. A hearty vegetarian whole grain bake.

Venison parmesan, thin-pounded venison steaks breaded with Parmigiano and breadcrumbs, pan-fried, then baked under tomato sauce and melted mozzarella. The classic chicken parm method, hunters' edition.

Easy to put together, and just let the crock-pot do its wonder. A warm and delicious meal is ready to serve when you come home from work.

Chicken and Mushrooms with Basil Garlic Sauce recipe

Scheherazade casserole: the classic Moosewood vegetarian bake of bulgur, ground soybeans, tomatoes, cumin and feta cheese. Middle Eastern-spiced, protein-rich and a co-op cookbook hall of famer.

Smoked salmon wrapped around plump oysters, napped with a reduced wine-cream-tomato sauce, crowned with sauteed mushrooms and broiled Swiss cheese. French elegance in 40 minutes.

Brown lentils simmered in a fiery berbere and niter kebbeh sauce with tomatoes, cumin, and green peas. Scoop this hearty Ethiopian w'et up with injera for the full experience.