Pasta recipes

Sicilian tomato pesto with toasted pine nuts, fresh basil, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes folded with chopped tomatoes and tossed through linguine. Bright, rustic, and ready in 30 minutes.

Neopolitan ziti tossed with hot Italian sausage, sauteed bell peppers, plum tomato marinara, and fresh basil. A rustic southern Italian weeknight plate from the sausage-and-peppers tradition.

When buying cheese for grating, get the best quality - Parmigiano Reggiano. A wedge will keep for a long time in your refrigerator if it's very well wrapped in plastic. As it may be expensive, consider that you've made a worthwhile investment.

Cannelloni stuffed with chicken, spinach, ricotta, and toasted almonds, blanketed in a Swiss cheese cream sauce and baked until bubbly. A showstopper for Sunday dinner or date night.

Serious comfort food that makes great heat and serve leftovers. Bacon Mac n' Cheese.

Baked stuffed manicotti the old-school way: pasta tubes packed with a beef and mozzarella filling, blanketed in a homemade tomato sauce simmered an hour with fennel seed and herbs, then baked bubbling under more cheese.

Penne with cauliflower, fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan. A no-cook sauce tossed with hot pasta and cauliflower boiled together in the same pot. Ready in 30 minutes.

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with seasoned ground turkey, carrot, and Parmesan in a red wine tomato sauce, baked until bubbly. A lighter Italian-style stuffed shell that's packed with flavor in every bite.

Baked rigatoni with ground turkey, porcini mushrooms, and tomatoes topped with homemade bechamel, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan. A hearty one-dish pasta bake.

Spinach and three-cheese stuffed manicotti with sautéed mushrooms, baked in spaghetti sauce until bubbly. No-boil shells make this Florentine-style pasta a breeze.

Garlicky chicken pieces sauteed in butter with broccoli and red bell pepper, tossed with linguini and finished with lemon and Parmesan. A 30-minute weeknight pasta.

Broccoli and ziti San Pierota with garlic-sauteed broccoli florets over pasta tossed in a simple crushed tomato sauce, finished with red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan.

Ricotta stuffed shells with arrabbiata sauce fills jumbo pasta shells with creamy ricotta, Parm, and herbs, then bakes in spicy pancetta-laced marinara. Italian comfort food with a fiery red-pepper kick.

Fettuccine with lime-marinated chicken breast in a tomato and green chili sauce. Butter and lime zest tossed into the pasta for a bright, Southwestern-inspired dinner.

Silky fettuccine tossed in a rich cream sauce with smoked salmon, fresh dill, a splash of vodka, and a shower of Parmesan. Elegant enough for date night, easy enough for a Tuesday.

Fettuccine tossed with smoked salmon, fresh spinach, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, and a light Parmesan cream sauce. A bright Italian pasta that balances richness with briny, herbal punch.