Pasta recipes

Creamy acorn squash soup with warm spices (mace, ginger, cinnamon), pureed smooth with chicken broth, then simmered with ditalini pasta and topped with sweetened sour cream.

This fiery Cajun chicken pasta smothers spaghetti in a spicy triple-pepper tomato sauce loaded with butter-sautéed chicken. A bold Louisiana-style feast for heat lovers.

Fresh tomato pasta toss simmers blanched and peeled tomatoes with garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano, finished with a splash of cream over penne. A high-summer pasta sauce when tomatoes are at their peak.

The sauce was too much like spagetti sauce. I cooked the pork chops in the sauce for hours and it was tender, but the pork flavor was diminished; I would prefer to taste the pork more.

Asian-style pasta salad tosses cheese tortellini with sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, and five-spice dressing alongside snow peas, red pepper, scallion, and shredded carrot over cabbage. East-West fusion that works.

Pasticiotti with pasta and ricotta, a sweet Italian pasta pudding baked with eggs, sugar, and vanilla. A nonna-style dessert casserole that eats like a ricotta cheesecake with noodles.

Slow cooker rosemary chicken with tomatoes, mushrooms, and garlic served over pasta. A set-it-and-forget-it Italian-inspired weeknight dinner.

Mexicali pasta pie with a spaghetti crust, cottage cheese layer, and spiced ground pork with green chiles and tomatoes, topped with cheddar and crushed corn chips. All microwave.

Italian pasta salad with rotini, broccoli, mozzarella, bell peppers, and a homemade basil-oregano vinaigrette. A make-ahead cold pasta dish for potlucks and picnics.

Spicy crab pasta in a quick tomato sauce with red pepper flakes, garlic, fish stock, and lemon zest. Low-fat, ready in 25 minutes, and full of heat.

Cappellacci stuffed pasta squares filled with ricotta, spinach, and nutmeg, baked in homemade tomato-basil sauce. A from-scratch Italian project worth every fold.

Handmade ricotta and spinach stuffed pasta squares folded into triangles, baked in a fresh Roma tomato basil sauce with Parmesan. A hearty Italian main dish worth every minute of rolling.

This braised onion sauce is rich and buttery, so you don't need much when tossing it with pasta.

Healthy pasta with spiced lentils, tomatoes, and yogurt in a warmly spiced sauce with cumin, coriander, and ginger for a low-fat vegetarian meal.

Chicken pasta salad with fusilli, steamed zucchini, tomatoes, Greek olives, and pine nuts, all tossed in a garlicky basil vinaigrette. A bright, hearty summer dish ready in 30 minutes.

Greek Pasta Flora with a Cognac-butter pastry crust and a rich filling of stewed apricots, dried figs, raisins, apricot jam, and orange zest. A traditional Athenian lattice tart.