Pasta recipes

Goan ginger-scented tomato and cabbage soup is a light, vegetable-forward broth with fresh ginger, garlic, and a finish of torn mint leaves. Served ladled over alphabet pasta for a playful Indo-Portuguese coastal twist.

Vegetarian mushroom and spinach lasagna with ricotta, Swiss, Parmesan, and a roasted red pepper sauce with balsamic vinegar. Lighter than traditional lasagna.

During the fall and winter I make homemade soup once a week. I’ve got dozens of delicious soup recipes, but the Pizza Soup was the favorite of our sons, Keith and Mark. It’s really easy to make. I apologize for the inexact quantities, but this is another recipe that I’ve never written down…and haven’t made it since last winter! I’ve given the basic recipe, but don’t be afraid to add other items you enjoy on your pizza…including a dash of red pepper sauce!

A rustic Italian stew where stale bread melts into garlicky Roma tomatoes, white wine, and fresh marjoram with tiny pastina stirred in at the end. Vegetarian comfort in 45 minutes.

Traditional Ragu alla Bolognese with hand-chopped veal, beef, pancetta, dried porcini, wine, milled tomatoes, and a finish of heavy cream. The authentic long-simmered Italian meat sauce.

Cincinnati chili: a thin, fragrant ground beef sauce spiced with cinnamon, allspice, and cumin, ladled over spaghetti and topped with shredded cheddar, raw onion, and oyster crackers. The Ohio classic.

Kasha varnishkes is the classic Jewish comfort dish: toasted buckwheat groats coated with egg, simmered with caramelized onions and porcini mushrooms, then tossed with bowtie pasta.

If you're in a rush to make dinner on time, try this simple recipe that will help you satisfy everyone's hunger at the dinner table.

Baked zucchini and tomatoes arranged in overlapping layers with bell pepper and olive oil. A naturally vegan side dish that comes out crisp-tender in 25 minutes flat.

Cajun dirty rice with chopped shrimp, red onion, garlic, green onions, parsley, and red pepper, finished in the oven with butter for a crispy top. A Louisiana classic with a seafood twist.

Lazy day lasagna uses uncooked noodles that soften in the oven with water poured around the edges. Layered with cottage cheese, mozzarella, and a beefy spaghetti sauce, no boiling required.

Whole wheat noodle casserole with sauteed mushrooms, sunflower seeds, yogurt, and cheese topped with breadcrumbs. A crunchy, creamy vegetarian bake.

Cold crab dip with cream cheese, mayonnaise, sharp aged cheddar, hard-boiled eggs and minced onion. Mixed in 10 minutes and refrigerated. Serve with crackers, toast points or crudites for parties.

Low-carb lasagna swapping noodles for sliced zucchini, layered with a slow-simmered beef and red wine meat sauce, creamy ricotta, melted mozzarella, and Parmesan. All the comfort, none of the pasta.

Ratatouille spaghetti pie turns a pressed spaghetti crust into the base for a chunky eggplant, zucchini, and pepper ratatouille, topped with pepperoni and a Parmesan-breadcrumb crust. A veg-packed pasta bake.

Italian garden lasagna layers a rainbow of sauteed vegetables (peppers, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, spinach) with ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan in a no-boil lasagna. Vegetarian comfort that uses up the garden haul.