Pasta recipes

Butter-sauteed shrimp deglazed with white wine, served over thin pasta with a slow-simmered Provencal tomato sauce rich with basil and oregano. Worth every minute of the long, lazy simmer.

Cannelloni stuffed with crawfish, crab, Italian sausage, and a four-cheese ricotta blend, baked under a slow-simmered tomato sauce with jalapeños. Where Cajun meets Italian and everybody wins.

Pumpkin ravioli folds ricotta, pumpkin, and nutmeg into a tomato-tinted homemade pasta dough, then serves with warm pumpkin seed sauce. A fall dinner project with built-in wow factor.

Red clam sauce with canned clams, tomato paste, lemon juice, rosemary, and thyme simmered for 15 minutes. A quick Italian-American pasta sauce served over linguine with parmesan.

Shrimp spaghetti in a slow-simmered tomato sauce with garlic, basil, oregano, and a surprising kick of horseradish. A seafood pasta with depth you won't find in jarred sauce.

Chickpeas simmered in a thick Italian tomato sauce with basil, oregano, and a surprising dash of cinnamon. Serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes for a hearty vegan meal.

Chicken livers browned in bacon drippings, simmered in dry sherry and tomato sauce with mushrooms, onions, and herbs. Served over rice, polenta, or pasta with grated Parmesan. Ready in 20 minutes.

Chicken marinara made with a fast homemade tomato sauce of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, and basil spooned over cooked chicken pieces. A 25-minute weeknight Italian dinner with pantry staples.

Salmon couscous steamed over a spiced vegetable broth with garlic, caraway, chili pepper, zucchini, and carrots, served with canned red salmon and pumpkin seeds. A North African-inspired one-pot meal.

Slow-simmered spaghetti sauce with ground beef, three types of tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, and chili powder. Two hours of uncovered cooking builds deep, rich flavor.

Mexican style lasagne with enchilada sauce, black beans, cottage cheese, and cheddar, layered with uncooked noodles that bake right in the sauce. Vegetarian, feeds 6 to 8, one pan cleanup.

This summer lasagna swaps pasta noodles for tender zucchini strips layered with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, fresh tomatoes, and herb-seasoned tomato sauce. Low-carb, veggie-loaded, and ready in about an hour.

Neapolitan spaghetti sauce slow-simmered for 3 hours with ground beef, three forms of tomato, whole chili peppers, and sliced stuffed green olives. Rich, thick, and full of heat.

Italian meat sauce built on a proper soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery with ground beef, mushrooms, red wine, and beef stock. A slow-simmered Bolognese-style ragù.

Vegetarian ratatouille lasagna layers Provencal vegetables with ricotta, mozzarella, marinara, and bechamel between tender noodles. Meatless, hearty, feeds six.

My family's go to pasta sauce. It is great on spaghetti or folded into mostaccoli.