Pasta recipes

Pan-seared salmon simmered in fresh grapefruit, carrot juice, orange-ginger mustard, and a splash of sesame oil, finished with toasted slivered almonds and cilantro. Bright, citrusy, and low-fat.

Egg noodles with pork, eggplant, and oyster sauce is a wok stir-fry layering pork strips, potato, carrot, eggplant, and straw mushrooms over noodles in a honey-sweetened oyster sauce glaze.

Baked tofu spaghetti balls with walnuts, oats, and Italian herbs, smothered in tomato sauce. Vegan meatballs that hold up on pasta or stuffed into a sub roll.

If you haven't tried tofu, then now is your chance with this succulent dish you are bound to love!

Crawfish au gratin baked in a rich double-cheddar sauce with sauteed bell pepper, celery, and onion. A bubbly, cheesy Cajun casserole that's pure Louisiana comfort food.

Mom's German meatballs: hearty egg-sized meatballs seasoned with celery seed, mustard seed, and garlic water, rolled in flour and pan-browned. Old-world German-American home cooking.

Freezer-friendly chicken and noodle casserole in a red wine tomato-mushroom sauce with basil and garlic. Make it ahead, freeze in individual portions, and reheat on busy nights. Serves 4 to 6.

Velveted chicken stir-fry seasoned with oregano, lemon pepper, and white wine instead of soy and ginger. The Greek-Chinese mashup that actually works. Two-serving size.

Yogurt primavera tosses tender-crisp peas, carrots, zucchini, squash, and mushrooms in a low-fat yogurt-Parmesan sauce. A bright lighter-than-cream pasta for any weeknight.

I was skeptical about the recipe, but I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, so went for it. To my surprise, it actually tasted delicious. It was also a great way to use frozen broccoli. Overall I liked it, and will probably make it again.

Roman Holiday Soup: a low-fat Italian minestrone with white beans, green beans, macaroni, and a tomato-garlic-basil swirl stirred in at the end. Ready in 40 minutes, topped with Parmesan.

Macaroni and cheese soup with melted American cheese, elbow macaroni, corn, peas, carrots, and celery. A creamy, kid-friendly comfort soup ready in 30 minutes.

Greek-style macaroni pie (pastitsio) with feta cheese, cinnamon, oregano, mint, and tomatoes, topped with a creamy yogurt-egg-feta bechamel. A vegetarian baked pasta casserole cut into squares.

Singapore spicy noodles with a chunky peanut butter sauce, red pepper flakes, and crunchy red cabbage tossed with linguine. A quick, low-calorie spicy peanut noodle dish.

Stir-Fried Shrimp & Vegetables with Crisp Noodle recipe

Singapore-style spicy peanut noodles toss linguine and shredded red cabbage in a chunky peanut butter sauce with ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pantry-friendly weeknight noodle dish.