Pasta recipes

It's wonderful served with grilled meats, a pork chop, for example. It's also very nice mixed with some yogurt to toss with hot pasta for a low-fat quick dinner. And stir some into some soup; it will perk up almost anything without being overwhelming.

Mango shrimp pasta: a tropical one-pan dinner with lime-marinated shrimp, sesame-sauteed red pepper, black beans, cilantro, and fresh mango tossed with small pasta shells. Ready in 30 minutes.

Thai peanut noodles with coconut milk and cabbage. Creamy peanut butter sauce with curry, lime, and fresh herbs coats pasta for an easy 30-minute dinner. Serves 4.

Chili macaroni is a one-pot weeknight dinner combining ground beef, kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, and elbow macaroni in a chili-spiced sauce, topped with melted cheddar. Think homemade Hamburger Helper chili mac, only better.

Fiery cold Sichuan noodles with chili bean sauce, yellow bean sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. A bold vegetarian Chinese noodle dish that comes together in 35 minutes.

Traditional Mexican meatball soup with mint and cilantro in the albondigas, simmered in rich beef broth with chayote squash, carrots, cabbage, leeks, and small pasta.

Minestrone Parmesan: Italian vegetable and pasta soup loaded with smoked ham, chickpeas, spinach, and garden vegetables in a rich beef broth. Finished with grated Parmesan.

Thai-style clay pot shrimp with glass noodles, homemade cilantro-garlic-pepper pesto, ginger, and a savory sauce of fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Fragrant, slurp-worthy, and on the table in an hour.

Ba mee nam: Thai egg noodle soup with ground pork, dried shrimp, crispy fried garlic, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts in a savory chicken broth. Comforting and ready in 40 minutes.

Sichuan-style bean thread noodles with minced pork, dried mushrooms, hot bean sauce, and fresh ginger. Spicy, slurpable, and deeply savory with a cilantro finish.

Marinated Gulf shrimp with cellophane noodles: poached jumbo shrimp soaked in a lime, ginger, cilantro, and Szechuan peppercorn marinade, served cold over glass noodles with red cabbage and carrots.

Stir-fried rice noodles tossed in a ginger-garlic curry sauce with shredded vegetables, fresh chili, and silky scrambled egg. A quick weeknight noodle dish ready in under 45 minutes.

An exotically spiced spaghetti sauce with meat -- This is a very adaptable sauce which can be used in any recipe requiring tomato sauces.

Fragrant Asian pesto with peanuts, fresh basil, mint, cilantro, green chilies, and ginger. A bold, herbaceous sauce for noodles that's ready in 15 minutes. Vegetarian-friendly.

Thai tapioca soup with ground pork, crab meat, garlic, and fish sauce in a savory pork broth. Silky tapioca pearls thicken this fragrant bowl, served over lettuce with fresh cilantro.

Thai street-style dry egg noodles (Bamee Haeng) tossed with garlic oil, fish sauce, and sweet-sour sauce. Topped with bean sprouts, ground peanuts, and your choice of meat.