Pasta recipes

Here is a kind of throw together recipe I came up with: If you are entertaining you can garnish with fresh parsley and serve with a caesar salad, garlic bread and a nice chablis. The vegetables can vary. I've used mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower etc. Grouper works well with this because it has a lot of flavor. I've used fresh tuna and halibut but prefer grouper.

Latin-inspired pasta salad with a blended feta-cilantro-lime dressing, diced ham, colorful bell peppers, jicama, and olives. Bright, crunchy, and totally make-ahead friendly.

Chicken breasts poached in herbed broth with leeks, carrots, red pepper, and elbow macaroni, finished with fresh thyme and Parmesan. A nourishing, light soup.

Easy roasted vegetable pasta sauce with oven-roasted red peppers, onions, and garlic folded into jarred spaghetti sauce with sauteed mushrooms and fresh basil. A semi-homemade upgrade.

A vibrant marinated shrimp and vegetable linguine with bell peppers, Roma tomatoes, broccoli, peas, fresh dill, and a lemon-herb olive oil dressing. Marinate ahead, toss with hot pasta, and serve.

Clear chicken broth with poached breast, leeks, carrots, red pepper, and elbow macaroni, finished with fresh thyme and Parmesan. A light, herb-scented soup that freezes beautifully.

Farfalle pasta carbonara with bacon, broccoli, red bell pepper, and Parmesan in a creamy half-and-half sauce. A vegetable-loaded twist on classic carbonara made in one skillet.

Chilled pasta salad with flaked salmon, avocado, red bell pepper, cilantro, and lime-mayonnaise dressing: creamy, fresh, served on lettuce with paprika garnish.

Fat-free fiesta pasta salad tosses rotelle with red onion, corn, green chiles, jalapeño, and cilantro in a chili-cumin Italian dressing. A potluck-ready Tex-Mex side that gets better as it sits.

Pasta with creamy bechamel white sauce, sliced red bell peppers, and oregano. A simple five-ingredient organic pasta dish tossed in olive oil and ready in 30 minutes.

A big hit, it is almost the most excelllecnt pasta salad I have ever eaten. I think I will make it more and more!

Angel hair pasta tossed in a chili-spiced cream sauce and topped with sautéed SPAM, corn, red and green bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, and cilantro. A colorful 30-minute weeknight dinner bursting with Southwestern flair.

Simplicity means satisfaction, and satisfy is exactly what this tasty dish does.

Cajun-blackened sea scallops over farfalle tossed in cilantro walnut pesto, drizzled with roasted red pepper sauce. A showstopper seafood pasta with bold layered flavors.

A quick pasta with sweet red, yellow and green peppers, scallions and a hit of fennel seed, all tossed in olive oil. Light, colorful and meatless, on the table in about 30 minutes.

Cheesy eggplant pasta sauce with mushrooms, red pepper, and blended cottage cheese braised in dry sherry. A creamy, low-fat vegetarian sauce with nutritional yeast for extra savory depth.