Pasta recipes

Ham and asparagus pasta in a creamy tomato sauce with evaporated milk, basil, and oregano. A one-pot trick cooks the asparagus and ham right in the pasta water.

Cold pasta salad with cubed Spam, cheddar cheese, crunchy veggies, and a smoky BBQ-mustard-mayo dressing. No cooking required beyond boiling the pasta!

Penne pasta with chicken sausage, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and sage in a light chicken broth sauce topped with Parmesan. A quick one-pan weeknight dinner.

Vegetable pasta sauce loaded with zucchini, mushrooms, carrot and a secret of blended chickpeas that add body and protein to a red-wine tomato base. A hearty, vegan sauce that eats like a meaty ragu.

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

Pasta with crab sauce: sweet crab meat folded into a light tomato and white wine sauce with shallot and celery, tossed over hot pasta. An elegant seafood pasta that comes together in about half an hour.

Layered Italian bake with rotini, salted zucchini, potatoes, prosciutto, tomatoes, and Parmesan dotted with butter. A hearty make-ahead casserole with serious depth.

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

Mexican stuffed pasta shells filled with seasoned refried beans, cumin, and chili powder, topped with black olives and melted Monterey Jack. A vegetarian Italian-Mexican fusion ready in 40 minutes.

Whole wheat spaghetti with red lentils, sauteed spinach, and toasted pine nuts. A protein-packed vegetarian pasta dinner with lemon brightness and a hint of nutmeg.

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.

Pasta primavera in a light evaporated milk sauce with mushrooms, bell peppers, and garlic sauteed in dry sherry. A low-fat vegetarian pasta with no butter or cream.

Two-ingredient pasta salad with ratatouille stirred into cold cooked pasta. A no-fuss meal ready in 15 minutes when you need something fast.

Cilantro pesto pasta with macadamia nuts, ginger, lime, and chile. A punchy 15-minute Thai-leaning pasta that swaps the basil-pine-nut combo for something brighter and hotter.

Italian sausage, sweet peppers, onion, and a whole head of garlic roast together until caramelized, then toss with penne and a tangy roasted-garlic balsamic dressing. Great hot or as a room-temp pasta.

Italian sausage, chickpeas, and pasta shells simmer together in a fennel-scented tomato sauce with chunky zucchini. A rustic one-pot dinner ready in an hour. Skip the sausage for a meatless version.