Pasta recipes

Mee Krob: Thai crisp-fried rice noodles tossed in a sweet-sour-salty sauce with pork, chicken, or shrimp, topped with lacy fried egg nets. Crunchy, tangy, showstopping.

Nothing is more fascinating and delicious than eating at the open- air street hawker centers in Asia, particularly in Singapore. Each stall serves a specialty, typically an honest, unpretentious, home-style dish for $1 to $3 a plate. This rice noodle dish is hawker food at its best. If done right, its fragrance will tell you how good it's going to be as soon as it arrives at your table.

Green tomato puree simmered two hours with just water and sugar, then blended smooth. A tangy pasta sauce that turns unripe end-of-season tomatoes into something worth keeping. Freezes beautifully.

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.

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

Stir-fried rice noodles tossed with garlic, ginger, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, and fresh basil, finished with crushed peanuts and lime. A vegan Thai noodle dish ready in under 40 minutes.

Hearty lentil tomato sauce with dried lentils, fresh tomatoes, and Italian herbs simmered into a thick, protein-rich vegetarian pasta sauce. Meaty texture without the meat.

Grilled lamb chops with Gorgonzola cream sauce reduced from white wine, heavy cream, blue cheese, and butter. A steakhouse-style entree for special-occasion dinners.

Steamed corn pones are simple masa dough logs wrapped in softened corn husks and steamed until tender. A rustic Mexican-Southern US sidekick to beans, chili, or stews.

Noodle and mushroom souffle layered with ground beef, leeks, tomatoes, and melted cheese, then set with an egg-cream custard. Hearty German-style nudelauflauf for a family dinner.

Northern-style lasagna with bacon, ground beef, ricotta, and a cream of mushroom layer alongside the meat sauce. Creamy, meaty, and bubbling hot.

Chicken Ya-Hah simmers chicken breast with jalapenos, water chestnuts, Szechwan chili sauce, curry, cumin, and red wine in tomato sauce. A spicy fusion stew over cornbread or rice.

Buffalo chicken lasagna layered with hot sauce-spiked tomato sauce, ricotta, and crumbled blue cheese on top. Wing-night flavor in casserole form, no frying required.

Les oreilles de cochon are Cajun pig's ear pastries, fried thin dough drizzled with cane syrup. A Louisiana French Acadian holiday tradition served warm. Crisp, sweet, irregular shape.

Microwave chicken tetrazzini with peas, mushrooms, and a creamy sherry sauce over spaghetti. Lighter than traditional versions using skim milk, this one-dish pasta dinner comes together in 35 minutes.

Rabbit with sweet Italian sausage braised in a tomato-and-wine sauce with peppers, garlic, and a bright lift of orange. Lean rabbit browns in the sausage fat for deep, rustic Italian flavor over pasta or rice.