Pasta/9 recipes

A slow-simmered marinara built on three layers of tomato, a splash of red wine, Italian herbs, and just enough red pepper flakes to earn the name "zesty." Low-fat, feeds a crowd, and freezes like a champ.

Whole wheat pasta dough: a simple eggless pasta made with whole wheat pastry flour and all-purpose flour, water, and a touch of olive oil. The base for handmade fettuccine, lasagna sheets, or ravioli.

Make-ahead spaghetti and meatball casserole that assembles in 15 minutes with uncooked pasta. Refrigerate overnight, bake the next day, and enjoy bubbly, cheesy comfort food.

Ravioli with sweetbreads filling: a classic French-Italian preparation of ground veal sweetbreads, shoulder, shallots, and Cognac baked into a rich pasta stuffing. Old-world fine dining at home.

Basil-mint-orange pesto with walnuts and a splash of frozen orange juice concentrate. A bright, citrus-spiked pesto that works on grilled lamb, vegetables, and pasta.

Homemade meatball soup with bow-tie pasta, chickpeas, spinach, and mushrooms in a basil tomato broth. Italian comfort in a bowl that feeds the whole family.

A simple, freezer-friendly chicken lasagna layered with spinach, cottage cheese, Parmesan, and creamy chicken filling. Five ingredients, minimal prep, and it freezes like a dream.

Fresh mango salsa with red peppers, cilantro, and garlic pulsed in a food processor, then tossed over chilled rice vermicelli. A bright, no-cook summer pasta dish.

A tasty and scrumptious seafood pasta dish that will have you hooked from the first bite to the last!

Pasta rosa: cheese tortellini tossed with shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, cayenne, and peppery arugula in olive oil. Finished with grated Romano. Italian-style 30-minute pasta dinner.

Vegetarian rasta pasta with a creamy pumpkin coconut sauce spiced with allspice, thyme, and ginger over angel hair. Loaded with broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, and corn.

Ground beef simmered in tomatoes with onion and green pepper, then tossed with spaghetti and cubed Swiss cheese that melts into every strand. Comfort food spaghetti with a cheesy twist.

Homemade Italian cream rolls with cinnamon-spiced fried shells, sweet ricotta filling with candied citron and chocolate, finished with blanched pistachios and powdered sugar. Makes 16 to 18 cannoli.

Pasta green salad tosses rotini and shredded Swiss with green beans, peas, cucumber and bell pepper in a creamy lemon-dill yogurt dressing. A bright, make-ahead potluck salad you dress right before serving.

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.

Shrimp and pork stir-fried with cellophane noodles, dried mushrooms, and sherry in a wok. A quick Chinese-style noodle dish that soaks up savory mushroom broth.