Pasta/3 recipes

Cajun-style fish seared in a fiery pecan butter sauce with three kinds of pepper, garlic, and hot sauce. Inspired by K-Paul's in New Orleans, this works best with firm fish like swordfish, tuna, or sturgeon.

Cold chicken pasta salad with sharp cheddar, pepperoni, and Belgian endive in Italian dressing. A make-ahead dish that's even better after chilling overnight.

Cold sesame peanut noodle salad with chicken, bean sprouts, scallions, and red pepper, tossed in a garlicky peanut butter-soy dressing. Asian-inspired pasta salad served chilled over crisp lettuce.

Classic meat lasagna layered with seasoned beef, cottage cheese, cheddar, and Parmesan between tender noodles, perfect for freezing and reheating.

Stovetop chicken lasagna layered with ground chicken, cottage cheese, egg noodles, and crushed tomatoes in one skillet. All the lasagna flavor without the oven or the wait.

Oven-braised lamb stew with flageolet beans, elbow macaroni, fresh oregano, and Roma tomatoes. Browned lamb simmers in stock for 1 1/2 hours, then the pasta cooks right in the pot.

Lemon turkey stir-fry and pasta: marinated turkey cutlets sauteed with slivered lemon, garlic, scallions, and fresh spinach, tossed over spaghetti. Bright, zesty, and faster than ordering in.

Spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and arugula tossed in a quick shallot and garlic sauce with red pepper flakes. A peppery, vegan pasta dinner ready in under an hour.

Vegetarian chunky tomato pasta sauce loaded with mushrooms, celery, and bell pepper, simmered with fresh tomatoes and herbs. Oil-free option available. Ready in under an hour.

Old-school Italian tomato sauce simmered with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and basil, then strained smooth through a food mill. The Sunday-gravy base every cook should know.

Rustic Italian spaghetti from the Ciociaria region with plum tomatoes, sweet peppers, oil-cured olives, and Romano cheese. A bold, no-meat pasta that's ready in under an hour.

Mustard-glazed ham steak microwaved over cabbage and onion with Dijon, honey, and red wine vinegar. Fifteen-minute weeknight dinner for busy nights.

Soy-marinated beef strips stir-fried with carrots, green beans, and onion, then piled over spaghetti in a glossy ginger-garlic sauce. An easy Asian-Italian fusion dinner the whole family will love.

Italian lasagna with ground beef, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan layered with a homemade tomato meat sauce. A big-batch recipe that makes four 8x8 pans, perfect for feeding a crowd or freezing ahead.

No-boil lasagna with ground beef, ricotta, mozzarella, and jarred spaghetti sauce. Uncooked noodles soften right in the dish with a simple water trick.

Italian-American spaghetti and meatballs with a three-meat blend (beef, pork, veal), a slow-simmered tomato sauce with red wine, and parmesan-bread crumb meatballs browned then finished in sauce.