Pasta/7 recipes

Authentic pad thai with rice noodles, dried shrimp, fried tofu, tamarind sauce and crushed peanuts. Real Thai street food, not the gloppy Westernized version.

Hearty vegetable soup with pot barley, macaroni, cabbage, potatoes, mixed vegetables, and your choice of chicken, beef, or ham. One pot, serves 8, uses up the fridge.

Italian style ingredients prepared in a wok. This makes an easy healthy dinner.

Moroccan vegetable soup simmers lamb (or beef) stew meat with turnips, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and saffron, finished with zucchini, angel hair pasta, and fresh herbs.

A fettuccine crust holds layers of cottage cheese, broccoli, and seasoned ground turkey in tomato sauce, all baked under a Parmesan top. Part pasta, part pie, fully irresistible.

Manhattan clam linguine in a creamy white wine sauce with garlic, basil, thyme, and Parmesan. Pasta cooked in clam liquor for extra briny depth in every strand.

Cincinnati-style chili with ground beef, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, and tomato paste simmered 2 to 4 hours, served over vermicelli with cheddar and raw onion.

Hearty pasta e fagioli with ground beef, red and white kidney beans, and tender vegetables simmered in a rich tomato-beef broth with shell pasta.

Manicotti Florentine stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and spinach, baked in marinara sauce. A vegetarian Italian pasta bake with a three-cheese filling and fresh basil.

Hearty Italian sausage soup with hot sausage, tomato puree, red wine, bell peppers, and fresh herbs simmered in beef stock. Served over rotelli pasta with Parmesan.

Minnesota minestrone is a Midwestern take on the Italian classic, built with ground beef, kidney beans, cabbage, and corn. One Dutch oven, feeds ten, pantry friendly.

A hearty gnocchi in a flavor-packed thick brandied bacon and ground beef crushed tomato sauce augmented with vegetables and olives.

Instead of deep-frying, these baked spring rolls have much less fat but still come out golden, brown and crispy. You will be amazed how delicious they are!

Old-fashioned chicken spaghetti casserole made from scratch with a whole stewing hen, creamy mushroom roux, hard-boiled eggs, and melted cheddar. Makes two casseroles so you can freeze one for later.

My take on this classic Italian belly warming soup.

Island-style stroganoff with tender beef strips in a brandy-flambéed cream sauce studded with colorful bell peppers and tangy dill pickles over fettuccine for a tropical twist on the Russian classic.