Pasta recipes

Rustic tomato soup made with very ripe tomatoes, garlic, and oregano, enriched with small pasta. This Mediterranean-style soup relies on peak-season tomatoes for incredible flavor.

Vegetarian penne pasta with crumbled feta cheese and sauteed bitter greens in olive oil. The feta melts into a creamy, tangy sauce without any cream needed.

Pasta with homemade basil pesto made from fresh basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, butter, and olive oil. Blended smooth, rested an hour, and tossed with hot capellini.

Rustic Italian red bean, rigatoni, and hot sausage casserole braised with chard, tomato, oregano, and white wine. Stick-to-your-ribs baked pasta for cold nights.

Slow cooker pinto bean soup with smoky ham hock and pasta simmered all day until thick and soul-warming. Set it in the morning, crush the beans, and serve a crowd.

Pasta with pumpkin and Italian sausage in a creamy sage-spiked sauce. A rich, autumn-leaning weeknight dinner that treats canned pumpkin like the flavor workhorse it is.

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Garden squash and nasturtium butter pasta with tagliatelle, squash blossoms, and a compound butter made from fresh nasturtium flowers, shallots, thyme, and savory. A seasonal garden-to-table dish.

Pasta with tomatoes, white beans, and pepperoni in a quick Italian sauce with basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. A hearty, protein-packed weeknight pasta for two.

Vegan pasta with pureed cherry tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, and miso for deep umami flavor. Oil-free, dairy-free, and rich-tasting without any cream.

Five-ingredient orzo with toasted pine nuts, olive oil, and dried basil. A 30-minute vegan side dish or light main with serious Mediterranean simplicity.

Orzo and pine nuts tossed in extra-virgin olive oil with toasted pignoli and dried basil. A four-ingredient Italian side dish ready in 20 minutes that pairs with anything.

Red wine braised chicken thighs with shiitake mushrooms, tomato, and herbs over orecchiette tossed with basil and sun-dried tomatoes. A rustic Italian bowl that eats like Sunday supper.

Pasta tossed with raw fresh tomato vinaigrette of vine-ripened tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, and parsley. A low-calorie no-cook summer sauce that comes together while the pasta boils.

Rotelle pasta in Menonita cheese cream sauce with roasted pasilla chilies, garlic, and cilantro. A Mexican-Italian fusion baked casserole with smoky heat and mellow melted cheese.

The victual of choice to be served with vodka is of course caviar but other kinds of seafood and various salty morsels are also good choices.