Easy pastas to welcome the - The Denver Post

A SEASON AL DENTE

Easy pastas to welcome the

spring season

Lemony orzo with asparagus and garlic bread crumbs. Asparagus is so much better in season, and this Ali Slagle recipe preserves its satisfying bite as it cooks quickly in the same pot as orzo. DAVID MALOSH — THE NEW YORK TIMES

Left: Baked spanakopita pasta with greens and feta. Inspired by the classic Greek spinach and feta pie, this Ali Slagle pasta may be the ultimate spring dish. Right: Mushroom pasta stir-fry. A brilliant maker of recipes, Hetty Lui McKinnon builds a quick stir-fry around broccolini, mushrooms and five spice, and tosses it with spaghetti instead of pairing with more traditional rice. LINDA XIAO — THE NEW YORK TIMES

Mushroom pasta stir-fry. A brilliant maker of recipes, Hetty Lui McKinnon builds a quick stir-fry around broccolini, mushrooms and five spice, and tosses it with spaghetti instead of pairing with more traditional rice. BEATRIZ DA COSTA — THE NEW YORK TIMES

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By Krysten Chambrot

The New York Times

Here’s a question to consider: If summer has its ice cream and grill smoke, fall its casseroles and roasts, winter its soups and stews, what are spring’s hallmarks? The warming weather calls for something fresh and bright, but the lingering chill still demands something with heft. Is this … pasta’s time to shine? The recipes that follow make a case for its place as the season’s perfect food. Each one is fast, easy and ready to meet the moment, whether that’s a 30-degree night warmed by a cheesy baked pasta or a sunny, unseasonably warm day made finer with a light, simple green pasta salad. Because the days should be getting longer, not harder.

Creamy Chickpea Pasta With Spinach and Rosemary

By Alexa Weibel

Luxurious and hearty, cheap and easy, this vegetarian pasta uses mostly pantry staples, requiring just a few fresh ingredients, like baby spinach, rosemary and heavy cream. Canned chickpeas form the foundation of the dish: They’re cooked until crisp and caramelized. Half are then saved as a garnish, while the rest are simmered until they break down and thicken the sauce. You can swap out your greens or beans, and if you want to experiment with flavor, raid your spice cabinet: Ground coriander, toasted fennel seeds, coarsely crumbled pink peppercorns or a sprinkle of smoked paprika perk up the dish.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)

Black pepper

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach

12 ounces spaghetti or bucatini

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Lemon wedges, for serving

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.

2. In a wide, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chickpeas, rosemary and Aleppo pepper, if using. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas start to caramelize at their edges and pop, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about half the chickpeas to a bowl. Reserve for garnish.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and garlic to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pasta until a couple minutes short of al dente according to package instructions, about 5 minutes. Do not drain the pasta, but using tongs, transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the spinach and cream sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking water and the Parmesan, and cook over medium-high, stirring vigorously with the tongs, until the sauce is thickened and the noodles are al dente, about 2 minutes. Add a splash of pasta water to loosen sauce, if needed.

5. Transfer to bowls, and top with reserved chickpeas, rosemary and black pepper. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges for squeezing on top.

Spaghetti al Limone With Shrimp

By Lidey Heuck

There are many interpretations of the classic Italian pasta dish, spaghetti al limone, or spaghetti with lemon. Some call for an Alfredo-like sauce made with heavy cream, butter and Parmesan, while others rely on just olive oil, lemon juice, Parmesan and starchy pasta water. This particular recipe, which adds sautéed shrimp, white wine and fresh tarragon to the mix, leans toward the simpler preparation. Without the addition of heavy cream, the sauce has a brighter lemon flavor, which works beautifully with the delicate brininess of the shrimp. Tarragon adds a fragrant note and a bit of complexity to an otherwise fairly straightforward dish. Finally, if there were a time to spring for freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, this would be it. In an uncomplicated recipe like this one, the quality of each ingredient is paramount.

Yield: 6 servings

1 pound spaghetti

1 pound large shrimp (18 to 20 count), peeled and deveined, tails on or off

1/4 cup olive oil

2 lemons, zested (about 1 1/2 packed tablespoons), plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, plus more for serving

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente. Scoop out 1 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and set aside.

2. While the pasta cooks, pat the shrimp dry and season them with salt and black pepper. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest (setting a few pinches aside for serving) and tarragon in a large skillet set over medium heat. When the oil begins to sizzle, cook for 1 more minute, until the zest and tarragon are fragrant but not browned.

3. Add the shrimp to the skillet and spread into an even layer. Cook for about 90 seconds on each side, or until just cooked through. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.

4. Add the wine, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper to the skillet, and bring to a simmer, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Cook until the wine has reduced by about half, then set aside, off the heat, until the pasta has finished cooking.

5. Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water to the skillet. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing often, until the liquid that has collected at the bottom of the skillet has reduced slightly. (The sauce should still be fairly loose at this point.)

6. Off the heat, add the butter and 1/2 cup Parmesan, sprinkling the cheese evenly over the pasta. Toss until the butter and cheese are melted and the sauce is smooth. Add the lemon juice and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, and toss until the sauce is thick and smooth.

7. Add the shrimp, toss, then season with more salt and black pepper to taste. Divide among shallow bowls and garnish with chopped fresh tarragon, lemon zest and black pepper.

Creamy Asparagus Pasta

In this quick pasta dinner, umami-rich seaweed stars twice: first, in the form of dasima (dried kelp), which seasons the pasta water and sauce with seaside savor; second, as gim (roasted seaweed), which lends deep nuttiness and some salty crunch, too. The pasta finishes cooking in a blush of heavy cream and a splash of the dasima broth, transforming into a dreamy emulsion balanced by rice vinegar. In this recipe’s final moments, a rich glug of sesame oil glosses the chewy rigatoni and echoes the toasted flavor of the gim, which sings.

20 grams gim, often labeled as roasted seaweed

2 (4-inch) squares dasima or kombu (dried kelp)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 pound rigatoni

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, finely grated

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/2 pound asparagus, thinly sliced at an angle

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Flaky sea salt, for serving

1. Fold the gim in half and, with very sharp kitchen shears or a chef’s knife, slice into thin strips. Set aside for serving.

2. In a large pot, combine 1 dasima square with 8 cups cold tap water. Bring the water to a boil and season with the kosher salt. Tumble in the pasta and cook for half the time the package tells you is al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta, then add it back to the pot. (Discard the dasima.)

3. Add the remaining dasima square, cream, red onion, garlic, black pepper and reserved pasta water to the pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Stirring occasionally, cook the pasta until the onion-infused cream has thickened significantly, thinly coating the noodles, 4 to 5 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat. Add the vinegar and asparagus, and stir to combine for 1 minute. The residual heat from the pasta will gently cook the asparagus to tender-crisp. Stir in the sesame oil and season with more black pepper, if desired. Divide the pasta among serving dishes, discarding the dasima, and shower with the reserved gim and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve immediately, before the gim wilts and turns soggy.

Cheesy Baked Orzo With Marinara

By Lidey Heuck

A vegetarian weeknight pasta that’s as comforting as it is easy, this dish will win over adults and kids alike (red-pepper flakes optional!). While fresh mozzarella can become tough and chewy when baked, shredded low-moisture mozzarella melts beautifully. Serve this with a simple, lemony arugula salad or a Caesar salad for ultimate weeknight comfort.

Total time: 40 minutes

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 cup orzo

2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

5 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 7 cups)

1 (24- to 25-ounce) jar marinara sauce

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus torn or sliced basil for serving

1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain the orzo and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a very large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant (don’t let the garlic burn), about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and cook, tossing often, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the marinara, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.

3. Stir the cooked orzo into the sauce. Stir in the mozzarella, sprinkle the Parmesan on top, and bake, uncovered, until the Parmesan is melted and the pasta is heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional basil, and serve warm.

Blistered Broccoli Pasta With Walnuts, Pecorino and Mint

By Dawn Perry

The trick to creating deeply browned, pan-seared broccoli involves two things: high heat and no touching. Allowing your florets and stems to sear in an even layer, undisturbed, gives them time to blister without cooking all the way through, so they retain some crunch. While many pasta sauces are finished with starchy pasta water, this one isn’t, since the hot water would strip the broccoli of that color and crunch you worked so hard to achieve. Instead, toss the cooked pasta in the skillet with the broccoli, walnuts and cheese. A drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon will provide any additional moisture you need.

Total time: 15 minutes

Kosher salt and black pepper

12 ounces riccioli, fusilli or other short pasta

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)

1 bunch broccoli or cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds untrimmed), florets roughly chopped and stalks peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 lemon, zested (about 1 teaspoon) then quartered

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 cup packed fresh mint leaves or parsley leaves

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the walnuts and red-pepper flakes, if using, and cook, stirring, until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer walnuts and red-pepper flakes to a small bowl. Season walnuts with a little salt and pepper.

3. Add the broccoli to the skillet and toss to coat in the oil. Shake the skillet so broccoli settles in an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Toss and shake to arrange in an even layer again and cook, undisturbed, another 2 to 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

4. Drain pasta and add to the skillet along with the lemon zest, cheese, toasted walnuts and half the mint; toss to combine. Divide among plates or bowls and top with remaining mint, more cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges, squeezing juice on top, if desired.

Crispy Artichoke Pasta

Fast enough for a Tuesday night mad dash to dinner, this pantry pasta tastes more like a restaurant dish — and no one has to deal with trimming and pruning a spiky artichoke. Instead, canned artichokes are brought to the peak of their crispy potential. The key is to remove as much water from the artichokes as possible by pressing them gently with paper towels (as you would tofu). Some of the artichokes are fried in olive oil until shatteringly crisp, then the rest cook gently in more oil, along with garlic and chile flakes, to soften. They’re all mixed with pasta and Parmesan into a stunning weeknight meal.

Total time: 35 minutes

Salt and black pepper

1 pound short cut pasta, such as rigatoni or gemelli

Two (14-ounce) cans whole or quartered artichoke hearts

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1/3 cup finely chopped parsley

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then season generously with salt. Cook the pasta until a bit firmer than al dente, about 2 minutes less than listed on the package. (It’ll finish cooking in the sauce.) Reserve 2 cups of pasta water, then drain.

2. While the water comes to a boil, drain the artichokes and place on a clean kitchen towel (or paper towels). Cover with another kitchen towel (or paper towels), and gently press down to remove the excess water. Give the artichokes a rough chop.

3. Line a plate with paper towels. Set another large pot over medium-high heat, and pour in 1/4 cup oil. When the oil is hot, after 1 to 2 minutes, add one-third of the artichokes and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply brown and crisp in most spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the artichokes, transfer to the lined plate and season with salt.

4. Adjust heat to medium, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the remaining artichokes to the pot, along with the garlic and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to soften and everything smells very good, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add the drained pasta and 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water and bring to a simmer, still over medium heat. (This may seem like a lot of liquid, but it will thicken when the remaining ingredients are added.) Add the butter and sprinkle in the Parmesan and continue to cook, tossing vigorously, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy and clings to the pasta, 2 to 3 minutes. If the sauce looks too thick, add more pasta water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Divide among bowls or plates. Sprinkle the reserved crispy artichokes and more Parmesan on top before serving.

Rotisserie Chicken and Greens Pasta

By Christian Reynoso

Rotisserie chicken, with its browned, crisp skin and juicy meat, provides a great leg up when there’s no time to roast one yourself. Add some pre-cut greens and it becomes the base for this rich, nourishing pasta sauce, which comes together while the noodles cook. Although convenient, rotisserie chicken meat can be underseasoned, so this recipe calls for seasoning it more. Look for baby cooking greens or chopped greens, like kale, spinach, chard or escarole, which will melt easily into the jammy onions and garlic. Fresh lemon juice rounds out this pasta, making it bright; cream is optional but highly endorsed. A sprinkle of Parmesan finishes this dish with even more depth and umami.

Total time: 35 minutes

Salt and black pepper

1 pound short cut pasta, such as rigatoni or gemelli

Two (14-ounce) cans whole or quartered artichoke hearts

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1/3 cup finely chopped parsley

6. Divide among bowls or plates. Sprinkle the reserved crispy artichokes and more Parmesan on top before serving.

Espagueti Verde (Creamy Roasted Poblano Pasta)

By Paola Briseño-González

At weddings, baptisms and other special occasions across Mexico, pots of spaghetti coated in creamy green sauce sit on most every banquet table. Smoky with charred peppers and tangy with crema, it’s the dish everyone loves. Throughout the country, the herbs in it change — there may be epazote, cilantro or parsley — but there are always roasted poblanos. Traditionally, the chiles are pureed into a sauce to coat the pasta, but you can skip that step to highlight even more of their flavor and texture. Cream, Mexican crema and queso fresco temper any lingering heat and round out the whole dish to a tangy finish.

6 medium poblano chiles (about 1 1/4 pounds), see Tip

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Salt and black pepper

1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus parsley leaves for garnish

1/3 cup crema Mexicana or sour cream

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 pound bucatini, spaghetti or other long pasta

1 lemon, halved

4 ounces queso fresco (or other soft but firm cheese, such as ricotta salata), thinly sliced

1. Using tongs, set each poblano directly on the grates of a gas stovetop over a medium flame. Cook, turning occasionally, until skin is blackened on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. (Alternatively, broil the poblanos on a baking sheet about 5 inches from the heat until charred, 6 to 8 minutes per side.)

2. Place charred poblanos in a large bowl; cover with a plate and let steam for 10 minutes to loosen skins. On a work surface, run the dull side of a paring knife across each chile to scrape off the blackened, papery skin. (It’s OK if a bit of the skin remains.) Discard skins, stems and seeds. Return poblanos to the bowl and rinse under cold running water. Any remaining seeds and papery skins will float to the surface. (This rinsing step, while unusual for charred chiles, helps remove almost all the bitter skin that would stand out against the creamy sauce.) Drain chiles well. Cut poblanos in half, then slice lengthwise into very thin strips.

3. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low. Add poblanos and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until poblanos soften and break down, about 15 minutes. Add chopped parsley, crema and heavy cream, and stir to combine. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm if needed.

4. While poblanos cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the pasta, give it a stir and cook until just al dente. Just before draining, reserve 1 cup pasta water.

5. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the Dutch oven with the poblano mixture, along with 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta evenly. If needed, add a little more of the pasta water.

6. Squeeze in juice from 1/2 lemon, taste and squeeze in the juice of the other half, if you like. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss one more time before serving, coating pasta with the sauce at the bottom of the pot. Serve topped with queso fresco and parsley leaves.

Tip: When fully ripened and dried, poblano chiles are called anchos, but they’re not what you want for this recipe. Get the fresh, dark green chiles instead. If you can’t find them, substitute fresh green Hatch chiles.

Lemony Orzo With Asparagus and Garlic Bread Crumbs

Every spoonful of this pasta has a happy jumble of lemony orzo, grassy asparagus, garlicky bread crumbs, fresh herbs and salty Parmesan. The pasta and thinly sliced asparagus cook together in the same pot, then rest in a lemony dressing while the garlic bread crumbs are toasted, so the pasta has time to absorb as much flavor as possible.

Salt and black pepper

1 cup orzo

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on a diagonal (about 1/4-inch thick)

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more as needed (from about 1 large lemon)

1/2 cup panko or homemade bread crumbs

1 small garlic clove, finely grated

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1/2 cup fresh dill, mint or parsley leaves (or any combination), torn if large

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente according to package directions. Two minutes before the orzo is done, add the asparagus. Drain the orzo and asparagus. Wipe out and reserve the pot.

2. While the orzo and asparagus cook, make the dressing: In a large bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons oil and the lemon zest and juice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the drained orzo and asparagus and toss to coat. Set aside while you toast the bread crumbs.

3. In the reserved pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add the panko and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in the garlic and season with salt and pepper.

4. Stir the Parmesan and herbs into the orzo, taste, then season with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice, if desired. Top with the toasted bread crumbs and more Parmesan if you like. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Baasto iyo Suugo Tuuna (Pasta and Spiced Tuna Sauce)

By Ifrah F. Ahmed

Thanks to Somalia’s exposure to the ocean — it has the longest coastline in mainland Africa — seafood is an abundant resource. Topped with a rich, spiced tuna suugo (tomato sauce), this pasta dish is a staple in many Somali households, and comes together easily thanks to canned tuna and store-bought marinara sauce. Pasta is a culinary relic of Italian colonialism in Somalia that Somalis have long reimagined into their own new thing. This dish also has different spellings throughout Somalia, including “tuuna” after the English word or “toonno” following the Italian word “tonno.” This pasta sauce gets its unique taste from the addition of fresh cilantro and warm spices, including xawaash, a seven-spice mix that incorporates bold flavors like turmeric, cardamom and cumin. Serve with a salad or enjoy the baasto on its own.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Total time: 35 minutes

For the xawaash blend (or use 2 tablespoons store-bought):

4 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

8 to 16 ounces spaghetti

Fine sea salt, as needed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small white onion, diced

3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (5-ounce) can tuna in olive oil

1 handful of cilantro leaves, washed and roughly chopped

1 (24-ounce) jar tomato sauce or marinara

1. Prepare the xawaash (or proceed to Step 2, if using store-bought): Add the cumin, coriander, pepper, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom to a small nonstick pan. Toast over low heat, stirring continuously, for 1 minute or until the spice mix becomes fragrant, then stir in the turmeric. Set aside.

2. In a medium pot, bring salted water to a boil over high heat. When the pot of water comes to a boil, add your spaghetti and cook to desired level of doneness.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick skillet, warm up the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and stir occasionally until soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Once the onion finishes cooking, add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Once the garlic has softened, stir in the tuna with its oil, the cilantro, xawaash and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Once the tuna mixture has heated through, stir in the tomato sauce. Simmer, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the spaghetti is ready. Stir in a splash of pasta water for a looser sauce, if desired. Taste and add more salt, if you’d like.

5. Drain spaghetti and divide it among plates or bowls. Top with the sauce. (The sauce can last up to 4 days in the refrigerator.)

Baked Spanakopita Pasta With Greens and Feta

This baked pasta is inspired by spanakopita, the classic Greek spinach and feta pie. This loose interpretation combines pasta with gooey mozzarella, briny feta, plenty of greens and a rich cream sauce, which is then piled into a dish and baked until golden. The key to this dish is in the greens: Use at least three kinds — a mellow one, a peppery one and a fresh herb or two — to create an exciting mix of flavors. No need to sauté them; just salt and massage them until they wilt slightly. This cozy dish might be the best way to eat your greens all year long.

Total time: 40 minutes

Salt and black pepper

4 cups chopped spinach, Swiss chard or other mild greens (tough stems removed)

4 cups chopped arugula, watercress or other peppery greens

1 cup chopped fresh dill or parsley leaves and tender stems, or a combination

6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, whites and dark green parts separated

1 pound tubular or curvy pasta, like rigatoni or fusilli

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

8 ounces cream cheese (1 cup), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 ounces mozzarella, grated (1 cup)

4 ounces crumbled feta (1 cup)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a 3-quart/9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the chopped spinach, arugula, herbs and scallion greens with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Squeeze the mixture with your hands to wilt, then set aside.

3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of al dente; reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside. Return the pot to the stove.

4. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and pasta water and stir until smooth. Stir in the wilted greens, half the mozzarella and half the feta until combined. Stir in the pasta until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

5. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish, then top with remaining mozzarella and feta. Bake until the sauce has thickened and turned bubbly, and the top has browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. If you like a crisper top, broil for a few minutes.

Mushroom Pasta Stir-Fry

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

While stir-fries have long gone hand-in-hand with rice, this recipe shows the versatility of the dish. Here, a quick stir-fry is transformed into a flavorful, unconventional pasta sauce. Five spice is a Chinese seasoning that is said to incorporate all five tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. In this recipe, its blend of star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns and fennel intensifies the robust flavor of the mushrooms. Don’t overcook the broccolini; it should be crisp, with a bright green vibrancy. You could easily substitute broccoli, green beans, snow peas or other crunchy greens. And don’t skip the butter (or use vegan butter, if you prefer), as it provides a beautiful richness which brings the sauce and ingredients together.

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the pasta:

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

1 pound spaghetti or other long pasta

4 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed

1 pound mushrooms (any small variety), trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 1/4 teaspoons five-spice blend

3/4 pound broccolini, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces, thick stems halved lengthwise

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 scallions, thinly sliced

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons oyster sauce (or vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce)

2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon chile oil or chile crisp

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large (12-inch), deep skillet over medium-high. When hot, add 2 tablespoons oil and the mushrooms. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, giving it a stir every 2 minutes or so. The mushrooms will release lots of liquid, but it will evaporate as it cooks. When the mushrooms start to turn golden, add the garlic, five spice and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper, then cook for 1 minute. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.

3. While the mushrooms are cooking, make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the oyster sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce, sesame oil and chile oil with 1/4 cup water until combined. Set aside.

4. Heat the same skillet back over medium-high. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the broccolini. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the broccolini is tender but still quite crisp.

5. Add the pasta to the pan, along with the sauce and the butter. Using tongs, toss to combine, then add the reserved pasta cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, just to loosen the sauce. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and toss again. Remove from the heat. Serve topped with scallions.

Extra-Green Pasta Salad

By Andy Baraghani

This vibrant green pasta salad gets its color from a combination of spinach and basil, but you can swap the spinach for arugula for a more peppery finish. (Some of us need a little bite in our lives!). The miso in the sauce does a lot of the heavy lifting, imparting a salty, almost Parmesan-like quality. You can eat the salad immediately or chilled for a summer picnic. If making it a day ahead, don’t add the basil garnish and cheese until you’re ready to serve.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Salt and pepper

1 pound short-cut pasta (such as rigatoni, campanelle or fusilli)

3 cups/8 ounces sugar snap peas

1 cup frozen English peas

3 packed cups/3 1/2 ounces baby spinach

2 packed cups/1 1/2 ounces basil leaves, plus more for serving

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white miso

1 garlic clove, crushed

Zest and juice from 1 lemon

4 ounces Parmesan (or other firm salty cheese, such as feta or aged Gouda), thinly sliced

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then throw in a handful of salt. Add the pasta, give it a stir and cook until al dente. Just before draining, add the snap peas and English peas to the boiling water to barely soften, 20 to 30 seconds. Drain the pasta and peas, and rinse lightly with cold water; set aside.

2. While the pasta water comes to a boil, place the spinach, basil, oil, miso, garlic, and lemon zest and juice in a blender. Blend to a bright green purée. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and a few grinds of pepper, then blend again.

3. Transfer the purée to a large bowl that is big enough to toss all the pasta. Add the pasta and peas, and toss until coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan and more basil leaves. Toss once more before serving.

Ricotta Pasta Alla Vodka

By Eric Kim

In a 1974 cookbook, Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi published a recipe for pasta all’infuriata, “furious pasta,” a chile-vodka-spiked tomato number. It’s one of the first written accounts of vodka in pasta. The alcohol is said to help fat disperse more evenly, keeping the sauce emulsion glossy and creamy, and to help you smell, and in turn taste, the sauce’s flavors in a heightened way. The ricotta serving suggestion draws inspiration from the creamy tomato soup with three dollops of cool, sweet ricotta on top from the now-closed Caffe Falai in Manhattan’s NoLIta neighborhood. The ricotta lends coolness both in temperature and in flavor, offering relief between bites of spicy booziness.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 slices thick-cut bacon (6 ounces), coarsely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

4 large garlic cloves, crushed but left whole

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons tomato paste, preferably double-concentrated

3/4 to 1 cup vodka, depending on how boozy you want it

1 pound fusilli, penne or rigatoni

1 cup heavy cream

4 ounces Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, finely grated (1 cup)

1 cup/8 ounces whole-milk ricotta

Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or basil, for serving

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Heat a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy at the edges, about 5 minutes. Carefully drain all but 3 tablespoons of the fat, reserving any excess for later.

3. Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the red-pepper flakes, oregano and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, just a few seconds. Add the onion, season generously with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add more bacon fat if the pan dries out. Add the tomato paste and stir constantly until slightly darker in color, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the vodka.

4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until 2 minutes shy of al dente.

5. While the pasta cooks, turn the heat under the sauce to high and cook, stirring constantly, until reduced by three-quarters, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat.

6. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce, along with 1 cup pasta water and most of the pecorino. Cook over medium-high, stirring vigorously with one hand while moving the pan back and forth with the other, until the sauce glossily drapes the noodles, 5 to 7 minutes. Add more pasta water if the sauce looks dry. Fish out the garlic cloves. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, as desired.

7. Divide the pasta among plates, sprinkling with any remaining pecorino and dolloping each serving with three spoonfuls of ricotta. Top with the parsley, which adds necessary freshness to counter the richness.

Fresh Lemon and Chile Pasta

By Andy Baraghani

This quick, deeply comforting pasta is creamy, but balanced by the zing of fresh lemon. Loosely based on Italy’s pasta al limone, this simple recipe combines butter, Parmesan and lemon juice with some reserved pasta water to form a velvety sauce that comes together in the pasta pan along with everyday heroes: garlic, green chile and some cream. To squeeze as much tang from a single lemon as possible, zest is also added to the vibrant sauce, giving the dish a wonderful, sunny scent. The lemon cuts through the richness and keeps your fork twirling for more. Serve this bright and easy pasta dish on its own to perk up a weeknight or with chicken piccata or simple roast chicken for a special dinner, ideally eaten outside in the late-setting sun.

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound long pasta, such as spaghetti or bucatini

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 small green chile, such as serrano, thinly sliced

1 lemon

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cups finely grated Parmesan (3 1/2 ounces), plus more for serving

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then throw in a handful of salt. Cook the pasta until a bit firmer than al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. (It’ll finish cooking in the sauce.) Reserve 2 cups pasta water, then drain.

2. While the water comes to a boil, add the butter to another large pot or Dutch oven and melt over medium heat. Add the garlic, chile and 1 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened slightly and the whole mixture is incredibly fragrant, about 2 minutes. Zest the lemon into the pot (reserve the lemon), then pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Season with salt and bring to a gentle simmer over medium.

3. Add the drained pasta and 1 cup of the pasta water to the pot. Cook, tossing often with tongs while gradually sprinkling in the Parmesan, 2 to 3 minutes. The cheese will melt, and the sauce will become creamy and cling to the pasta. It should be saucy because it will thicken as it cools. If the sauce looks too thick, add more pasta water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.

4. Turn off the heat, and halve the zested lemon. Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon half into the pot. Taste a noodle or two and add more juice from the remaining lemon half if you’d like more tang. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Divide among shallow bowls or plates. Sprinkle with Parmesan and pepper, then pluck any chile slices clinging to the pot and serve them on top.

Crisp Gnocchi With Sausage and Peas

By Ali Slagle

This quick skillet dinner combines crisp gnocchi and brawny sausage with sweet pops of peas and herbs. It tastes like spring, but it can be prepared perennially — and without any chopping or waiting for water to boil. (That’s right, you don’t need to boil the gnocchi before searing.) Draped in a combination of mustard and melted Parmesan, the dish is creamy, with a salty bite like cacio e pepe. However, if plush Alfredo is what you’re craving, you could add a splash of heavy cream along with the browned gnocchi in Step 4.

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 (12- to 18-ounce) package shelf-stable potato gnocchi

1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

2 cups/10 ounces frozen peas (no need to thaw)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup/1 ounce grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup torn dill, mint or basil leaves, plus more for serving

Directions

1. In a large (12-inch) nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Break up any stuck-together gnocchi and add to the skillet in an even layer. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until the gnocchi are golden brown underneath and unstuck from skillet, 2 to 4 minutes. Cook, stirring, until crisp on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes. If the gnocchi are burning instead of browning or the skillet looks dry, add more oil. Transfer to a bowl or plate.

2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet, still over medium-high. Add the sausage and break into small pieces. Cook, undisturbed, until sausage is browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir and cook until the sausage is cooked through, another 2 to 4 minutes.

3. Stir in the peas, mustard and 1/2 cup water and scrape up the browned bits on the skillet. (It may not look like a lot of liquid, but the peas will release some as they cook.) Simmer until the peas are cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes.

4. Add the browned gnocchi and the Parmesan; stir until the cheese has melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the herbs. Serve topped with more herbs, Parmesan and black pepper as desired.