Herbs & Spices

This basic white sauce is what gives many pasta dishes, like lasagna, a rich creamy texture. It’s not hard to make and you’ll find lots of uses for it.

Creamed corn has never been so sophisticated! This delicate, creamy filling deserves the equally subtle flavor of good, fresh pasta, so make this sometime when you are inspired to make your own pasta, or if you find a source for really fresh, homemade pasta sheets.

This is a decadent dish that is very popular with my family at Christmas-time, when pasta with seafood is a holiday tradition for Italians. For others, though, it’s a reminder of summers on the Cape or in the Hamptons. Whatever memories it may conjure for you, we can all probably agree that it is a rich, sophisticated dish that puts a smile on the face of anyone who tastes it.

This might be the Italian answer to Seafood Newberg: chunks of crab and clams in a rich cream sauce tossed with wide noodles. If you really like clams, it’s worth checking to see if you can buy fresh chopped cooked clams at your fish market; the pieces tend to be a little bigger and meatier, with a more subtle, briny flavor than those in cans. The cream sauce is tinted a pretty pink from the tomatoes.

This recipe has several steps, but give it a try; I think you’ll find that none of the steps is difficult, and you can prepare the recipe in stages if you like. Make the filling one day, fill and cook the tortelloni the next, or make and fill the pasta to freeze, and cook anytime you want! The autumn flavors of squash, nuts, and cranberries make this the perfect side dish for a big holiday meal, or a vegetarian alternative for the non-meat eaters at the table.

On my last trip to Venice I fell in love with a shrimp lasagna I tried. This recipe is my twist on that Venetian dish. If you keep frozen shrimp in the freezer, this is a very good way to use them. Be sure not to overcook the lasagna noodles when you are boiling them, as they will finish cooking when you bake the assembled dish. You will only need twelve noodles in all, but cook a few extras in case some break or tear as you are boiling them.

This is one of the prettiest dishes I have ever made. It’s perfect for a ladies’ lunch, as it’s not too heavy and is extremely elegant looking. Make it ahead of time and serve slightly chilled. You could also substitute chopped cooked shrimp for the crab if you prefer.

When I have friends over to watch sports or an awards show, this is often on the menu. It’s comfort food with lots of colorful vegetables and a spicy kick. Make it the day before and reheat it; the flavor improves the longer it sits, which is what you want in a dish for entertaining.

Fifteen minutes is all it takes to get this dish on the table and you’ll find everything you need in the pantry or in the freezer—no need to shop! It has a very concentrated tomatoey flavor that I find appealing.

The literal translation of ditalini is “small fingers,” and I’m partial to this small, short shape because I like the ingredients in a pasta dish to be all roughly the same size—including the pasta. You can substitute any other small short-cut pasta you have on the shelf.

You can eat this dish right when you make it or serve it an hour or two later at room temperature; the heat of the pasta will warm up the sweet balsamic vinegar and wilt the arugula. It transports quite well, making it a good choice for picnics or buffet spreads.

Another recipe that kids (and adults!) will wolf down, this is a combination of two dishes everyone loves: chicken cutlets Milanese and warm pasta salad.

These meatballs are inspired by a turkey meatloaf that I wrap in pancetta before baking. Everyone loves spaghetti and meatballs, though, so I decided to put the pancetta directly into the meatball mixture and bake rather than fry them. The salty pancetta and the sweet sun-dried tomatoes make these meatballs that people will rave about for a long time.

Fettuccine carbonara is a typical weeknight meal for many Italians, and I love it, too. I couldn’t resist adding an extra layer of flavor to this classic dish to improve on something that is already great. I know the sweet-salty combination of bacon with cinnamon sounds odd, but the flavors are extraordinary together. Try it; you’ll see.

There are not many meals that are easier than this one, which transforms prepared tortellini and marinara sauce into a rich, savory, comfort-food meal. Just add a salad and you’re done.

Flavored oils are a pantry staple for me. They add instant flavor, whether I’m making a dressing, a marinade, or a topping for pasta. Chili oil is my favorite because it adds a kick that wakes up your taste buds.

Sugo is the Italian word for any kind of sauce. This particular sugo isn’t cooked long enough for the tomato chunks to break down completely. Cut the tomatoes into any size pieces you prefer, just as you would for a salsa. If you like it chunky, keep the pieces on the larger side so they won’t break up too much when you stir the sauce. Because it is such a basic, straightforward sauce, it will be a good match to all kinds of flavored pastas, like whole wheat or spinach.

Rotelli and fusilli are different names for the same, corkscrew-shaped pasta twists. This sauce is essentially a walnut compound butter, and it’s a very easy option for those nights when you’re not in the mood to do a lot of cooking.

Who says pesto has to contain basil—or pine nuts, for that matter? This pesto is luxurious and a pretty, pale green; it makes an unbelievably sophisticated meal in just a matter of minutes. I would also serve this as an elegant first course for a spring meal of lamb or salmon.

I love the intensely sweet, chewy flavor of sun-dried tomatoes, and mixed with tomato paste they create a sauce with a very concentrated flavor that doesn’t require the long cooking of a traditional tomato sauce. Softened with a bit of goat cheese, this is a creamy sauce that just barely coats the pasta without weighing it down.