Spaghetti

Good accompaniments to this Sicilian-style pasta are an arugula and fig salad, breadsticks, and gelato with amaretti.

Romanesco cauliflower — with its cone-shaped florets — has a more subtle, nuanced flavor than traditional varieties. The size of Romanesco cauliflower can vary widely, so we call for weight in this recipe rather than number of heads.

Pretty and delicious, this pasta has plenty of vegetables, lots of snap and crunch, and a terrific Asian-style peanut sauce.

A sophisticated main course.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A country-style Italian bread and a hearty salad of romaine with roasted peppers and black olives would be great with this pasta dish. Pears with walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese would be a nice dessert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Creating her own versions of restaurant dishes is a hobby of Christina's. This is her interpretation of a pasta she had while dining out in San Francisco.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 40 min

Serve with: Mesclun salad with an herb vinaigrette and sliced semolina bread. Dessert: Vanilla ice cream sprinkled with crushed amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons) and drizzled with Kahlúa.

Robert Colombi of Paris, France, writes: "My mother was Sicilian and my father, Corsican, but I was born in Morocco and lived there for many years. I learned how to cook mostly from my mother (which is why pasta often turns up at dinnertime), but also from my many travels throughout Morocco (which is why my favorite spices are coriander, thyme, and cumin). As I became older, I developed a stronger interest in cooking, especially after I moved to France and got married. I guess I started to feel very nostalgic about the country of my childhood, and it became more important for me to remember and re-create those tastes for my French friends and family." This intriguingly flavored dish comes together in minutes.

A fusion dish from Phyllis Vaccarelli of Let's Get Cookin', in Westlake Village, California. The flavors are basically Italian, but before cooking, the shrimp are coated with a "velveting" mixture of cornstarch and egg white used in traditional Chinese cooking, which helps keep the shrimp tender. Serve a watercress salad with balsamic dressing alongside. For dessert, construct a sundae with vanilla ice cream, diced mangoes and crushed amaretti cookies.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.