Pasta

Eggs become a silky, creamy sauce when they're tossed with hot pasta. Here, leeks add a nice spring touch to the traditional Roman dish.

Crispy, golden slices of garlic add a nice crunch and nutty flavor (picky eaters can have their pasta without or easily eat around it).

Merguez, the spicy lamb sausages of North Africa, are popular throughout France. These nearly labor-free patties are a quick way to re-create them in your kitchen. The sweetness of the raisin couscous contrasts nicely with the meat's deep spice.

As you may know, orecchiette is Italian for "little ears." Their size and rounded shape are just right for holding chunky toppings—pancetta, pine nuts, and broccoli fit that bill nicely. Grating Parmigiano-Reggiano over the entire dish is always a good idea.

Martha mastered this classic dish during the couple's time in Italy. It's still one of her favorite recipes.

Mix in sautéed 1/2-inch cubes of butternut squash, if you like.

Wilted radicchio and spinach are a nice match for spicy red pepper flakes and smoky, salty bacon. Treviso—with its not-too-tough (but also not-too-tender) leaves—is the best choice for this recipe if you can find it.

Espagueti Frutos del Mar Hearty with shrimp, mussels, squid, and octopus, this flavor-packed pasta dish gets an extra boost from a bright basil purée drizzled on before serving. True, there's some effort involved in making it, but you can prepare the various elements in stages, and the drama and deliciousness of the result will more than compensate your efforts.

Thanks to Simon and Garfunkel, the fresh herbs in this dish are forever linked. But the folk duo probably never knew how good they are on top of al dente bucatini, a thicker-than-spaghetti hollow noodle.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jamie Oliver's book Cook with Jamie.

To prepare the leeks, trim the bottoms and cut in half lengthwise. Then rinse under cold running water, separating the layers to remove the dirt.

Making spaetzle is easy, with no fancy equipment needed: a coarse grater, colander, or wide perforated spoon or ladle with 1/4-inch holes will work well.

Since sautéing orzo in butter gives it a nutty taste and toasting almonds makes them buttery, it should be no surprise that the two ingredients are perfectly complementary in this pilaf.

The natural nuttiness of Brussels sprouts is greatly enhanced by the addition of pine nuts, and sautéing the sprouts deepens that flavor. Tossing them with al dente fettuccine will make you wonder how anyone could dislike them.

Slowly cooking the pasta risotto-style by ladling hot broth over it allows the shells to soak up all of the broth's aroma and results in a velvety, creamy texture. The bitter bite of the greens adds just enough edge.

Pasta at Thanksgiving? Even the most epic of meals in Italy will never skip the crucial primo course, and Italians in America make no exception. Though a bit of prosciutto underlines the savoriness of the tomato sauce, the dish is still light enough to take the edge off that holiday hunger without filling everyone up.