Pasta

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Bikini Bootcamp: Two Weeks to Your Ultimate Beach Body, by Melissa Perlman and Erica Gragg. This tasty curry goes wonderfully on top of couscous and makes for a filling meal.

The way cinnamon expands the dimensions of brown butter means that you won't overtly taste the spice here, just pasta with deep, rich, nutty undertones. Chopped parsley freshens every bite.

This dish is a summery variation on the Northern Italian pairing of tomato-braised ossobuco and saffron-flavored risotto. Here the delicious classic combination is lightened up with orzo and wilted grape tomatoes.

Mixing aromatic herbs like mint and basil with asparagus and peas creates a beautiful green dish. Salty feta sparks it up.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from I Like Food, Food Tastes Good: In the Kitchen with Your Favorite Bands by Kara Zuaro. To read more about the book, see the related story. Patrick Phelan
from Patrick himself Singer-songwriter Patrick Phelan crafts dreamy, lingering music, studies human rights, and has spent time in Italy to focus on his cooking, as he has been a chef for more than eleven years. This decadent dish is something you should save for a special occasion because (a) you're going to have to drop a lot of cash to make it happen, (b) you're going to need to kill a pair of lobsters in the process, and (c) it'll make your special day that much more special. This is a challenging recipe, but if you follow the directions carefully, you'll end up with a dish that's as fancy as it is comforting — and big enough to feed a crowd. If you're cooking for two, just make half — you'll still savor the leftovers for lunch the next day. "This recipe comes courtesy of the great influences of David Shannon, one of my many teachers over the years." —Patrick Phelan

For a quick defrost, microwave the veggies in bowls for one to two minutes on high.

For this lovely side dish, orzo pasta is cooked like risotto.

This vegetarian showstopper will bowl you over with its layers of flavor — one bite is enough to understand why it's often called one of the world's great dishes. Barley couscous, lighter and more aromatic than the well-known semolina version, serves as a nutty, fluffy base; tender-firm vegetables and a fragrant, golden broth are ladled over; and crunchy fried almonds and sweet onion confit add even more texture and flavor to the beguiling complexity.

Roasted vegetables and Italian Fontina lend this lush-tasting lasagne a more intense flavor than than you'd get with the usual spinach and ricotta filling.

Israeli couscous, which is larger and chewier than the more common variety, takes the place of arborio rice in this risotto-style dish.

Brie coats the rigatoni like a creamy pasta sauce.

Lots of fresh herbs and plenty of lime juice make this summery noodle salad super refreshing.

Look to the frozen foods aisle for a quicker way to bring artichoke's spring flavor to buttery pasta.

This dish has been one of my family's favorites for years; the secret to its enduring popularity is the caramelized onions. I cook them long and slow until they are meltingly tender and deep golden brown. Their rich sweetness rounds out the earthy flavor of the lentils and kale.

The flavor of this pasta fagioli is so haunting and the texture so voluptuous that you'll wonder how such modest ingredients could conspire to create something so indulgent. And what makes it successful as a make-ahead main is that the pasta is cooked separately. I make vats of the bean soup ahead, then each time I reheat a portion, I boil up a fresh batch of dried pasta so the al dente texture balances the creaminess of the soup.

This recipe, from nutritionist Karen Fisher at Deerfield Spa, provides ideal amounts of carbs, fat and protein. If you're going to be active, simply add 1/2 cup more pasta.

Treat your taste buds to meals that incorporate all six flavors, like this one from Teresa Long, in-house nutritionist at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.