Pasta

Don't let the simplicity of this pasta dish fool you — it's packed with irresistable springtime flavors.

In this easy and hugely satisfying pasta dish, arugula is transformed from peppery leaf into powerhouse pesto.

Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Harumi's Japanese Cooking , by Harumi Kurihara. To read more about Harumi, click here. Mentaiko Spaghettini This is one of the most popular types of pasta in Japan and is a great example of how a foreign ingredient has been adapted to Japanese taste. I think you will find it quite an eye opener.

Ann Gillespie of Alexandria, Virginia, writes: "Because I'm balancing graduate school and a family, I try to cook things that don't take a lot of time. But I love experimenting with ingredients, so most of my recipes are easy to make and use interesting flavor combinations. This pasta dish is reminiscent of what my husband and I would cook when we were first married."

Improv: Try mussels instead of clams; substitute basil for the parsley.

Avgolemono, the tangy Greek sauce of egg yolks and lemon, combines with pasta and veggies for a twist on carbonara.

Making spaetzle at home is simple and satisfying. Serve it with buttery mushrooms or pair the naked dumplings with any saucy dish.

This streamlined version of a complex Catalan sauce makes for a gratifying weeknight supper — and a welcome alternative to pasta with marinara. The recipe is easy, and the sauce is made while the pasta cooks.

Couscous is one of the fastest side dishes to prepare, but this jazzed-up, garlicky rendition shows that it need not be bland. Serve it with the Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Paillards or with grilled Italian sausages.

Packed with springtime vegetables, this meal is a quick fix for the winter blues.

The simplicity of this pasta dish lets the escarole shine. Excellent as an entrée or as a first course served before roasted chicken or beef.

A little blanching and sautéing is all it takes to tenderize the collard greens for this easy Moroccan-inspired dish.

Editor's note: This recipe was included with two others from our roundup of great cookbooks for Dad. Lasagna needs to be constructed. That doesn't mean you need blueprints or permits, but it is a whole production. Pizza Noodles are like a sloppy lasagna. You can throw everything together, practically blindfolded. And what kid can resist the name?

Here's a kind of mac and cheese without any effort. Adding goat cheese gives American ricotta the tang it has when it comes from sheep's milk. I learned this trick from Sicilian cooking teacher Anna Tasca Lanza.

Stracci di Pasta Alle Mille Erbe Rags to riches takes on new meaning when such strange bedfellows as basil, tarragon, mint, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary mingle with pasta to create totally new flavors. Every ingredient matters, so don't skimp on quality: If you have time, you owe it to yourself to use homemade pasta.