Pasta

At first glance, this might look like a simple lamb stew, but you will be delighted by its finesse when you remove the lamb from the bone, return it to the pot, and toss with your favorite pasta. The secret to this deep and succulent sauce is the Basic Fond de Veau , a reduced veal stock whose unctuousness is well worth the extra preparation. The lamb can be made ahead, to concentrate the flavors. This ragout makes a surprisingly satisfying dish for entertaining.

This pasta is tasty made with kale, collards, or any greens you have growing in the garden. I will go and cut whatever is ready or use what I brought home from the farmers' market. I like to include something that has a bit of spice, such as broccoli rabe, red mustards, or mature rocket. Many times I will cook more greens than I need and put them in the refrigerator to make a quick pasta another time. (Add the garlic and goat cheese at the time you are going to toss them with the pasta.) This is perfect for those days when dinnertime shows up before you know it.

"Creamy squash and cheese crisps only make you think you're off the diet cliff!" says James Beard award winner Laura Werlin, author of Mac & Cheese, Please! and The All American Cheese and Wine Book.

A low, steady simmer is the key to this braise, so keep an eye on the pot.

You probably won't have to salt the sauce itself since the clams are so briny; taste right before serving.

The personality of raclette in macaroni and cheese—the combination of cornichons and creamy, salty cheese takes to pasta with an irresistible grace.

Native to Catalonia, Spain, Garrotxa is a throaty, goaty cheese that imparts an almost cheddar-like tanginess. A gray mold blankets this pasteurized flavor titan, which gets its smooth earthiness from the lush coastal grasses that feed the goats raised to make it. Cutting away the rind on this firm cheese is easy, and a sharp knife run down the sides will shave off the moldy exterior without sacrificing much of the Garrotxa beneath. Here, Garrotxa coalesces with two other signature Spanish ingredients, sun-dried tomatoes and Serrano ham, to create an ethereal cheese gratin polished with just a touch of butter, milk, and crème fraîche. This recipe isn't your typical melty, creamy macaroni and cheese; rather, it's a drier dish that allows the ingredients to mingle coyly while remaining somewhat independent.

No endless simmering and stirring for this garlicky pasta sauce. Here, canned tomatoes are oven-roasted, which intensifies their flavor while cutting down on fuss.

A double boost of basil, from the pesto and the fresh leaves, gives this whole wheat couscous a flavor lift. It's perfect for busy weeknights when you are starving for quick and easy carbs. Home-cooked chickpeas taste best, but canned chickpeas work fine when you're in a rush. And pesto from a jar is a perfectly good replacement for homemade. Serve next to sautéed fish or chicken.

The ultimate holiday vacation cooking project: lasagna with two homemade sauces and layers of homemade pasta.

Strisce means strips—any long pasta will work—and Chiantigiana refers to the Tuscan wine used to flavor the sauce.

This is a winning-contestant recipe from Season Four of Fox's MasterChef.

Small tomatoes can now be found in any supermarket throughout the year. Nothing equals fresh local tomatoes, but these small varieties—cherry, grape, and so on—are a welcome alternative in the dark months. Most are grown in greenhouses and some are imported from places such as Israel and Mexico and have great flavor. I leave all tomatoes out at room temperature, but these especially benefit from a few days of ripening to deepen their flavor and bring out their sweetness. I make it a point to always have some small tomatoes on hand for salads, salsas, and quick pasta dishes like this one. When cooking this with children, make sure you have plenty of extra tomatoes for snacking.

There are two hits of chile in this dish. It's used early on to infuse the oil, where it mellows. The sprinkle added at the end is more "precocious," says Krajeck. "It's not in every bite, but when it hits you, it makes a big impact."

Brussels sprouts, pancetta, and pasta were made for each other. The key is to get a good char on the Brussels sprouts, which helps balance the richness of the porky, eggy sauce.

Because this dough is eggless, it has great al dente texture. If you can't find durum wheat flour, all-purpose will work well, too.

"Set sun-dried tomatoes on paper towels to soak up some of their oil so the dish doesn't get greasy," Bemis suggests.

This bright, vegetarian sauce features lemon three ways: juice, zest, and preserved lemon peel.

As co-chefs, Hudman and Ticer see each other daily, but the old friends still cook together on days off. "Andy does the steak," says Hudman, "and I do the pasta."