Pasta

Whole-wheat spaghetti, which is slightly nuttier and chewier than regular pasta, holds its own with the kale, fontina, and rich, smoky bacon in this substantial main course.

This creamy no-cook sauce is very simple: Whisk together goat cheese, reserved pasta water, and butter, and toss with pasta and roasted asparagus. The corkscrew shape of cavatappi is just right for cradling the sauce.

Quickly wilted arugula, canned beans, and toasted walnuts add heft to this vegetarian main course. Try spinach in place of arugula and pine nuts instead of walnuts.

Full of fiery red-pepper flakes and salty capers, olives, and anchovy fillets, this tomato-based sauce is a lively alternative to a traditional marinara. Tossing the cooked pasta with the sauce in the skillet helps coat the strands.

Two types of peas are cooked along with the pasta in this one-pot dish, so everything finishes at once. The vegetables should be cooked just long enough that their colors stay vibrant and they are warmed through.

Legend has it that this dish was first created in Sicily as a tribute to the famous opera by Vincenzo Bellini, a native composer. This version stays true to the traditional recipe, combining eggplant, tomatoes, and basil.

The delicious sauce on this pasta doesn’t require cooking—just a few seconds in the food processor. For the very best flavor, don’t skip the step of toasting the walnuts.

For its flavor, this Italian favorite relies on a combination of vegetables that are first sautéed and then simmered in water—no broth required. You can make the soup through step 2 up to two days beforehand, and then add the beans and pasta just before serving.

THIS IS A TRULY DECADENT DISH, but you won’t want to save it for special occasions. Adding another Pacific Northwest flavor to our classic mac and cheese was easy; the base is a cheese sauce made from flavorful crab stock, and cauliflower balances the sweet crab flavor.

THIS IS THE SAME GREAT BEECHER’S MAC AND CHEESE recipe taken to a new level, with the spice of chiles and the addition of vegetables. Feel free to experiment with leftover cheeses for new flavor combinations.

POACHING SEAFOOD IN OIL locks in its moisture and produces tender, juicy results. Here, adding fresh red snapper along with the prawns adds a textural contrast, but you could use either one, doubling the quantity. The oil from the poached seafood makes a flavorful sauce when studded with basil, tomatoes, and lemon zest. Delicate capellini, also known as angel hair pasta, rounds out an easy summer lunch or light supper.

RISOTTO ISN’T LIMITED TO RICE. Here, toasted barley and orzo are included with the Arborio rice, adding great flavors and textures to the standard risotto. Toasting the barley is a key step to achieving its maximum flavor. This hearty dish is the perfect accompaniment to meat and poultry dishes, and it makes a satisfying vegetarian main course as well.

BRINY SCALLOPS AND WOODSY MUSHROOMS are tied together with the light, sweet note of sherry in this creamy fall pasta dish. We prefer hedgehog mushrooms because of their small size, but you could substitute other wild mushrooms if you prefer.

VELVETY EGGPLANT, that beloved summer vegetable, comes to life in this easy pasta sauce. If you’re short on time, you can make the sauce ahead; it tastes even better the next day. For a more substantial dish, serve it with your favorite Italian-style chicken sausage. A short, sturdy pasta like rigatoni, rotini, or penne is the best choice for this chunky sauce.

THIS HEALTHY, LIGHT, AND COLORFUL PASTA SALAD, a longtime Pasta & Co favorite, makes a quick lunch and is a welcome addition to any picnic basket. The bright colors of the vegetables remind us of polka dots.

WHILE FRESH MOZZARELLA IS USED IN AN ENDLESS VARIETY of pastas, pizzas, and salads, smoked mozzarella adds more flavor. It is made by smoking cheese over wood to produce a smoky, creamy result. This easy pasta salad makes a standout lunch dish, with the mayonnaise lending extra creaminess. You can adjust the amount of dressing according to taste.

WHILE SOME PEOPLE THINK IT’S TOO HARD or takes too much time to make homemade chicken soup, this recipe was originally created for a kids’ cooking class to illustrate how easy it is to make pure foods instead of opening up a can. You don’t need many ingredients or much time; take 20 minutes to prep and 35 minutes to simmer, and within an hour you’ve got a healthy, flavorful soup to enjoy all week.

WHY IT’S LIGHT Packed with seasonal vegetables, this soup needs little added fat—just two tablespoons olive oil—and just a half cup orzo to feel hearty. The soup freezes well, so you may want to double the recipe and save a batch to eat during cooler months.

WHY IT’S LIGHT Cut strips of sliced cabbage to resemble long, thin noodles and you can reduce the amount of real noodles by half. Cooked briefly, the cabbage wilts slightly but retains some of its characteristic crunch. Linguine stands in for the usual wheat-flour noodles (called lo mein) in this version of the Chinese take-out favorite, but you can use Asian noodles if you have them.

WHY IT’S LIGHT Unlike traditional versions of lasagna, which are filled and topped with cheese and meat sauce before baking, this seasonal, no-bake variation relies on fresh vegetables for the filling. For an even lighter preparation, use part-skim ricotta cheese.