Spaghetti

This traditional southern Italian pasta recipe, with its base of aglio e olio, garlic and oil, is one of those rustic foods that presents like a gourmet dish. It’s made entirely with pantry items, so it’s a perfect last-minute supper.

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

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.

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.

This recipe was inspired by a dish that Italian chef Alessandro Giuntoli made when he was at Osteria del Circo, in New York City.

This is named after the town of Amatrice, not too far from Rome, where the sauce has long been prepared using the few ingredients that were always available: sun-ripened tomatoes, guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl), and a touch of firey peperoncino (dried hot chile).

Carbonara is a legendary Roman pasta dish. Here's a version that includes sautéed zucchini. It's meat-free yet every bit as delicious as the egg-and-bacon original.

Fideos, pasta nests that are often toasted in oil, are popular on the eastern coast of Spain. Here, the sauce is enhanced with a sofrito, a concentrated mixture that imparts a deep tomato flavor. The browned fideos slowly absorb the seafood-based sauce as they cook.

A steaming plate of al dente spaghetti with homemade sauce and a sprinkle of cheese is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

The secret to this dish is perfectly golden garlic. Pale garlic won't crisp properly while cooling, whereas overcooked garlic will be bitter.

Armandino Batali of Salumi in Seattle, writes: "My son, Mario Batali, may be the most recognizable foodie in the family, but the Batalis' interest in Italian cooking and culture goes back generations. My grandfather opened Seattle's first Italian-food import store in 1903. It was located just a few steps from where my restaurant, Salumi, is now, and it's one of the things that inspired me to get into the business. "The idea behind Salumi was to create a restaurant, deli, and meat factory in one place, just like the salumerias in Italy. We're known for homemade sausages and salami, but we also attract a large lunchtime crowd. Some of the specials, like the meat loaf and frittata, have been in our family for years. They're also easy to make at home." Here's a great way to use leftover pasta or any pasta or marinara sauce.

Loren uses a mortar and pestle to pound the ingredients for her pestolike sauce, but we found it much easier to blend them in a food processor.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This delicious pasta uses store-bought pesto.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This Szechwan dish is traditionally made with toasted sesame paste, but peanut butter has been substituted here with good results. One secret of this light but flavorful rendition is to dress the noodles just before serving them. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.