Pasta Shells

Edamame contain as much protein per serving as eggs, milk, and meat, and are also a good source of iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Since the corn is not cooked, it’s imperative that you use the freshest you can find. Serve hot or cold as a speedy, summery pasta dish.

Here’s a classic side dish if there ever was one. There’s a thousand ways to make it, and I think you’ll find ours to be a keeper—Creole mustard, fresh diced tomato, and a touch of green pepper all tossed with freshly cooked pasta shells. We like the way shells hold the dressing better than elbows. It’s still Macaroni Salad to us.

Here’s a twist on a classic British pub recipe. The beefy base of the pie gets flavored up Dino-style and topped off with savory mac ‘n’ cheese instead of the traditional mashed potatoes. It makes a hearty meal. Just add salad.

I don’t encounter stuffed shells in Italy much; stuffed paccheri (big and floppy rigatoni-lookalikes) are much more common there. But I have sold a lot of stuffed shells throughout my restaurant days. This is comfort food—pasta stuffed with milky ricotta and topped with oozing melted cheese, and just about everybody loves it. It is a common dish, present in many Italian American restaurant menus and households. It is also very convenient, because the oven does the work, and you can feed a large number of guests.

You can make this colorful and fresh-tasting dish anytime with a batch of Twenty-Minute Marinara Sauce and cherry or grape tomatoes, which are in the market almost year-round and often are sweeter than large tomatoes. This is one baked dish in which I use fresh mozzarella in the filling. I love its texture and fresh taste in uncooked or quick cooked pastas, and these can be lost in long cooking. Buy small whole mozzarella balls, an inch in diameter, if you can. Sometimes they are called bocconcini, little mouthfuls, but in my neighborhood the supermarket calls them ciliegine, little cherries. Toss them whole with the hot pasta so they keep their integrity in the baking dish—you don’t want them to melt away like shredded mozzarella on top.

Because preparing fresh squash can be time-consuming, we used frozen squash as a shortcut here. You can substitute an equal amount of puréed fresh squash (see note below).

I love everything about stuffed shells—love to make them, love the aroma as they’re baking, and even love waiting for the cheese on top to get brown. And, of course, I love to eat them. Here’s the good news: other than the fact that it takes a while to stuff the shells, they’re super easy to make. Plus, you can freeze any leftovers for later.

This garden-fresh medley is a good choice when you want a summery soup that is slightly warm rather than chilled.

If you like broccoli, you’ll love this nourishing bowl of comfort.

Cioppino, or fisherman’s stew, had its origins in San Francisco by way of Italy, but all Mediterranean countries have similar fish stews. Make this version your own with your favorite treats from the sea. Traditionally, this dish is not very soupy; for more broth, do not drain the can of tomatoes. I prefer to avoid precooked seafood for Glorious One-Pot Meals. If your frozen shrimp is pink, it’s precooked. While using precooked seafood certainly won’t ruin your meal (it’s difficult to fail with a Glorious One-Pot Meal!), raw seafood results in a stronger flavor and will be more tender after cooking.

Here is a good way to use up leftover chicken that makes a full, satisfying meal.

This dish is real comfort food without the meat. It’s great for Sunday family dinners, as a side or a main course, and an equally great way to sneak some greens into your diet. You’ll need a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip for this recipe.

Feta cheese lends a little pungent punch and complements the sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes in this colorful entrée for five or side dish for a crowd.

Rosemary and two kinds of pepper ramp up the flavor of this tempting, inexpensive entrée.

For a taste of Italy in minutes, prepare this simple vegetarian soup. Serve with a hearty whole-grain bread.

Gina: If you’ve never spent a summer in the South, then you don’t know heat like we know heat! Baby, this dish is perfect for a sultry Memphis evening, because it requires very little cooking. The shrimp and zucchini are grilled briefly, and the rest of the ingredients are simply heated in olive oil for a few minutes, to coax out their flavor. Then everything is tossed with pasta shells, and you are done, sugar. We call for cherry tomatoes, but feel free to use Sweet 100, currant, or pear tomatoes, or any other small tomatoes available at your local farmers’ market. Best of all, you’ll walk away from the table feeling satisfied but not too full. Choose a nice Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, and you are set.

Though I haven’t lived on Cape Code since I was eight, this dish proves I’m not just a Red Sox fan but a true New England Patriot. With Chowda and Mac ’n’ Cheese in one dinner, you can get to Massachusetts in 30 minutes or less, even if you live in Michigan.

Tuna casserole was a classic back in the day when I was a kid. I’m bringing it back—Mediterranean style!

This Armenian specialty makes a hearty main dish. It has a pure and fresh quality and is an entirely different experience from eating an Italian or Asian pasta dish.

For more information on baked tofu, see page 136. I’d like to see this superb product go mainstream! See the menu with Cold Fresh Tomato Soup (page 17). This would also be just as good served with Fresh Tomato and Corn Soup (page 18).