Fettuccine

Here's a rich, creamy pasta from chef Cory Mattson of the Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

Make this intriguing sauce ahead, then just heat it up while the pasta cooks.

Lots of garlic adds great flavor to this dish. At the restaurant they make it with spinach pappardelle, but fettuccine is a convenient substitution.

Creamy mascarpone cheese and pureed roasted pumpkin are blended with just a delicious touch of cinnamon to make an interesting sauce for the fettuccine starter. Uncork a Dolcetto.

Toasted baguette slices topped with purchased pesto or caponata make a quick starter; a salad of mixed greens and sliced red onions is perfect alongside the pasta. Offer lemon mousse for a refreshing finale. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"The tagliatelle with parsnips and pancetta at Babbo is a wonder," says Aleksandra Crapanzano of New York, New York. " I would be thrilled to have the recipe." A good substitute for the homemade tagliatelle used at Babbo is dried egg fettuccine or taglierini—we particularly like the Cipriani brand. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

More supermarkets are carrying fresh rabbit, as people rediscover its delicate flavor. Braising helps to keep it moist and tender. If you have trouble finding rabbit, however, you can substitute bone-in chicken, skin removed.

Wondra, a fast-blending flour, is a supermarket staple that's ideal for thickening sauces and gravies. It is put to good use in this quick pasta dish.

"While vacationing in northeastern Minnesota, I had dinner at the Cove Point Lodge in Beaver Bay. The highlight of my meal there was called Lucca pasta, a blend of fettuccine, chicken and vegetables in a creamy, slightly spicy sauce," says Debra Adam of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Both easy and inexpensive, tuna-noodle casserole stretched proteins and carbohydrates to the limits and fed at least a generation of American kids very well. Canned tuna will never go away, but fresh tuna has joined it as a culinary staple, and it stars in this deconstructed version of the classic. All the elements that make tuna casserole so appealing and comforting are here, just slightly rearranged. And there’s no need to serve this on a cafeteria tray: It’s good enough for your best china.

An appetizer that is simple to make, delicious and very appealing.

A green salad is all you need to make this pasta — its creaminess sharpened with a touch of horseradish — into a complete dinner. When shopping, it's helpful to know that egg noodles are usually sold coiled into small nests.

An entrée from Bar Italia, St. Louis, Missouri. Herbed breadcrumbs top it off nicely.

In addition to the shiitake mushrooms called for here, look for morels, porcini or even button mushrooms, all of which are available during late spring early summer months.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.