Belongs to 226-2tone Sausage Lasagna 

Serves 6 to 8

Why this recipe works:
Following the success of our Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna, we decided to create a hearty sausage version. Boosting the flavors of the ricotta filling with a hefty amount of Parmesan and some fragrant basil certainly helped our cause, as did boldly flavored Italian sausage. To keep things simple, we found spooning dollops of ricotta over the noodles—instead of spreading it—and pinching off pieces of raw sausage helped to streamline assembly. As for the sauce, the test kitchen’s favorite jarred sauce (Bertolli Tomato and Basil Sauce) worked perfectly.

You might need to buy:
  • Vegetable oil spray
  • curly-edged lasagna noodles
  • grated Parmesan cheese
  • minced fresh basil
  • large egg
  • Salt and pepper

Serves 8 to 10

Our favorite lasagna noodles are Barilla No Boil. You can thaw the spinach overnight in the refrigerator instead of microwaving it. But do warm the spinach liquid to help smooth the ricotta.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To make a spinach lasagna worthy of its name, the first step was simple: increase the spinach. Frozen spinach tastes just as good as fresh and cuts down on kitchen time as well. For the finest, most even texture, we use the food processor to chop the spinach and to smooth out the ricotta cheese. The final secret for extra spinach flavor is using some of the spinach liquid but not enough to make the lasagna watery. We nixed the traditional creamy béchamel in favor of a fresh, herb-flecked tomato sauce but still layered in plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan for added richness.

You might need to buy:
  • frozen chopped spinach
  • olive oil
  • red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper
  • chopped fresh basil
  • large eggs
  • no-boil lasagna noodles

Serves 6 to 8, or 10 to 12 as a side

It’s crucial to cook the pasta until tender—just past the “al dente” stage. In fact, overcooking is better than undercooking the pasta. Whole, low-fat, and skim milk all work well in this recipe. The recipe can be halved and baked in an 8-inch-square, broilersafe baking dish. If desired, offer celery salt or hot sauce (such as Tabasco) for sprinkling at the table.

You might need to buy:
  • BREAD CRUMB TOPPING
  • PASTA AND CHEESE:
  • elbow macaroni
  • table salt
  • unsalted butter
  • all-purpose flour
  • powdered mustard
  • table salt

Serves 4 as a main course or 6 to 8 as a side dish

If you’re in a hurry or prefer to sprinkle the dish with crumbled common crackers (saltines aren’t bad either), you can skip the bread crumb step.

You might need to buy:
  • TOASTED BREAD CRUMBS:
  • unsalted butter
  • fresh bread crumbs
  • salt
  • CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE:
  • large eggs
  • hot red pepper sauce
  • salt
  • ground black pepper
  • elbow macaroni
  • unsalted butter

Serves 4

The pasta and sauce cook in just about the same amount of time. If you like the fruitiness of extra-virgin olive oil, toss 1 tablespoon into the sauced pasta before serving.

You might need to buy:
  • olive oil
  • crushed red pepper flakes
  • drained capers
  • pitted black olives
  • chicken broth or water
  • chopped fresh basil
  • chopped fresh parsley
  • dried spaghetti

Serves 4 to 6

We prefer the flavor and texture of chunky peanut butter in the sauce; in particular, we like conventional chunky peanut butter because it tends to be sweeter than natural or old-fashioned versions.

You might need to buy:
  • sesame seeds
  • chunky peanut butter
  • minced fresh ginger
  • soy sauce
  • rice vinegar
  • light brown sugar lightly packed
  • table salt
  • dried Asian noodle or 12 ounces dried spaghetti
  • Asian sesame oil

Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish

This salad is best served the day it is made; if it’s been refrigerated, bring it to room temperature before serving. The pesto can be made a day ahead—just cook the garlic cloves in a small saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute. Garnish with additional shaved or grated Parmesan.

You might need to buy:
  • pine nuts
  • Table salt
  • extra virgin olive oil plus 1 additional tablespoon
  • ground black pepper
  • fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
  • mayonnaise

Serves 4

Do not substitute no-boil lasagna noodles for the traditional, curly-edged lasagna noodles here. Meatloaf mix is a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal, sold pre-packaged in many supermarkets. If it’s unavailable, use 1/2 pound each ground pork and 85 percent ground beef. We recommend using either whole milk or part-skim ricotta here, but do not use fat-free ricotta, which has a very dry texture and bland flavor.

You might need to buy:
  • olive oil
  • Salt
  • red pepper flakes
  • meatloaf mix
  • Ground black pepper
  • chopped fresh basil leaves

Serves 4 to 6 as a first course

Fresh pasta is the best choice for this dish; supermarkets sell 9-ounce containers of fresh pasta in the refrigerator section (see related article for tasting results). When boiling the pasta, undercook it slightly (even shy of al dente) because the pasta cooks an additional minute or two in the sauce. Note that Fettuccine Alfredo must be served immediately; it does not hold or reheat well.

You might need to buy:
  • heavy cream
  • unsalted butter
  • Table salt
  • ground black pepper
  • fresh fettuccine
  • fresh grated nutmeg
Belongs to 226-2tone Marinara Sauce 

Makes 4 cups

This recipe makes enough to sauce more than a pound of pasta; leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen. Because canned tomatoes vary in acidity and saltiness, it’s best to add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste just before serving. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, give it just three or four pulses in the food processor in step 4.

You might need to buy:
  • olive oil
  • dried oregano
  • chopped fresh basil leaves
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and ground black pepper