Of all the unexpected East-meets-West flavor mash-ups found in Japanese cooking, one of my favorites is mentaiko pasta. Butter or cream, spaghetti and...spicy pickled fish roe? If you're brave enough to give it a try, this quick dish could be your newest weeknight dinner staple. More

It's hard to go wrong with ravioli, am I right? These little pasta pockets are meals in themselves, requiring only a little sauce and a plate on which to serve them. If you're in the mood to make your own, here some fun ideas to tempt your taste buds. More

KitchenAid Stand Mixer Pasta Extruder

• $152
• Amazon

We have an extensive review of this pasta press attachment for KitchenAid stand mixers in the archives. But I wanted to bring it up and feature it again during Pasta Week; it's just so fun to make fusilli, rigatoni, and all the other fancy shapes. This thing works like a dream, and it's fast, too. Great for making big batches and freezing them for later. More

Other than headlining a BLT or lying beside a pile of scrambled eggs, this may be our favorite use for bacon. It adds so much flavor to pasta, pairs well with so many vegetables (green peas, broccoli, butternut squash), and—if you chop it into pieces first—cooks in no time. More

Pasta is good all on its own, but sometimes we crave just a bit of meat with it. OK, maybe more than a bit — it's so easy to eat just one more tender, juicy meatball or add another scoop of rich ragù, chunks of slow-simmered beef or lamb falling to pieces in the sauce. If you're looking for a bit of meat with your pasta (or vice versa) here are 10 recipes to try: Five meaty sauces (duck, beef, lamb, and more) and five meatball recipes — each of them a winner, we promise. More

We love how, in a pinch, you can almost always turn to the kitchen for a solution. Even when it's not an edible fix, the kitchen holds all kinds of potential. Take this project for colorful pasta that can be used for small children as a sorting and counting game: More

Q: My mother in law brought back some chocolate pasta from a recent trip to Italy. I have no idea what to do with it.

Any suggestions?

Sent by Katie More

Think of all the classic comfort food pasta dishes and you'll see the same key players: butter, cream, and cheese. Which leaves our vegan friends out in the cold sans delicious pasta. This will not do! Herewith are 8 vegan-approved pasta dishes that will fill your belly and make you sigh with happiness. More

Gluten-free pasta doesn't have the best reputation in the world. In most cases, I'd rather cook with gluten-free Asian noodles than a way too chewy or mushy imitation of Italian-style pasta. But Jovial brown rice pasta promised "traditional Italian taste & texture," so I thought I'd give it a try… More

Earlier today we offered you 15 of our most popular pasta recipes. But now, let's talk about quick recipes. Not all pasta recipes are quick (hello, lasagna). On a busy weeknight, though, a quick pasta recipe is just the thing. What are your best quick recipes? Or, since these often can't even be called recipes, what are your best quick pasta templates and toppings? More