Growing up my parents were great cooks. That said, I still had a serious soft spot for canned ravioli pasta. But since it's not exactly healthy, I'd consider a homemade version, especially this make-and-freeze mason jar version! More

I have been a carb lover since birth. My parents started calling me "starch baby" after discovering my knack for sneaking Wonder Bread from the pantry, and the nickname has continually proven true. I fell for Italian food—namely pasta—upon first bite and spent most of my formative years choosing between lasagna, chicken parmesan, or broccoli alfredo. More

To me, at this moment in time, hiyashi chuka just makes sense. Not only is the Japanese chilled noodle salad absolutely refreshing – a must during these sweltering days of summer – but it also features the sweetest, crispest vegetables available at the market right now: tomatoes, corn, cucumbers. Plus a light and tangy sauce that takes no time to whip up. More

Among the other flamboyantly garnished and highly aromatic plates being handed around the table, this one seemed rather plain jane. An unassuming bowl of slippery noodles sprinkled with what looked like crispy pork and crushed peanuts? But one bite was all it took: it was love at first spicy-tangy-sweet forkful. More

A package of instant ramen is perhaps the biggest cliché item in the solo cook's cupboard. It often symbolizes depression or extreme indifference, the meal one cooks when one has hit rock bottom. Of course, none of this is necessarily true. Ramen can be delicious and good for you as well as a quick, fun thing to make. Read on for a review of the three ways a single diner can approach instant ramen. More

While it's great to buy specialty products in-person from the maker, sometimes it's just not possible. (We don't all live near a food or farmer's market.) So to appreciate the full scale and variety of today's artisanal offerings, you have to go online. These nine marketplaces have you covered: More

I am a self-declared pasta junkie (make that Italian food junkie), but have tendency to forget all about it during the warmer weather months. I often delegate these coveted carbs to fall and winter, when I am craving a hearty lasagna or a rich bolognese. I recently had an Aha! moment when I realized that fresh summer vegetables are just begging to be paired with pastas of all kinds—and not just in the obvious pasta salad. I know I am probably the last person to think of this, but surely better late than never. More

I spent last week on the coast of Northern California, splitting the time between Marin County north of San Francisco, and Big Sur to the south. We drove north to south in the middle of the week, through golden hills and irrigated rows of green. Suddenly, with fields all around, I sniffed. Had I forgot to wash my hands after last night's garlicky pasta dinner? No — even that wouldn't give off this garlic pungence, this scent of a thousand garlic cloves minced and oily. Welcome to Gilroy, California, the capital of garlic. Here, in honor of Gilroy, for all you garlic-lovers, is a pasta salad with not one, not two, but three whole heads of garlic. More

Pasta salad can mean a lot of things to a lot of people; down South, we've certainly made "macaroni salad" our own. Heirloom recipes sometimes include onions, celery, hard boiled eggs, pickles, or sweet relish, and you can always count on a heaping dollop of, but what else? Mayonnaise, of course! More

What is a summer picnic without its side salads? This one is particularly well-suited to the potluck table. The bright green pasta beckons from across the lawn, and the pungent flavors of olives and crumbly feta make an irresistible companion to grilled chicken and grilled fish. Yup, this salad is destined for picnic glory. More