Macaroni

(PASTA PICCANTE CON POMODORI E RUCOLA) Fresh-tasting, easy to make and perfect for weekday entertaining.

For those who prefer macaroni and cheese with a greater ratio of crunchy topping to creamy center, we suggest dividing the macaroni and cheese between two 3-quart shallow baking dishes and doubling the topping recipe, dividing it between the baking dishes.

Ripe tomatoes, basil and fresh corn enhance a terrific side dish.

Clearly this is an Italian soup. Biete is Swiss chard, usually green, although I have a fondness for the drama and beefy taste of the red-stemmed kind.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Soupe au Pistou During Marion Cunningham’s last visit with Richard Olney, he made a version of this recipe, which comes from Simple French Food. As he made it, he told her that he thought the trick to cooking is tasting — in the case of the soup that day, adding the right amount of salt and pepper, then cheese, then a little olive oil, and finally some macaroni. After making the soup in our own kitchens, following the recipe from the book (it's highly adaptable to seasonal produce or the contents of your larder), we can understand why this recipe is so loved among Olney’s fans.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

When preparing the following pastas in advance (up to six hours), keep them covered and chilled and then let them come to room temperature before baking.

We make half of this mac 'n' cheese plain, for kids, and into the other half we stir some chipotle chiles to give it a grown-up kick. Any tubular pasta will do, but we like to use cavatappi, a ridged, spiral macaroni that lends the dish a particularly festive air.

An interesting mix of spices lends wonderful flavor to this simple pasta dish — known as pastitsada — from Tavern Tripa.

Stuart Faber of Los Angeles, California, writes: "When I'm not in my law office, I fly my own plane and write for In Flight USA, a magazine for private pilots. One of my favorite things to do when landing someplace new is to find a restaurant and ask if I can work for free. I've found some of my best recipes this way. Usually the chefs will let me hang out for a few days and help, but some do look at me a little strangely." A dressed-up version of a dinnertime classic.

For a thicker, more traditional soup, replace all the green peas with a half cup of drained canned white beans.

A robust mix of white beans and macaroni in a light tomato sauce, ready to serve in under 30 minutes.

"My husband and I just returned from a trip to Italy," writes Kim Riemann of North Brunswick, New Jersey. "Of all the great meals we had there, a few stand out in my memory. One was at Buca Mario in Florence. The rosemary-scented bean soup was unforgettable." Serve this with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Add a glass of rosé and some crusty Italian bread to make a perfect summer lunch.