Pasta Salad

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

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

"I run a salon, and I’m an instructor at a cooking school," writes Sandy Ercolano of Ridgewood, New Jersey. "It seems that I’m always in the kitchen. At home I cook meals and come up with recipes for my classes. Of course, my family eagerly tries anything I make." To turn this main-course salad into a side dish or vegetarian entrée, omit the shrimp.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 35 min

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. The pickles add crunch and tangy flavor to an old-time favorite.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Pan-roasting or toasting in a dry cast-iron skillet is a cooking technique used often in Mexican cuisine. We use it here to bring up the flavors of corn, onion, and pumpkin seeds. We created this salad as a main course, but it's also a terrific side dish. Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you have leftover cooked chicken or turkey on hand, use it instead of the shrimp.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min