Linguine fini pasta is a thinner form of standard linguine.

A Pound Of Linguine Fini Pasta
Four Large Fresh Jalapeno Peppers (Cored And Seeded)
A Tablespoon Of Finely Chopped Red Onion
A Minced Garlic Clove
1/2 Cup And A Tablespoon Of Olive Oil, Divided
1/4 Cup Of Sliced Almonds
1/4 Teaspoon And 1/8 Teaspoon Of Sea Salt, Divided
A Pound Of Fresh Broccoli Florets
1/2 Cup Of Panko Breadcrumbs

Combine the jalapeno peppers, the red onion, the garlic, the almonds, 1/2 cup of olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Taste and add more sea salt, if desired.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Toss the breadcrumbs with a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt. Spread the breadcrumbs out on a baking sheet. Bake the breadcrumbs in the oven for fifteen minutes until golden brown.

Cook the pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water according to the package instructions. Add the broccoli florets during the last five minutes of cooking time. Before draining the pasta and the broccoli, reserve one cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and broccoli well in a colander.

Put the pasta and the broccoli in a large bowl. Add the jalapeno pesto and the pasta cooking water. Mix well. If the pasta appears a little dry, add some olive oil and mix again. Top the pasta with the toasted breadcrumbs and serve.

Traditional spinach ricotta ravioli filling is used as the sauce in this recipe for farfalle pasta.

1 And 1/2 Pounds Of Farfalle Pasta
A Pound Of Washed Fresh Spinach
A Minced Garlic Clove
A Tablespoon Of Finely Chopped Scallions
15 Ounces Of Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Of Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
1/2 Cup Of Crumbled Feta Cheese
A Pinch Of Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon Of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/8 Teaspoon Of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Of Sea Salt

Steam the spinach in about an inch of water in a covered pot for two minutes on high heat. Drain the spinach and squeeze out as much water as possible. Finely chop the spinach in a food processor.

In a bowl large enough to hold one and one half pounds of pasta, add the chopped spinach, the ricotta cheese, the Romano cheese, the feta cheese, the garlic, the scallions, the nutmeg, the crushed red pepper flakes, the black pepper and the sea salt. Mix well until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Taste and add more sea salt and/or pepper, if desired.

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions in a pot of boiling, salted water. Reserve one cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta in a colander.

Add the pasta water to the ricotta spinach mixture and mix well. Add the drained pasta to the bowl. Mix well so that all of the pasta gets coated with the sauce. Serve with grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

15 Ounces Of Part Skim Ricotta Cheese (Drained In A Coffee Filter Overnight To Remove Excess Water)
Two Cups Of All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Two Eggs
1/4 Teaspoon Of Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Of Sea Salt
A Pinch Of Ground Black Pepper
A Tablespoon Of Finely Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
A Tablespoon Of Finely Chopped Fresh Basil

Spread the flour on a clean, dry work surface. Place the ricotta cheese on top of the flour. Add the eggs, the parmesan cheese, the nutmeg, the sea salt, the black pepper, the parsley and the basil. Dust your hands with flour and the use your hands to gather the ingredients together. Gently knead the dough into a 10 by 8-inch log. The dough should be elastic and a litttle sticky. Let the dough rest for at least ten minutes.

Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with all-purpose flour. Cut the log into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a one inch thick rope. Cut each rope into 3/4 inch wide gnocchi.

Store the gnocchi on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper in the refrigerator if you are going to cook the gnocchi that day. If not, place the baking sheet in the freezer. When the gnocchi is frozen, you can remove the gnocchi and place them in a plastic storage bag. Freeze until you are ready to cook. Place the frozen gnocchi directly into salted, boiling water and cook until the gnocchi float to the top.

I served these delicate, fluffy pillows of pasta with marinara sauce and grated cheese.

Three Russet Potatoes
Approximately One Cup Of All-Purpose Flour
A Beaten Egg
1/2 Teaspoon Of Sea Salt, Divided
A Pinch Of Ground Nutmeg
A Pinch Of Ground Black Pepper
Two Teaspoons Of Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Rub the potatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle them with 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt and the ground black pepper. Bake the potatoes in the preheated oven for one hour and fifteen minutes.

Peel the potatoes when they are lukewarm amd mash them well with a fork.

Place the mashed potatoes in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the potatoes and sprinkle the potaotes with 3/4 cup of the flour. Mix the beaten egg with the nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Place the egg in the center of the well. Using a spatula, stir and fold the egg into the potatoes and the flour. This will produce a light crumble.

Once the egg is mixed in, use your hands to gently knead the dough into a ball. Add more flour, a little at a time, until the dough has the consistency of Play-doh.

Using a floured rolling pin on a clean surface that has been sprinkled with flour, flatten the dough to about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into one inch strips. Roll the strips into logs about 3/4 inch in diameter.

Cut each log into about one inch long pieces. Using a fork, lightly press the gnocchi with the back of the fork while pinching the ends to create ridges. These ridges will hold the sauce after they have been cooked.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place the gnocchi on the pan. Cover the gnocchi with plastic wrap. Freeze the gnocchi until they are rock hard. Now you can place the gnocchi in a plastic bag and freeze them for future use.

Cook the gnocchi in a pot of boiling, salted water until they float to the top of the pot. Serve with butter, pesto sauce, or a tomato sauce.

This dish is Italian comfort food at its best.

One Pound Of Large Pasta Shells
A Russet Potato Peeled And Diced Into About ½ Inch Wide Cubes
¼ Cup Of Cubed Pancetta
¼ Cup Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ Cup Of Chopped Italian Parsley
¼ Cup Of Finely Chopped Onion
12 Ounces Of Hand Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes
A Minced Garlic Clove
A Tablespoon Of Finely Chopped Celery
½ Teaspoon Of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
¾ Teaspoon Of Sea Salt

Combine the pancetta and the olive oil in a large pot. Cook on low heat until the pancetta becomes crispy. Add the potatoes and cook on medium low heat stirring frequently for three minutes. Add the onion, the tomatoes, the celery, the garlic, the sea salt, and the red pepper flakes. Continue to cook on medium low heat while stirring frequently until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Taste and add more sea salt and/or red pepper flakes, if desired.

In the meantime, cook the shells in a pot of boiling, salted water according to the package instructions. Before draining the pasta, remove one cup of the pasta cooking water and set it aside.

Drain the pasta well in a colander when cooked al dente (tender but still firm to the bite). Add the cooked pasta and the pasta water to the pot with the potatoes, tomatoes, and the olive oil. Cook on medium heat while stirring for two minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and then coats all of the shells. Add the chopped parsley and mix well. Serve with grated cheese.

A Pound Of Orecchiette Pasta
A Pound Of Broccoli Rabe Leaves And Florets (With The Thick Stems Removed And Rinsed In Cold Water)
¼ Cup Of Roasted Walnuts (Note: Roast In A Pie Pan In A Preheated 300 Degree Oven For 10 Minutes)
The Juice Of A Lemon
A Tablespoon Of Anchovy Paste
Three Minced Garlic Cloves
¾ Cup Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A Teaspoon Of Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
A Pinch Of Ground Black Pepper

Combine the minced garlic and the sea salt in a mixing bowl (which is large enough to hold the pasta and the broccoli rabe). Mash the garlic and the sea salt with a fork to form a paste. Add the anchovy paste, the crushed red pepper flakes, and the black pepper. Mash again. Add the lemon juice. Whisk until it is combined well with the other ingredients. Continue to whisk while slowly drizzling in the olive oil. Whisk until the dressing is well blended and thickened slightly. Taste and add more pepper and/or sea salt, if desired.

In the meantime, cook the pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water according to the package instructions. Add the broccoli rabe during the last five minutes of cooking time. Drain the pasta and the broccoli rabe well in a colander.

While the pasta and the broccoli rabe are both still hot, add them to the bowl with the dressing. Mix well so that the dressing evenly coats the orecchiette and the broccoli rabe. If the pasta appears a little dry, add some more extra virgin olive oil and mix it through. Garnish the top of this pasta dish with the roasted walnuts and serve it with grated cheese.

A Pound Of Cavatelli Pasta (Can Usually Be Found In Your Grocery Store’s Frozen Food Section)
¾ Cup Of Frozen Peas (Thawed)
Two Beaten Eggs
¾ Cup Of Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
A Minced Garlic Clove
A Tablespoon Of Finely Chopped Red Onion
¼ Cup Of Cubed Pancetta
A Tablespoon Of Olive Oil
¼ Teaspoon Of Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
A Tablespoon Of Finely Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley

Combine the beaten eggs, the grated cheese, the sea salt, and the black pepper in a mixing bowl (large enough to hold the cavatelli pasta and the peas). Whisk until well blended. Set the mixture aside.

Add the olive oil and the pancetta to a 12-14 inch non-stick skillet. Cook the pancetta on low heat until it is crispy. Add the onion and the garlic. Stir well. Keep the pan on low heat stirring occasionally while you cook the pasta.

Cook the cavatelli in a pot of salted, boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta well in a colander.

Place the cooked pasta into the pan with the pancetta, the onion, and the garlic. Stir well so that the pasta gets coated with these ingredients.

Dump the pasta into the mixing bowl with the egg and cheese mixture. Begin stirring right away. You will need to work fast so the eggs do not get scrambled. The heat of the pasta will cook the eggs resulting in a smooth, creamy sauce. Stir well for about one minute and then add the peas and the parsley. Give the pasta one final stir. At this point, you can add more black pepper and/or grated cheese, if desired. Serve while hot.

This dish can be made ahead, refrigerated, and baked for a meal at any time thereafter.

13 Manicotti Pasta Shells
6 Cups Of Your Favorite Marinara Sauce (Or You Can Make My Recipe Published On 10/2/10)
32 Ounces Of Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
A Beaten Egg
A Tablespoon Of Finely Chopped Fresh Basil
A Tablespoon Of Finely Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
Three Tablespoons Of Grated Romano Cheese
A Pinch Of Sea Salt
A Pinch Of Ground Black Pepper

Combine the ricotta cheese, the egg, the parsley, the basil, half of the grated cheese, the sea salt, and the black pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Put the cheese mixture into the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Cook the manicotti shells in a pot of salted, boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the shells and spread them out on a cutting board. Let the shells cool for at least 30 minutes.

Spread half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish (large enough to hold 13 filled manicotti shells). Using a small spoon, fill a manicotti shell completely with the ricotta cheese mixture. Place the filled shell on top of the marinara sauce in the baking dish. Continue this process until all of the shells are filled and placed side by side in the baking dish. Evenly cover the filled manicotti shells with the remaining marinara sauce. Sprinkle the top of the shells with the remaining grated cheese. Place aluminum foil over the baking dish.

When you are ready to cook the manicotti, bake in a preheated oven set at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let the baked manicotti shells sit at room temperature for ten minutes before serving.