PASTA

Pasta with White Clam Sauce

Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Cook according to directions.

In a large, straight-sided skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and cook until sizzling, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add anchovies and stir until the anchovies break up and dissolve into the oil, about 2 minutes.

Add the clams to the skillet, along with chile flakes and oregano. Ladle in about 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until clams open, about 5 to 7 minutes. As the clams open, remove to a bowl. When all the clams are out, increase heat to high and add ½ cup of the parsley. Cook until liquid is reduced by half. Meanwhile, shuck the clams. Leave a few unshucked for garnish, as you like.

Add the pasta directly to the sauce. Cook and toss until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Add shucked clams and remaining ¼ cup chopped parsley, cook a minute more to blend the flavors and serve. — John Ash

Makes 4 to 6 servings 1 pound long spaghetti, such as linguine 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 4-6 anchovies 36 littleneck clams, scrubbed ¼ teaspoon red chile flakes, or to your taste ½ teaspoon dried oregano ¾ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Pasta with Pea Shoot Pesto,

Prosciutto and Mushrooms

Get a large pot of water boiling; salt the water to just less than sea water saltiness.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, add the olive oil, shallots and mushrooms and saute over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add white wine before shallots begin to brown. After the white wine has reduced down to almost dry, add the 1 cup of water and the prosciutto and reduce again to almost dry. Then add peas and set pan aside, off the heat.

Boil the pasta according to the package directions. About 1 to 2 minutes before the pasta is ready, place the pan back on the stove, add a few tablespoons of the pasta water and bring to a boil. Turn off flame and add the Pea Shoot Pesto. Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon to incorporate the pesto with the water and veggies.

Drain the cooked pasta. Add the pasta into the pan with the pesto, toss with sauce and half the Parmesan. Place in a large bowl and garnish with the remainder of the Parmesan and top with pea sprouts. Serve immediately.

— Ari Rosen

Makes 4 servings 1 pound tagliolini or linguine 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons shallots, diced 1 cup morel mushrooms (or mushrooms of your choice) 1/4 cup white wine 1 cup water 4 slices prosciutto, finely diced 1/2 cup English peas, shucked and blanched (if they are small and tender, put in raw) 1/2 cup Pea Shoot Pesto (recipe adjacent) 1/2-3/4cup Parmesan cheese 1 cup pea sprouts, for garnish

Pea Shoot Pesto

Put pea shoots, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan and a small amount of the olive oil into a food processor or Vitamix. Pulse until coarsely ground, then add remaining olive oil and lemon juice while running, then salt, to taste. You want a coarsely ground product, so do not puree for too long.

Makes 11/2 cups 3 cups pea shoots 2 cloves peeled garlic 3/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice — Pinch of salt, to taste

Ricotta Gnudi

For gnudi: Put a large pot of water over high heat. Season it with salt until it tastes like the sea. In a medium mixing bowl, place ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, one whole egg, one egg yolk, zest of one lemon chopped fine, pinch of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and the chives. Mix well. Add the flour, little by little. You might not need the entire ½ cup. Do not overmix once the flour is in. Place about a cup of semolina in a second mixing bowl. Using a cookie scooper, scoop the gnudi dough into the semolina. Roll each scoop with your hands to form balls. Once all the gnudi is formed, drop them into the boiling water. They should take about 4 minutes to cook.

For sauce: In a large saute pan, place 2 ounces butter, squash and sage over medium-high heat. Cook until butter turns a brownish color and smells nutty. Remove sage from pan.

To finish: When the pasta is cooked, add it to the pan with ¼ cup of the pasta water. Season with salt (if needed) and juice of one lemon. Toss the arugula through at the very end. Plate it and garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh crushed pepper.

— Shane McAnelly

Makes 2 to 4 servings

For gnudi

1 16-ounce container of ricotta ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano plus a little more for garnish 2 eggs (1 whole and 1 separated) 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 pinch nutmeg (freshly grated if you have whole) 1 teaspoon salt 1 bunch chives, chopped fine ½ cup flour (may take a little more depending on the moisture level of the ricotta) 1 cup semolina flour, for dusting

For sauce

2 ounces butter ½ cup butternut squash, diced and roasted 1 sprig sage 1 lemon, juiced — Kosher salt, to taste 1 cup arugula — Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

BLT Pasta

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, and save a small amount of pasta water.

Start the olive oil and garlic in a cold pan, then cook just until the garlic blooms and you can smell it, barely a minute.

Add tomatoes and pancetta and cook for 1 minute. Add the hot pasta into the pan and mix. Add 2 tablespoons of the pasta water (or water or wine) and a pinch of salt. Throw in the spinach and cook for 30 seconds, until wilted. Add in half the cheese and stir. Serve into bowls, top with the rest of the cheese and finish with olive oil. — Josh Silvers

Makes 2 servings 6 ounces dried bow-tie pasta ½ tablespoon olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 3 ounces pancetta, cut into lardons, cooked and drained — Pinch of salt 2 cups baby spinach 1 ounce Parmesan, grated — Extra-virgin olive oil, to finish

BETH SCHLANKER

Spaghetti Marco Polo

Mix the first eight ingredients together with a little olive oil in a bowl, and set aside. Season well with salt and pepper. Spoon walnut mixture over cooked spaghetti, and toss. Top with cheese, and serve. — John Ash

PAIRING SUGGESTION FOR PASTAS: Italian pastas, which include all those in this chapter, often are linked to red wines. These dishes use tomatoes, mushrooms and cured meats like pancetta, and red wines offer enough acidity to balance with those rich flavors. Chianti (mostly sangiovese), with its floral scent and deep savory flavor, is a great match to all these ingredients. The Gnudi and White Clam Sauce recipes are an exception. For these, choose one of the little-known but delicious Italian white grape varieties like Fiano, pecorino, verdicchio or Garganega. This is a chance to expand your Italian wine horizons. Pinot grigio (pinot gris) also would be a good choice and is deliciously produced in California and Oregon.

Makes 4 to 6 servings 1¼ cups chopped walnuts 2/3 cup chopped, black olives such as Cerignola 2/3 cup chopped, roasted and peeled red pepper 1/3 cup chopped parsley 1 tablespoon chopped chives ¼ cup golden raisins 2 tablespoons capers 2/3 cup small cherry tomatoes, whole or cut as you please — Olive oil — Salt and pepper, to taste 1 pound of spaghetti, cooked 1 cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese