Spaghetti

Serves 6 If you want a delicious, creamy Bolognese sauce on a weeknight, you probably don't have time to simmer it the traditional way - slowly in milk, which tenderizes and flavors the meat. One quick way is to use evaporated milk for a long-simmered flavor and depth after only 10 minutes. Start with ground beef that is no more than 85 percent lean; the extra fat means moist meat. Use plenty of garlic, thyme, and olive oil. Once the meat browns, stir in canned tomatoes and the evaporated milk and simmer the sauce while the spaghetti boils.

Serves 4 You need a pan large enough to toss the cauliflower and spaghetti together. Salt and black pepper, to taste 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets ¼ cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon fennel seeds ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper Grated rind and juice of 1 navel orange ...

Serves 4 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cups leftover spaghetti 7 eggs Salt and pepper, to taste 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese (for serving) 1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. 2. In a large nonstick skillet with a heatproof handle, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

The town's TRIAD program, which promotes senior citizen safety, will hold its annual fund-raising spaghetti dinner April 30 at Holy Cross Parish Center on Purchase Street. The dinner, from 4:15 to 7 p.m., helps fund the cooperative program of the Easton police, Bristol County Sheriff's Department, and the town's seniors. Tickets for the lasagna and spaghetti meal are $10 and are available at the door or by calling 508-238-3160. The Brockton High School Junior Jazz Band will perform.

Serves 4 Most people eat arugula greens (also known as rocket), which have a lemon-pepper flavor, in a salad. But this leafy vegetable is also wonderful in a pesto or to dress up a pizza or pasta. Buy it by the bunch, remove the stems, and thoroughly rinse the leaves, which can be quite sandy, in cool water. To make this pasta, cook spaghetti, and while it bubbles, saute red onion, garlic, and lime rind in olive oil, then add the spaghetti to the pan. Toss with lime juice, a dash of cayenne, chopped basil, and a few cups of arugula.

SHOPPING LIST (For spaghetti and meatballs, spaghetti frittata) ¾ pound ground beef ½ pound ground pork 9 eggs 1 cup grated pecorino Romano 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan 4 ounces fresh mozzarella 4 scallions 4 ounces (4 cups) spinach leaves ¼ small onion ½ bunch fresh parsley 1 clove garlic Salt and pepper ¼ cup olive oil 1½ pounds spaghetti 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes 1 slice sandwich bread

Serves 2 Salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 pound spaghetti 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut up 25 fresh sage leaves 1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring, until the water returns to a boil. Let the water bubble gently, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes or the spaghetti is tender but still has some bite.

Serves 4 If dining on spaghetti with clams along Italy's Amalfi coast is not within reach, try making it on a frigid winter night. The traditional recipe calls for Mediterranean veraci clams, which are small, striped bivalves similar to the New Zealand cockles or manila clams available now in many fish markets. Steam the cockles or clams open in a garlicky white wine sauce, cook the spaghetti separately, and toss them together. Your home may not feel as glamorous as the Italian coastline, but within minutes you can still enjoy salty clams in a classic sauce.

Serves 4, with leftovers 2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp in their shells, rinsed Salt and pepper, to taste 3 cups water 1 pound spaghetti 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 large shallots, chopped 1 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed,...

If you're cooking for a marathon crowd, you are probably planning a carbohydrate-dense meal. To give runners a protein boost as well, toss spaghetti with beefy meatballs shaped with pork for extra flavor. When you form them, handle the meat with a light touch so that the balls will not compact into tough rounds. One large can of whole peeled tomatoes yields a chunky sauce that cooks right in the pan with the meatballs. In most households, leftover spaghetti is an easy sell, and even more appealing cooked in a frittata.

At Scampo, chef Lydia Shire has created a spectacular dish she calls spaghetti with  cracklings and hot pepper. Shire uses slivered, pickled red cherry peppers and, in a miracle of physics, tiny feather-light cubes of house-made pork cracklings that tangle in the pasta as you twirl your fork. Scampo also serves an excellent traditional version of spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, parsley, and Parmesan.   — Ike Delorenzo SCAMPO > 215 Charles Street, Boston, 617-536-2100, scampoboston.com

Serves 4 8eggs¼cup chopped fresh parsleySalt and pepper, to taste2tablespoon olive oil4scallions, finely sliced4ounces (4 cups) spinach leaves, stemmed 2cups cooked spaghetti or spaghetti and sauce4ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ½-inch cubes½cup grated Pecorino Romano 1. Set an oven rack 6 inches below the broiler element. Turn on the broiler. Have on hand a 9-inch skillet with a heatproof handle. 2. In a bowl, beat the egg, parsley, salt, and pepper. 3. In the skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, swirling it around the bottom and up the sides.

Flo Allen-Hopson frequently sets her alarm clock for 2 a.m. when she is training for the Boston Marathon. Long before sunrise, she eats a bowl of oatmeal with a banana and drinks water so she will be ready to head out by 5 a.m. Her longest runs will go 17 to 18 miles. This kind of dedication has propelled Allen-Hopson, 57, through two Boston Marathons. She plans to finish her third consecutive race next week. Allen-Hopson is best known as a spirited and often-televised fan at son Ray Allen's Boston Celtics games.

SHOPPING LIST (For spaghetti and meatballs, spaghetti frittata) ¾ pound ground beef ½ pound ground pork 9 eggs 1 cup grated pecorino Romano 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan 4 ounces fresh mozzarella 4 scallions 4 ounces (4 cups) spinach leaves ¼ small onion ½ bunch fresh parsley 1 clove garlic Salt and pepper ¼ cup olive oil 1½ pounds spaghetti 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes 1 slice sandwich bread

Serves 4 3tablespoons olive oil1small onion, chopped1pound ground chicken¾pound Italian turkey sausage, removed from its casingSalt and pepper, to taste1clove garlic, crushed16ounces thin whole-wheat spaghetti1jar (24 ounces) tomato sauce2tablespoons chopped fresh basil (for garnish) 1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cook the onion, stirring often, for 8 minutes. Add the ground chicken, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 8 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and the juices evaporate.

If you're cooking for a marathon crowd, you are probably planning a carbohydrate-dense meal. To give runners a protein boost as well, toss spaghetti with beefy meatballs shaped with pork for extra flavor. When you form them, handle the meat with a light touch so that the balls will not compact into tough rounds. One large can of whole peeled tomatoes yields a chunky sauce that cooks right in the pan with the meatballs. In most households, leftover spaghetti is an easy sell, and even more appealing cooked in a frittata.

At Scampo, chef Lydia Shire has created a spectacular dish she calls spaghetti with  cracklings and hot pepper. Shire uses slivered, pickled red cherry peppers and, in a miracle of physics, tiny feather-light cubes of house-made pork cracklings that tangle in the pasta as you twirl your fork. Scampo also serves an excellent traditional version of spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, parsley, and Parmesan.   — Ike Delorenzo SCAMPO > 215 Charles Street, Boston, 617-536-2100, scampoboston.com

NEW YORK -- It's fair to say I judge Italian restaurants on how closely they resemble my grandmother's house on Christmas. As a child, I loved joining the extended Campagna clan around three big tables, winding through the first floor of Granny's home, so 35 of us could feast together. The dining room was noisy, the platters of shrimp scampi and spaghetti aglio olio were piping hot, the portions huge. Turns out, Carmine's in New York City was just the right place for a group of 17 friends to eat together and enjoy each other's company.

Serves 4 with leftovers 1can (28-ounces) whole peeled tomatoes1slice sandwich bread, crusts removed, bread torn 1egg⅓cup grated pecorino Romano¼small onion, finely chopped 2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley½teaspoon salt, or to tasteBlack pepper, to taste¾pound ground beef½pound ground pork2tablespoons olive oil1clove garlic, finely chopped1½pounds spaghetti1cup freshly grated Parmesan (for serving) 1. In a bowl, crush the tomatoes with your hands. 2. In a food processor, pulse the bread into coarse crumbs.

Serves 2 The quality of the ingredients is key here. Use fresh garlic that still feels firm and top-quality olive oil. If your crushed red pepper has been open a while and turned a dull maroon, the flavor too has faded. Time to buy a new jar of bright red ones. This recipe comes from Marcella Hazan's book, "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. " If you double the recipe, you need a 14-inch skillet or wok.  Salt, to taste  1/2  pound durum semolina spaghetti  3  tablespoons good olive oil  2  cloves garlic, chopped finely  1/4...