718 pasti recipes

Homemade fried elephant ears: sour-cream and buttermilk dough rolled thin, slit, fried golden, then tumbled in cinnamon sugar. State fair pastry made in your own kitchen.

Middle Eastern halvah cake made with tahini, semolina, and warm spices, soaked in a citrusy orange-lemon syrup. Dense, fragrant, and not overly sweet.

A bright Italian-style vegetable sauce with three sweet bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, and garlic, simmered in stock and tossed with pasta. Vegetarian, low-fat, ready in about 30 minutes.

Light and fast, this is great for surprise guests.

Tiny cinnamon rolls made from crescent roll dough with cinnamon sugar filling and vanilla glaze. A 25-minute shortcut that bakes up bite-sized and tender.

Pantry pasta puttanesca: quick tuna, anchovy, and olive pasta in low-fat tomato sauce. Low-fat, 20-minute weeknight dinner built entirely from pantry staples. Neapolitan attitude, no trip to the store.

Old-fashioned chocolate cake doughnuts made with buttermilk, melted chocolate, and a pinch of ginger, then deep-fried until crisp outside and tender within.

Whole wheat pie crust made with a blend of whole wheat and white flour for a nutty, flaky pastry. A simple 5-ingredient dough that works for both filled pies and blind-baked shells.

Holiday crescent rolls filled with chopped cranberries, orange zest, ginger, and cracker crumbs. A quick, festive appetizer or snack using store-bought crescent dough.

Schneiderflecklesuppe is a German tailor's square soup featuring handmade pasta squares rolled paper-thin and simmered in rich beef broth. A rustic, soul-warming classic from the old country.

Applesauce-raisin doughnuts made quick with a baking mix: spiced cake doughnut dough with applesauce and raisins, fried golden and tossed in cinnamon sugar. Warm, moist and easy fall doughnuts.

Ossi di Morti (Bones of the Dead) Italian cookies flavored with cinnamon and clove oil, baked hard and meant to be dunked in coffee or tea. A traditional Italian All Souls Day treat.

Quick cinnamon rolls using refrigerated biscuit dough filled with brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon. Ready in 40 minutes with simple powdered sugar glaze.

Japanese noodle soup with shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, red pepper, and rice noodles in a hot sesame broth, finished with ginger, brown rice vinegar, and roasted cashews. A vegetarian, low-fat Asian soup ready in 45 minutes.

Easy, spicy-hot cold noodles for summer -- This recipe is an easy prepare-ahead dish for a hot summer day. It makes a good barbecue side dish for all of us who are tired of potato salads.

Light shrimp spaghetti in a white wine and tomato sauce with garlic, basil, and oregano. Low-fat weeknight pasta with bright, clean flavors.