Vegetarian

Nothing is better than homemade pesto. This simple sauce highlights basil's cool flavor and bright color, and it's so easy to make. Spinach-Basil pesto brings life to a mixture of pasta, beans and corn. Just be sure to blanch your greens to keep the pesto from turning dark and dull. The problem with green pestos is that when tossed with hot pasta, their color can go from vibrant to murky in seconds. So keep your pesto bright by blanching the greens briefly in boiling water, and then 'shocking; them in ice water.

Pappardelle [pah-pahr-DEHL-lay] is long, wide (5/8 inch) pasta often found in Italian markets. Fettuccine is a fine substitute.

It's the possibilities in that blank crust that make pizza so much fun. Lately, we've been obsessed with white pizza. Brush the dough with olive oil, sprinkle with mozzarella, and then let the fun begin. Without the acidity of the tomato sauce to contend with, you can really experiment. In this version, asparagus adds freshness and a hit of color, goat cheese brings a creamy tang, and fingerling potatoes (yes, potatoes) round out the pie with their richness.

This healthy main is cooked completely on the grill and is flavored by a simple, four-ingredient marinade—so there's very little cleanup required. Some grilled rustic bread would be nice alongside. And if you happen to have fig balsamic vinegar, use it in place of regular. It makes an excellent complement to the other flavors.

Even though asparagus spears are in markets many months of the year, they're best freshly harvested from local farms. The green spears are the shoots of a perennial lily bulb. When the soil is warm enough the spears shoot up through the surface and head straight for the sun. They grow fast, and are ready to eat, long and thick, just a day after they break through the dirt. For a springtime pasta that stars asparagus, slice thick spears on a diagonal.

You can use any vinegar for this recipe. Make sure it's good quality because there's no oil to offset it. Seasoned rice wine vinegar, used in Asian cooking, tastes great with the carrots.

The cooking method here is similar to pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and simmer the rice for exactly 10 minutes. The rice doesn't absorb the water; the extra liquid helps the grains stay separate for this salad. A squeezed lemon half (including the rind) in the water helps keep the grains white.

A sweet-and-salty miso glaze turns tofu into little bites of comfort food, traditionally served on skewers. Active Time: 15 min Total Time: 15 min

This is not the greasy Lo Mein of your favorite Chinese take-out, it tastes even better. Plus you get plenty of nutrients with the addition of edamame, a great vegetarian protein source. Make it a Meal: Fruit sorbet and sesame cookies are a perfect ending.