Pasta by the Season

OK, I ask you, who doesn't love pasta? And for good reason: pasta is, quite simply, the perfect window just waiting to be dressed for a simply delicious midweek family supper or a leisurely Saturday night company's-coming dinner.

And pasta is as good for you as it is delicious. Given the current buzz around carbohydrates, you may wonder about pasta. Enjoyed as part of a balanced diet that includes vegetables and fruits, meat and alternatives and milk products, enriched pasta provides excellent fuel for your brain, muscles and other body tissues. Choose from among the increasingly available range of whole grain pasta for additional fibre, vitamins and minerals.

That's why we're delighted to offer this collection of our favourite pasta recipes, from family classics to exciting new ideas. We've organized our recipes according to the seasons to take delicious advantage of nature's bounty and each season's mood. Spring features all those yearned-for vegetables — asparagus, spinach, peas and herbs — and the fresh sense of the season's new beginnings. Summer pasta recipes take on the accents of hot weather — salads and quick pasta bowls with herbs and fresh vegetables — the kind of pasta supper that takes longer to cook the penne or linguine than to toss the sauce. Fall rolls out robust tastes of the harvest, such as tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and squash, and sauces that include hearty chicken, meat and seafood. The winter chapter includes a fabulous selection of warming soups plus lasagnas and baked pasta dishes — the al fornos of the food world and perfect for sharing with family and friends. And, of course, each recipe includes a nutritional analysis.

In addition to the very best pasta recipes, you'll also find a pasta primer with all the information you need to succeed with pasta: the right shapes for sauces, amounts and cooking tips — plus two step-by-step illustrated recipes for fresh pasta and gnocchi.

Pasta no aspeta — pasta doesn't wait — is an Italian saying that signals to the family that the pasta's ready to enjoy. Right now. And that's what we want you to do with Canadian Living Pasta by the Season.

— Elizabeth Baird

Pasta by the Season: Table of Contents

1. Pasta basics
Tips, techniques and basic recipes show just how easy it is to make perfect pasta

2. Spring
Early season vegetables are perfect pasta partners in tosses, sauces and soups.

3. Summer
Beat the heat with quick pasta dishes and cool summer pasta salads.

4. Autumn
Hearty bakes and comforting casseroles combine pasta with the best of the harvest's bounty.

5. Winter
Warm and robust dishes starring pasta are guaranteed to chase away any winter chills.

6. Recipe index

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