Easy dinner recipes: Three great pasta dishes that come together in 30 minutes or less

If you’re looking for a fast yet filling dish, pasta is always a great option. The noodles act as a blank canvas, ready to work with almost any flavor combinations you wish to add, whether rich sausage and broccoli, fresh herbs or a creamy sauce studded with bits of cheese. Or use these recipes as inspiration and create your own dish.

Pasta with Italian sausage and broccoli: This recipe, from Food editor Russ Parsons, is a simple combination of broccoli, fresh Italian sausage and dried pasta. Serve with a shaving of pecorino Romano.

Angel hair pasta with fresh shiso-herb mix: A wonderfully aromatic herb with a bit of a bite, shiso is part of the mint and basil family. For a bright and simple dish, pair shiso with fresh lemon zest, parsley, chives and basil and toss with angel hair pasta. Serve the dish on its own for a vegetarian option, or top with a grilled fillet of salmon or other fish.

Angelini Osteria’s tagliolini al limone: You’ll love the wonderful simplicity to this dish: Fresh basil and a touch of lemon are infused with a little heavy cream, which is cooked down just until it thickens, and is poured over pasta. Topped with fresh-grated Parmesan and fresh-cracked pepper, it makes for a remarkably easy but elegant meal.

ANGELINI OSTERIA’S TAGLIOLINI AL LIMONE

Total time: About 30 minutes | Serves 4

Note: Adapted from Angelini Osteria in Los Angeles.

1/2 pound tagliolini pasta
2 tablespoons butter
8 large basil leaves, julienned
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Fresh ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, garnish

1. Cook the pasta: In a large bowl of salted boiling water, add the pasta. Cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta.

2. While the pasta is cooking, start to make the sauce: In a medium saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the basil and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and continue to cook until the lemon juice is reduced by half. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream. Slowly cook the cream until it thickens to a sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Divide the pasta among 4 to 6 serving bowls and ladle the sauce evenly over the servings. Divide the cheese among the portions, sprinkling it evenly over the sauce, and top each serving with a few grinds of black pepper. Serve each portion with a lemon wedge on the side.

Each serving: 490 calories; 9 grams protein; 45 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 30 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 101 mg cholesterol; 2 grams sugar; 59 mg sodium.

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