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PASTA WITH GORGONZOLA AND ARUGULA

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

THERE ARE PASTA sauces you can make in the time it takes the pasta-cooking water to come to a boil, and there are those that are really fast—those that can be made in the eight to ten minutes it takes to actually cook the pasta. This is one of the latter, one that boasts just a couple of main ingredients and a supporting cast of two staples.

2 tablespoons butter

¼ pound ripe Gorgonzola

6 ounces arugula

1 pound cut pasta, like ziti or farfalle

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta and salt it. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat; add the Gorgonzola and cook, stirring frequently, until the cheese melts. Keep warm while you cook the pasta.

2. Tear the arugula into bits, or cut it up with scissors—the pieces should not be too small. Cook the pasta until it is tender but not mushy. Remove and reserve a little of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and toss it with the arugula and the cheese mixture, adding a bit of the water if the mixture seems dry.

3. Taste and adjust the seasoning—the dish should take plenty of black pepper—and serve.

PASTA WITH ANCHOVIES AND ARUGULA

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

A QUICK WAY to add great flavor to many simple dinner dishes is already sitting in your pantry or cupboard: anchovies. Anchovies are among the original convenience foods and contribute an intense shot of complex brininess that is more like Parmigiano-Reggiano than like canned tuna. Use them, along with garlic, as the base for a bold tomato sauce or combine them, as I do here, with greens, garlic, oil, and chiles for a white sauce that packs a punch.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, slivered

8 anchovy fillets, or more to taste, with some of their oil

1 pound linguine or other long pasta

2 cups arugula, chopped

½ teaspoon or more hot red pepper flakes

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put half of the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. A minute later, add the garlic and the anchovies. When the garlic sizzles and the anchovies break up, turn the heat to the minimum.

2. Cook the pasta until it is tender but not mushy. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid and drain. Add the pasta and the arugula to the skillet, along with enough of the reserved cooking water to make a sauce; turn the heat to medium and stir for a minute. Add salt and black pepper to taste, plus a pinch or more of the hot pepper.

3. Turn into a bowl, toss with the remaining olive oil, and serve.

SPAGHETTI WITH ZUCCHINI

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

THIS DISH—which has zucchini as its focus—is simply amazing when made in midsummer with tender, crisp squash, but it isn’t half bad even when made in midwinter with a limp vegetable that’s traveled halfway around the world to get to your table. Either way, it is an unusual use for zucchini, which here substitutes for meat in a kind of vegetarian spaghetti carbonara, the rich pasta dish featuring eggs, bacon, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Made with zucchini instead of bacon, the dish becomes a little less fat-laden, obviously, but it is still rich and delicious.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 or 4 small zucchini (about 1 pound), sliced ⅛ to ¼ inch thick

2 eggs (see Note)

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or other long pasta

½ cup roughly chopped fresh mint, parsley, or basil

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put the olive oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the zucchini; cook, stirring only occasionally, until very tender and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with a little salt and a lot of pepper.

2. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and ½ cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano together. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until