While in London my friend Anna Jones gave me a copy of the terrific new book she worked on - this broccoli-basil crusted mac and cheese immediately caught my attention.

An off-beat pasta salad made with stuffed pasta, seasonal vegetables, and a spice-forward, golden sesame yogurt sauce.

A twist on classic macaroni salad - I toss the pasta with a creamy sauce made from sauteed green onions, then add lots of black pepper, arugula, diced apple, and lemon juice to the bowl.

A stuffed shells recipe made with lemon zest and bright tomato sauce, and a couple apartment pics.

A quick spring pasta made with leftover noodles, market vegetables, egg, and a bit of avocado.

An amazing New Year Noodle Soup from Greg & Lucy Malouf's beautiful book, Saraban. It's a bean and noodle soup at its core featuring thin egg noodles swimming in a fragrant broth spiced with turmeric, cumin, chiles, and black pepper. You use a medley of lentils, chickpeas, and borlotti beans which makes the soup heart and filling without being heavy. You add spinach, dill, and cilantro. You add lime juice for a bit of sour at the end. And then you've got a number of toppings to add when you serve the soup - chopped walnuts, caramelized onions, and sour cream. Amazing.

A few more Rome pics & a simple pasta dish made from ricotta-stuffed tortelli tossed with brown butter balsamic sauce, arugula, pecorino cheese, and lemon zest.

A recap of my Sunday, including a few portraits I shot, plus a top-notch pasta with spiced butter and asparagus inspired by a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi's new book.

A spring pasta salad made with a vibrant red-wine and saffron vinaigrette, asparagus, and toasted whole wheat orecchiette pasta from Puglia.

And orzo salad packed with nutritious ingredients - asparagus, almonds, feta, sprouts, broccoli, cucumber, and a zesty lemon dressing.

Poached spinach noodles, tofu, and baby broccoli in ginger broth. Finished with a splash of soy sauce, mint, basil, lime juice and red pepper flakes. Quick, simple, and invigorating.

A hearty noodle bowl recipe - whole wheat noodles, plenty of sliced asparagus and other seasonal produce are tossed with a creamy, walnut-miso dressing.

Trying to keep this pasta casserole recipe on the lighter side, I tossed a rustic farro pasta in yogurt that had been beaten with a bit of egg along with garlic, toasted almonds, chard, butternut squash, and olives. Baked until golden.

A great pasta dish using just six ingredients. Whole grain linguine matchsticks and barely cooked red kale are tossed with golden pistachio dressing. Pomegranate seeds provide ruby-colored accents and little pops of sweetness.

A big, slurpy bowl of whisper-thin spinach noodles draped in a spicy curry and herb broth - inspired by a beautiful box of noodles I picked up in Mill Valley, Ca.

A unique and flavor-packed pasta recipe. Whole wheat pasta noodles, olives, kale, pine nuts tossed in a pan for a tangle with a garlic-charged harissa and olive oil sauce.

A simple pasta bowl made by tossing a whole wheat fusilli pasta, shredded spinach, and with a delicious walnut & broccoli pesto sauce.

A quick and delicious dumpling soup - tender, translucent pasta pillows, pale green from their pea-stuffed bellies, are buoyed by yellow lentils in a simple clear broth. Golden puddles of olive oil are suspended across the surface, pooling in various cracks and crevices.

This baked pasta recipe features vibrant flecks of chopped spinach and lemon zest, toasted almond slices and oozy, bubbly cheese all enveloping sturdy little pasta shells.

This fettuccine recipe was inspired one of the many trips I made to the Testaccio Market while in Rome. Fresh ribbons of pasta with olive oil, porcini mushrooms, garlic, black pepper, and pecorino cheese.