Tomato Butter: Halve large, ripe tomatoes through their bellies and discard seeds and juice. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the fruit into a large bowl until you reach the skin. (Discard the skin.) Add salt, butter and a little red wine or sherry vinegar.
Yogurt With Feta and Green Olives: In a large bowl, mash crumbled feta and Greek yogurt with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. If it’s too thick, add olive oil to thin, and toss in halved, pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano, Picholine or Cerignola, and fresh dill or mint.
Goat Cheese and Zucchini: Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Transfer to a colander, and add salt. Let the juices drain while the pasta cooks. In a large bowl, stir together the zucchini and goat cheese. Sprinkle with za’atar, if desired. (For a more cooked zucchini option, you can drain the pasta over the zucchini in the colander.)
Ricotta and Lemon: Follow this recipe.
Spicy Pesto: Make pesto, but swap the basil for arugula and add finely chopped jalapeño or serrano chile.
Salami and Black Pepper: Combine thin slices of salami or another cured meat in olive oil, lemon zest, grated garlic and lots of coarsely ground black pepper. Add finely grated pecorino or Parmesan and lemon juice, and toss with the pasta as directed below.
Crushed Walnut and Anchovy: Use a food processor or mortar and pestle to crush toasted walnuts, garlic and anchovy fillets into pieces no bigger than a green lentil. (It’s good to have some variation in size.) Combine with olive oil or butter, finely grated Parmesan and lemon zest. Add lemon juice to taste.
Assembling the Pasta
1. Bring a big pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients in a big bowl.