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In Italy, dried pasta is part of the daily diet, from the Italian Alps to Sicily. Sure, Italians use fresh pasta for special occasion dishes here and there, but most, whether in a restaurant or home kitchen, use dried pasta—not just because it stores easily, but because it’s as desirable as fresh pasta for most dishes. But they don’t use just any dried pasta.

This simple pasta is an elegant way to sample truffles. Ritrovo’s delicate egg pasta is made with truffle and porcini mushrooms from the Piedmont region of Italy. Regalis’s White Truffle Oil is deliciously fragrant. Best of all, you can fix this Michelin-worthy dish in about 15 minutes.

After a year like no other, it’s so good to see school buses on our streets and children squealing with laughter on the playground. But for some of us on the parenting side of the equation, the routine of getting kids off in the morning makes us feel, well, like rookies. After a year off, have I really forgotten how to pack a school lunch?

Gardens are overflowing with zucchini this time of year, and this classic Italian pasta is a great way to make use of it. The dish comes together quickly, and the combination of saffron, zucchini, cream, and pecorino provide a deeply satisfying flavor. One key is to julienne the zucchini into matchstick-size pieces and cook them long enough to release their rich flavor. And remember to save a bit of the pasta water when you drain the fettuccine—it’s as essential as the cream is in making the sauce creamy. Finally, don’t skip that quick finishing sauté of pasta and sauce to bind the wonderful flavors together.