Fettuccine

"I had a delightful dinner at Andiamo! Ristorante while on vacation in San Diego," writes Laverne Smith of Seattle, Washington. "Could you get their recipe for fettuccine carbonara? It was the best pasta I've ever had." Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the fettuccine will be hot when the sauce is finished; the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs that are tossed with it.

While staying at the Hotel Villa Flori, which overlooks Italy's Lake Como, I had an outstanding pasta with a chunky pesto sauce," says Patty Owens of Walnut Creek, California. "Is there any chance the chef would share the recipe?" This pesto sauce includes walnuts, a variation on the classic recipe. To give the dish a creamy quality, add some of the pasta cooking water to the sauce.

"Gelson's market here in Los Angeles has a fantastic variety of prepared foods in the deli," says Susan Baker of Los Angeles, California. "My mother, who doesn't have a Gelson's where she lives in Tacoma, would make a trip to Southern California just for their lemon chicken pasta. I'd love to surprise her with the recipe." This dish is best served either chilled or at room temperature. If you'd like to make your own pasta, our technique video will show you how.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In Rome, this pasta would be served as a first course, but we prefer it as a main course. Traditionally, Romans don't use heavy cream in this dish, so you won't find any here either. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 25 min

In addition to the shiitake mushrooms called for here, look for morels, porcini or even button mushrooms, all of which are available during late spring early summer months.

Here's a rich, creamy pasta from chef Cory Mattson of the Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

M'Eloise Waters of Yakima, Washington, writes: "Throughout the years, I have enjoyed so many 'R.S.V.P.' recipes, and now I have a request of my own: the chicken pasta from Spazzo Mediterranean Grill in Bellevue, Washington. It has fresh herbs, walnuts, almonds, and caramelized onions."

At Babbo in New York, chef Mario Batali serves this dish with freshly made pappardelle pasta. We've simplified the entrée for the home cook by substituting purchased fettuccine.

"The tagliatelle with parsnips and pancetta at Babbo is a wonder," says Aleksandra Crapanzano of New York, New York. " I would be thrilled to have the recipe." A good substitute for the homemade tagliatelle used at Babbo is dried egg fettuccine or taglierini—we particularly like the Cipriani brand. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min