
Delilicious: Countdown to Christmas Pasta Red and green scream Christmas so deck your children's dinner plates out in the festive colors for an edible holiday countdown. After a long day at the mall or out building snowmen, this flavorful pasta dish requires just a handful of ingredients and it's easy on the budget (more money for gifts!) and simple enough to enlist your lil elves in the preparations.

Tonight, make this rich, comforting classic for your family's dinner. Thinly sliced beef is seared with a pan-sauce of tomato paste, beef broth, and Worcestershire, making a meal that is flavorful and filling. Passing the sour cream horseradish mixture around the table lets everyone control the amount of creaminess in their stroganoff.

This dinner is just what you're looking for if you want something that's tasteful but not time consuming or fussy. Pair lightly skillet-fried sole with an almond sauce and a lemon-artichoke pasta, and you've got the perfect meal for a casual Friday night.
If you can't locate Petrale or Dover sole, try another mild-flavored flat whitefish, such as flounder, sand dabs, turbot, or halibut.

If you're a fan of
poblanos stuffed with rice or any stuffed peppers, you'll love this new twist on the classic: Roasted peppers are filled with spaghetti instead of rice. The pasta is tossed in olive oil with pine nuts, olives, raisins, and capers.
This Mediterranean-inspired meal can be on the table in under an hour.

Linguine with clams is one of my favorite recipes, so I'm constantly searching for new ways to recreate the classic Italian dish. This variation adds in scallops and white fish to make a robust, filling pasta. Diced tomatoes give the sauce a rich, red tint.