[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]

It's interesting how one ingredient can totally change a dish. Without the dried cranberries, this pasta recipe from Saveur would be a savory, filling, cold weather dish. But add in those little red fruits, and each bite has a slight sweetness and tartness to perk up all the other flavors. I'd eat this any time of year.

Funny enough, I didn't realize until after that I had made a similar dish a little over two years ago, which used golden raisins as the fruit. Both versions are quite delicious, so it seems wrong to pick a favorite. In fact, you can keep swapping out the dried fruit for interesting variations.

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Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts, Cranberries, and Caramelized Onions »