My take on mac and cheese is a chilled pasta salad with creamy buttermilk dressing and ricotta salata. In the spring, toss in some blanched and sliced asparagus or blanched fresh peas. The buttermilk dressing would also be tasty on a salad of poached shrimp, cucumbers, and Bibb lettuce or mixed into a bowl of steamed and chilled baby red potatoes.

Ricotta salata is a slightly tangy Italian sheep’s milk cheese. Grate it on the finest holes of a box grater. If you can’t find ricotta salata, substitute pecorino, another Italian sheep’s milk cheese.

Mâche, sometimes called corn salad or lamb’s lettuce, has small dark green leaves with a mild nutty flavor. Tender young pea sprouts would also be nice here. Baby spinach or small arugula leaves will do the trick, too.