One thing I like doing with pasta: cook in minimal water like rice. Especially with something like orzo, I'll brown it in olive oil, then put in ~1qt of water/pound of orzo and cook till it's all absorbed. Maybe add a little salt and basil while cooking.
I'm friendly with a really awesome chef-turned-butcher in Chicago (Rob from Butcher and Larder) and when I posted this to my Facebook feed, he PM'd "while you're on your unconventional pasta cooking trip- get a small shape and cook it like risotto: sweat onion, garlic, etc. Add pasta and coat. Add wine and stir. Add stock cup by cup as per risotto."
Cooking pasta in minimal water is in the Ideas cookbook (again amazing buy strongest possible recommend).
To me, the huge shift is going to be decoupling rehydration from heating. It's more convenient, produces more consistent results, and opens up a lot of possibilities, like flavoring and alkalizing.
The kids just love it.