From Scratch

This quick and easy recipe of angel hair pasta and shrimp delivers heavenly flavors but can be made in roughly the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta. Dinner’s on the table in 15 to 20 minutes.
There aren’t many steps here, but when the garlic and oregano were in the pan with olive […]

I’ve learned two good tricks in the past week I’d like to pass along. One is for cooking the pasta, the other for cooking the sauce.
First, the pasta. If you have trouble achieving a perfect al dente, give this a try. The trick is from Darina Allen, the noted Irish chef and cookbook author. Bring […]

I can’t help but love a recipe that’s quick and versatile, although in this case the versatility was accidental.
The original was in Self magazine and it’s a delicious, simple version of chicken breasts simmered in an herby, lemony sauce. I had leftover sauce which I used the next day on pasta and, hey presto, I had a […]

For me, few thing are homier on a cold winter day than a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup. It’s easy and quick to make and so adaptable to individual tastes or what’s on hand; canned soup just doesn’t compare.
I don’t think I’ve ever made chicken noodle soup exactly the same twice. A pinch of this, a […]

Meatless meals are always welcome on my table, and because I observe Lent I have several mandatory meatless days ahead of me between now and Easter. A new recipe as quick and delicious as this one definitely makes life easier. It’s the kind of dish that you can make once and never have to look at […]

When I wrote about pasta portions and the American penchant for huge portions, I mentioned a man I met in Italy who took all Americans to task — actually, he called us barbarians — for oversaucing our pasta. He was right, we do.
Who better to explain the proper way than Mario Batali, in a video […]

We’re all so busy this time of year. I know I’m not the only one who can’t always bear the thought of an hour or more in the kitchen after a long go-go day. Neither microwave meals nor fast food are part of my life, so jam-packed days leave me with only a few options, ranging […]

If illustrator Norman Rockwell were still alive, I wonder if he’d do a vegetarian version of his iconic Freedom From Want? The painting, from his Four Freedoms, is seared onto our national consciousness as an idealized family Thanksgiving but for millions, a turkey on the table is neither ideal nor desirable.  
These days there are plenty of choices for […]

I really ought to call this “mac” and cheese because I always use penne; today’s is dark whole wheat. And it’s grownup in two other ways: it’s lighter, both in fat and cholesterol, and the flavors are not bland. Far from it. 
When I wrote about excessive pasta portions in July, I mentioned a recipe I’d seen that […]

This is a kugel for those who like their noodle puddings pure: no pineapple, no applesauce or raisins, nothing to detract from its sweet, comforting goodness. Is it dessert or a side dish?  Take your choice.
My cyber friend Sunny, who shared the recipe, agrees it can go either way and whichever way it goes, it disappears […]

This is a summer favorite. It’s chilled, it’s lemony-refreshing, it’s pasta and it’s a snap to make. Technically it’s a side dish, but I’ve also eaten it as a main course, adding veggies or protein to it or having it with greens or fruit salad.
When this recipe ran in The New York Times — I believe it […]

You might be facing an abundance of basil around now, either in your own garden or at farmers’ markets. We’re still a bit away from that stage here in The Little Snowball, but when it’s local and fresh I buy an armful, some for now and some for later.
How much later? A grower gave me […]

There are several dishes I took for granted in New York; they were everywhere and it never occured to me to make them at home. Cold sesame noodles are in that group. It’s almost impossible in my part of New England to find a Chinese restaurant that serves them. I found them only twice: a white-tablecloth place […]

One of the best surprises is finding an interesting recipe while I’m already at the market. When it turns out to be good enough for the regular rotation and fast enough for any weeknight, I’m thrilled. This delicious, refreshing recipe goes together so quickly the first thing I did was put the water on for the […]

Years ago in Florence, I let an Italian take me to dinner; I knew he was hoping for more than dinner but we’d met at a museum so how awful could he be?
When our small portions of pasta arrived, before the main course as is the custom, he launched into a diatribe about what barbarians […]