Recipes By Ali Slagle
490 recipes found
Shrimp Scampi With Orzo
The universal appeal of shrimp scampi, frankly, isn’t the shrimp but the pan sauce: garlicky butter lightened with white wine and bursts of lemon, parsley and red-pepper flakes. Scampi is often tossed with pasta or served with crusty bread, but this version instead uses quick-cooking orzo. It simmers directly in the pan sauce, imparting a starchy gloss — and soaking up the garlicky scampi flavors. Toss the shrimp with some garlic, lemon zest and red-pepper flakes to marinate while the pasta gets a head start on the stove, then simply toss the shrimp on top of the orzo to steam. It all comes together in a flash, and feels effortless. Pair this dish with Caesar salad, steamed broccoli or arugula, or bask in its simple comfort, straight from a spoon.
Baked Spaghetti Squash
Once baked and scraped into noodle-like strands, spaghetti squash becomes a frequent pasta understudy, tossed with pesto, tomato sauce or roasted vegetables. But it’s a versatile ingredient, as its mild flavor and gentle crunch also make it a good base for stews or even curries. For a basic roasted spaghetti squash recipe, follow Step 1, scrape the insides into strands, and be on your way. For a complete side dish, proceed with the rest of the recipe and top with herby breadcrumbs and Parmesan. You can also add mozzarella, which will melt into delicious little pools among the squash strands.
Vegetarian Bean and Cheese Enchiladas
Enchiladas can be a bit of a project, but here, the process has been streamlined, making them a truly possible weeknight endeavor. Begin by sautéing peppers, onions and garlic until charred in spots, then blend half of the vegetables with canned tomatoes and chili powder for the sauce and combine the rest with black beans, shredded cheese and cumin for the filling. If you’re short on time, you could use store-bought enchilada sauce (you'll need three cups), but quality varies, so taste it and add whatever you think is missing: chipotle in adobo or chili powder for smokiness, hot sauce for heat, dried oregano or fresh cilantro for complexity and salt for overall flavor.
Caramelized Lemon Chicken
Making a chicken shine with glaze typically requires combining a form of sugar (like honey or maple syrup) with something to balance that sweetness, like lemon juice. But there is an ingredient in your baking arsenal that does both of those things: lemon curd. The sugars in the curd help the skin caramelize to a deep mahogany, while the curd’s fat and moisture keep the meat juicy. Spread it on chicken and each bite gets perfumed with sunny lemon. While you can make this recipe using chicken just as you purchased it, the added step of removing the backbone (also known as spatchcocking or butterflying) ensures all parts get browned.
Crispy Baked Chicken
For pull-apart tender chicken with crisp, deeply spiced skin, rub it with a spicy-sweet mix and roast it low and slow while you’re doing something else. Because this chicken is cooked at a moderately low temperature, the spices will bloom but not burn, and the chicken fat will render slowly and completely (which means you don’t need any oil). The smoky rub in this recipe will turn the chicken skin into what tastes like a barbecue potato chip, but you can use other spice blends, too, like garam masala or Montreal steak seasoning. Just be sure your mix includes sugar for browning and salt for accentuating flavors. Whole chicken legs (with the thigh and drumstick attached) provide a more generous portion of juicy meat and skin that shatters, but a mix of drumsticks and bone-in thighs work, too.
Tomato-Butter Pasta
When you have ripe, perfect tomatoes that you want to enjoy without much fuss, this is the pasta to make. (If your tomatoes are tasteless, your pasta will be too, so don’t try this with the off-season grocery store variety.) It’s inspired by pan con tomate, in which grated tomato and its juices are spooned onto garlic toasts. Here, with vigorous stirring, grated tomato and cold butter form a glossy, light, pretty-in-pink sauce that tastes of sweet, just-cooked tomato. The red-pepper flakes, garlic, basil and Parmesan bring out the flavor of the tomato, and while there are plenty of other ways to embellish further, you don’t need to: This is lazy, easy summer cooking at its best. (P.S. Leftovers make a great room-temperature pasta salad.) To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.
One-Pot Rice and Beans
Not only is rice with beans adored the world over (see: gallo pinto, khichdi, hoppin’ John and Caribbean rice and peas), it even has its own Wikipedia page. This deeply flavored rendition is inspired by these comforting traditions and a desire to wash as few dishes as possible: The rice cooks with the beans and the starchy liquid they’re canned in. As the two ingredients cook together, the beans disperse and glom onto the rice. For an extra kick, sauté chopped jalapeño with the onions, or add 1/4 cup salsa with the stock.
Crispy Rice With Dill and Runny Eggs
This one-skillet meal has crisp and herbaceous rice, creamy lima beans and pockets of jammy egg yolk. Its inspiration comes from baghali polo, a traditional Persian rice dish that is often served at Nowruz alongside braised or barbecued meat. In it, fava beans steam with rice, dill and spices, then sometimes the bottom is crisped tahdig-style. In this complete one-pan meal, the rice and lima beans are steamed and crisped in a skillet, then eggs are nestled right into the rice to cook. Lima beans are buttery like fava beans, though you could use another bean or even a vegetable (see Tip). A punchy topping, like feta or lemon, rounds out the meal.
Lemony Orzo With Asparagus and Garlic Bread Crumbs
Every spoonful of this pasta has a happy jumble of lemony orzo, grassy asparagus, garlicky bread crumbs, fresh herbs and salty Parmesan. The pasta and thinly sliced asparagus cook together in the same pot, then rest in a lemony dressing while the garlic bread crumbs are toasted, so the pasta has time to absorb as much flavor as possible.
Portobello ‘Steak’ au Poivre
Steak au poivre, a classic French dish of peppercorn-crusted steak with cream sauce, seems like it was meant to be made with mushrooms. Not only do mushrooms sear well, but they’re also a friend to the dish’s main flavorings of heavy cream, heady spices and warming liquor. For the best results, crisp the mushrooms first in a hot pan, baste them with garlic butter until tender, then let them simmer in the cream sauce so they soak up that richness. Eat with roasted, mashed or fried potatoes, a salad of watercress or another spicy green, and red wine, of course. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.
Roasted Broccoli Rabe and White Beans With Burrata
With just a few ingredients, this impressive and quick dish boasts many flavors and textures. Roasting broccoli rabe creates tender stems while the leaves crisp like chips. The broccoli rabe cooks alongside paprika-stained white beans, which become warm, creamy and even crisp in spots as they roast. Eat the beans and greens warm or at room temperature, as a starter or vegetarian main, with slices of orange and a puddle of creamy burrata for softness and sweetness. (You could also use ricotta, thick yogurt or avocado instead of the burrata.) This dish is good on its own, or with farro, pearl couscous or crusty bread.
Citrusy Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup
With lentils, sweet potato, chard and earthy spices, this soup is certainly hearty and cozy, but it’s also surprisingly uplifting, thanks to the acidity and crunch of chard stems and jalapeños that have been quick-pickled in citrus juice. The chard leaves simmer in the soup until silky, while the raw stems marinate in a combination of lemon or lime juice, salt and jalapeño. They’re really all this soup needs, but you could also add a little richness to individual servings with yogurt, avocado, a poached egg or a drizzle of oil.
One-Pan Salmon Niçoise With Orzo
This one-skillet dinner has the bright flavors of a salade Niçoise but is more substantial, so you can eat it all year long, even on a chilly evening. For a happy mix of exciting textures — tender salmon and orzo, snappy green beans, juicy tomatoes — cook the orzo with shallots and olives, then in the last few minutes of cooking, nestle in the green beans and salmon fillets to cook. Meanwhile, stir together a vinaigrette that’s punchy with fresh tomatoes, vinegar, Dijon mustard and raw shallot to spoon over the finished dish. Adapt this rendition further as you like, adding anchovies with the sautéed or raw shallots, swapping the salmon for canned tuna, or adding capers or sliced cucumbers to the tomato vinaigrette.
Crispy Tofu and Cabbage Stir-Fry
This tumble of crisp tofu, charred cabbage and citrusy coriander includes a couple tricks you’ll want to employ in other dishes. The flavor of the stir-fry is propelled by using the coriander plant multiple ways: Combining coriander seeds with fresh stems and leaves — also known as cilantro — creates a range of complex but related flavors. Then there’s what might be the quickest — and your new favorite — way to cook cabbage: When large pieces of cabbage are cooked undisturbed in a hot pan, they don’t have a chance to turn to mush. Instead, the cabbage becomes sweet and crisp-tender, with a smoky edge. Eat the stir-fry with grains or noodles, like rice noodles or soba. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.
Skillet Tortellini With Corn and Crispy Rosemary
You can have cheesy pasta, juicy corn, fried rosemary and loads of bacon in just 20 minutes, with the use of just one skillet. Fresh store-bought tortellini are a boon to quick meals, especially when they’re cooked directly in the sauce instead of a big pot of water. But it’s the trifecta of salty bacon, sweet corn and rosemary that makes this pasta substantial enough for cool nights yet fresh enough for summer — which is to say, it’s great for any time at all. To incorporate a green vegetable, add one that can cook in three to five minutes along with the pasta, such as halved snap peas, thinly sliced asparagus or broccolini, or spinach, or eat the pasta alongside a light salad of greens or crunchy vegetables.
Miso-Mustard Salmon
In this single-skillet recipe, miso and Dijon mustard create a one-two punch of salty and spicy to balance the sweetness of salmon and cabbage. Slather the mighty combination on the salmon fillets, sprinkle with sesame seeds for crunch, then roast on top of caramelized, crisp-tender cabbage. Serve with steamed rice or sweet potatoes if you like, then use the remaining sauce to drizzle over everything. The thinned miso mustard is also great to have around as a salad dressing for crisp lettuces, or a sauce for roasted vegetables or tofu. It will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator
One-Pot Ginger Salmon and Rice
This one-pot meal follows in the tradition of takikomi gohan, or Japanese mixed rice: Short-grain rice cooks with meat, seafood or vegetables and seasonings like dashi, hijiki, mushrooms and soy sauce. This recipe’s umami is driven by toasted nori (or gim); the sheets used for sushi or kimbap and the little, boxed seasoned snacks both work. When cooked with the rice, the seaweed loses its crunch, but its nutty, briny flavor infuses each grain. Seaweed goes well with salmon, which is lively with lemon and ginger, and silky from a quick steam on top of the rice. And while you could add any vegetable that steams in 10 minutes, crisp-tender asparagus works especially well.
Pan-Seared Pork Chops With Charred Pineapple
In this quick skillet dinner, which is reminiscent of sweet and sour pork and tacos al pastor, boneless pork chops are seared with just a bit of sugar to promote browning, then pineapple chunks cook in the drippings until caramelized but still crisp. Once the pork is cooked, a spicy soy sauce is poured on top to add juiciness. It’s a perfect combination: The tangy, sweet pineapple cuts the richness of the pork, while the soy sauce balances the sweetness of the pineapple. You could also use tofu, boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced pork tenderloin or shoulder, or a firm fish in place of the pork chops. Eat with rice, noodles, sliced cucumbers or sautéed greens.
Sheet-Pan Roasted Chicken With Greens
This one-pan meal features a bronzed bird and a pile of braised greens that are cooked unevenly to our benefit: The leaves under the chicken steam and absorb chicken juices, while those exposed to the oven’s heat brown and crisp. Use a mix of greens if you can, but either way, you’ll get a tangle of deep, dark greens so rich and soft, even the stems are edible. (And less prep work for you!)
Pork Chops With Kale and Dates
A fat and juicy pork chop will always shine on a dinner plate, and these are especially star-worthy. For browned outsides, evenly cooked insides and fewer splatters, cook them over moderate heat and flip often. Use this method for basic pork chops, or continue with the recipe for a tangy and bittersweet tumble of kale, dates, garlic and vinegar inspired by bittersweet meat dishes like suon kho, orange beef or root beer-glazed ham. Instead of kale, use another bitter green like escarole or radicchio, but keep the dates, which contribute a sweetness far more nuanced than straight sugar. Eat with roasted potatoes, grits or on top of a thick piece of toast.
Sheet-Pan Sausage With Peppers and Tomatoes
Good, flexible and fast, this recipe is a surefire standby: All you have to do is toss together sausage, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, shallots and olive oil on a sheet pan, then slide the entire thing under the broiler. In just 15 minutes, you’ll have nicely seared sausages, tomatoes and peppers, all of which have released juices that you should dunk bread into or spoon over pasta or rice. Experiment with adding cumin, paprika, oregano or red-pepper flakes in Step 1, or swap the garlic for scallions or red onion. You could also scatter crumbled feta, lemon slices, olives, pickled hot peppers or string beans across the top in the last few minutes of broiling.
Ginger-Dill Salmon
Salmon, gently roasted to a buttery medium-rare, stars in this make-ahead-friendly dish. Fruity citrus and dill join spicy radishes and ginger, and the result is a refreshing, jostling mix of juicy, crunchy, creamy, spicy and sweet. Both the salad and the salmon can be made two days ahead, and everything is good at room temperature or cold. To embellish further, consider baby greens, thinly sliced cucumbers or fennel, roasted beets, soba noodles, tostadas, furikake or chile oil.
One-Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese
In the time it takes to make boxed macaroni and cheese, you can have a homemade version that’s creamy with lots of sharp Cheddar, studded with broccoli and doesn’t require making a roux. Instead, the sauce is thickened by the pasta’s starch: As the noodles cook in milk, the milk thickens to the consistency of cream and the pasta absorbs the seasonings. Here, that’s garlic powder, but you could also use mustard powder, ground cayenne or grated nutmeg like in traditional mac and cheese. The broccoli pieces end up soft and sweet, but if you want more bite, add them halfway through cooking. (Watch the video of Ali Slagle making one-pot broccoli mac and cheese here.)
Slow-Roasted Chicken With Garlicky Green Beans and Sage
This may look like just plain chicken and green beans, but by dropping the oven temperature to 325 degrees and slow roasting for 1½ hours, these simple ingredients become so much more: The green beans, which are tossed with olive oil, sage and garlic, will no longer be snappy and bright green, but will slouch and sweeten. The chicken will be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. (Its skin will be crisp but pale, so for browner skin, broil for a few minutes after roasting.) And the flavorful chicken drippings will mingle with the aromatics on the sheet pan, creating a spectacular, no-effort pan sauce.