Main Course
8665 recipes found
Crispy Artichoke Pasta
Fast enough for a Tuesday night mad dash to dinner, this pantry pasta tastes more like a restaurant dish — and no one has to deal with trimming and pruning a spiky artichoke. Instead, canned artichokes are brought to the peak of their crispy potential. The key is to remove as much water from the artichokes as possible by pressing them gently with paper towels (as you would tofu). Some of the artichokes are fried in olive oil until shatteringly crisp, then the rest cook gently in more oil, along with garlic and chile flakes, to soften. They’re all mixed with pasta and Parmesan into a stunning weeknight meal.
Bistec a la Yucateca Tacos (Yucatán Steak Tacos)
When Alex Henry reworked a classic dish from his childhood for his first restaurant, Sureste Mexican, a food hall in St. Louis, he also happened to engineer an exuberantly flavorful and smart steak taco for home cooks. Bistec a la Yucateca is a common main dish in the Yucátan peninsula often made with skirt or flank steak, but Mr. Henry uses its citrusy, earthy marinade on thinly sliced ribeye for tacos. The cut’s marbled fat keeps the meat juicy for take-out diners, and for home cooks, the method is a game-changer: The thin slices cook quickly, don’t require a thermometer to check doneness and soak up marinade all the way through. It’s also economical, stretching one ribeye to 12 tacos. Mr. Henry tops the tacos with lettuce, cilantro, avocado, lime and a smoky-fresh salsa. Whatever you top it with, you can’t go wrong.
Scrambled Eggs With Soy-Marinated Tomatoes
Scrambling eggs with tomatoes is a classic comforting pair, particularly in Chinese cuisine. But instead of cooking the tomatoes along with the eggs, here, the eggs are cooked separately, while the ripe tomatoes break down, their flavors concentrating when left to sit in a sweet soy-sesame dressing. Pile the scrambled eggs and the tomatoes onto crusty bread to soak up all the flavor. Add chunks of avocado to the marinated tomatoes too, if you like.
One-Pot Chicken and Rice With Caramelized Lemon
This simple one-pot chicken and rice dish is topped with caramelized lemon slices that add sweet flavor and texture. Thin slices of lemon are cooked in chicken fat and oil until their pulp dissolves, their pith sweetens and their rind softens to the point of being edible. Briny Castelvetrano olives and herby dried oregano are wrapped up in creamy rice and topped with juicy chicken thighs. Fresh parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on top before serving add brightness and crunch.
Sheet-Pan Tofu With Corn and Chiles
This colorful dish is as much about the lively mix of textures as it is the tangy, spicy flavors. On the textural side, cubes of tofu are coated in cornstarch so they become crispy at the edges as they roast, staying soft and pillowy on the inside. Corn kernels lend sweetness and a juicy snap while green chiles, onions and herbs lend freshness and heat. Fresh corn kernels are ideal when in season, but frozen corn works well too, making this a year-round dish with an inherently summery feel.
Orzo Vongole With Zucchini
Inspired by the flavors of pasta alle vongole (spaghetti and clams with garlic), this brothy version features clams and orzo with sweet zucchini, which pairs particularly well with briny shellfish. The littlenecks steam open and release all of their wonderful liquor, which later gets readily absorbed by the pasta. A final swirl of butter and Parmesan creates a lovely silky sauce, studded with flecks of fresh parsley. When cooking with fresh clams, give them a good scrub to shed any grit and discard any clams that have cracked shells or are open before cooking. If fresh clams are hard to come by, you can substitute them with two (6-ounce) cans of whole clams; if the canned liquid tastes good, you can use it in place of the bottled clam juice.
Tomato and Ginger Braised Tofu
Tomatoes and tofu may not be an obvious pairing, but they belong together in this speedy braise. A brave amount of ginger provides a robust flavor foundation for this sauce, imparting verve. (If you’d like to increase the heat, you could add some crushed red pepper, too.) Halving the cherry tomatoes helps them break down faster, transforming them into a rich sweet, savory and tangy sauce in minutes. This recipe works any time of year: If fresh cherry tomatoes are unavailable, 28 ounces of canned cherry tomatoes will also work. Pan-frying the tofu first makes the slices sturdier and locks in moisture, creating the perfect texture to carry and soak up the braising sauce.
Idli (Fermented Rice Cake)
Fluffy, tender and slightly tangy, idli is a South Indian breakfast staple. The wild fermentation of idli rice, along with urad dal and fenugreek seeds, makes for nutrient-rich and protein-packed steamed rice cakes. The addition of poha (flattened rice flakes) ensures that the idlis turn out soft and fluffy. Use an Indian wet grinder or a blender to grind the ingredients, along with their yeast-rich soaking water, into a thick paste. For the right texture and requisite tangy flavor, the batter needs up to 24 hours to ferment. (In colder climates, you might need to soak the ingredients longer; in the hotter ones, you might need less time to ferment.) The fermented batter will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days, so you can whip up idlis as you like. To steam the rice cakes, you’ll need an idli stand. (They’re available at Indian markets and online, as are the ingredients.) Serve idlis with coconut chutney and sambar, or any chutneys you like, such as mango-tamarind, cranberry or cilantro-date, for a satisfying and energizing breakfast or lunch.
Garlicky Shrimp Tacos
A nod to gambas al ajillo, the immensely popular Spanish tapas dish of garlic prawns, this recipe tucks garlic shrimp into festive tacos that can be on the dinner table in 30 minutes. There are very few ingredients involved, but they all pack a punch. The quick-cooking shrimp are seared and finished in olive oil that’s infused with lots of fragrant garlic and rich smoky paprika. Be sure to save the robust oil that’s left in the skillet and enjoy it drizzled over your tacos. Dress them up with crisp sliced radishes, creamy avocado, spicy pico de gallo and fresh, herbaceous cilantro, plus a final squeeze of lime to brighten all the flavors.
Crispy Gnocchi With Spinach and Feta
Inspired by the herbaceous and jaunty flavors of spanakopita, the savory, ever popular Greek pie, spinach and feta headline this textural gnocchi salad. The spinach is not cooked, but is simply massaged, which softens it while ensuring it maintains its leafy structure. Incorporating some feta to the spinach massage is a functional move — the salt in the feta helps to tenderize the leaves — but it also adds a hint of quiet luxury to this dish, as the leaves become coated with the creamy, briny cheese. Be heavy-handed with your herbs and lemon, as these bring boldness and freshness that play off the saltiness of the feta. Everyday shelf-stable gnocchi from your local supermarket is perfect for crisping in the pan; if you choose to use frozen variety, no defrosting is required.
Chłodnik Litewski (Chilled Beet Soup)
An ideal dish for peak summer, when hot meals seem unthinkable yet fresh produce is bountiful, chłodnik litewski is perhaps the best-known of the Polish chłodniki (chilled soups). Chłodnik litewski translates to Lithuanian cold soup, and reflects a time when Poland and Lithuania were under the rule of the same dynasty starting in the late 14th century, a period in which Polish cooking was influenced by Lithuanian cuisine and vice versa. It’s certainly the most eye-catching, with a lovely magenta hue that emerges when the roasted beets meet the kefir and sour cream to form the soup’s tangy base. It combines both cooked and raw ingredients — you’ll need to roast some beets and boil some potatoes and eggs — and is best prepared in advance, ready for easy assembly. (For the most vibrant pink color, be sure to refrigerate the soup overnight, as the color deepens with time.) Beets and their greens lend an earthy note, and fresh cucumbers and radishes provide a satisfying crunch. A tangle of fresh herbs and vegetables and a soft-boiled egg on top complete the dish.
Tomato Curry
If tomatoes are spilling from your larder, “this curry reigns supreme as the most delicious way to make a dent in the basket,” writes the farmer and cook Julius Roberts in his cookbook, “The Farm Table” (Ten Speed Press, 2024). A slow, steady cooking process, starring whole roasted tomatoes, is part of this curry’s promise, so take your time frying down the onions in the base, until they’re properly sweet and tender. Mr. Roberts says he drew inspiration from South Asian curries, in which you temper whole spices in oil to enjoy their musky fullness. It’s different than using just ground, though a little turmeric pigments the sauce gold, as in a Kerala-style egg curry. Marry those lovely flavor bases with plush coconut milk and the natural juices from the tomatoes. Serve over brown rice, with a leafy blanket of fresh cilantro and fried curry leaves.
Maryland Crab Soup
While the exact origins of Maryland crab soup are unknown, the recipe is rooted in folk tradition, likely learned from Indigenous people, and changed over time depending on what was available and in season. You’ll find different recipes on menus in restaurants and homes throughout the Chesapeake Bay area, but you can usually assume the tomato-based soup is likely to contain corn, beans, peas and tomatoes. Seek out Maryland blue crab meat, prized for its sweetness thanks to the time the crustacean spends swimming in the brackish waters of the bay. While stock always adds a more robust flavor to soups, water will work fine as well for this hearty, vegetable-heavy recipe.
Peel and Eat Shrimp
This quick peel and eat recipe yields plump, juicy, extraflavorful shrimp by gently poaching shell-on shrimp in a combination of beer, butter and spices. Starting the shrimp in the cold poaching liquid allows them to cook gradually and evenly as the liquid heats up. A simple combination of beer, butter, celery salt, cayenne and paprika builds flavor, but feel free to substitute your favorite seafood seasoning to flavor the poaching liquid. By deveining the shrimp, you’ll remove the digestive tract and create an opening along the back, which makes them easier to peel once cooked. Peel and eat the shrimp while they’re still warm, dipping them in drawn butter or cocktail sauce, or cool them down and enjoy them cold, as you would for shrimp cocktail.
Ham and Cheese Slab Quiche
Thinner and creamier than most, this quiche embraces the best parts of the ideal croque-monsieur, the perfect mingling of cheese, ham and Dijon between slices of bread. The Gruyère melds with the custard into a pseudo Mornay sauce, while the buttery, crisp puff pastry replaces toast to rich effect. The zippy acidity of the Dijon is essential to balancing the richness of this quiche; it cannot be skipped. The ham is equally non-negotiable, providing a meaty heft that grounds all the creamy, cheesy goodness. Assembled on a baking sheet, this dish is built for entertaining, but you don’t need to wait for a group to enjoy this. After it cools, slice it into slabs and store it in the fridge, if you’d like to savor it for one. It is delicious cold for a quick afternoon snack, but be forewarned: You might end up indulging in multiple slabs and ruining your dinner.
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken
These crunchy, cheesy breaded chicken breasts are baked, not fried, making for hands-off cooking and easy cleanup. Instead of relying on a typical three-part dredge — with flour, eggs and bread crumbs — this recipe uses mayonnaise to help the bread crumbs adhere to the chicken. The mayonnaise does the job beautifully, adding flavor and moisture in the process. Tossing the panko-Parmesan mixture in olive oil helps the bread crumbs brown in the oven, mimicking the crisp texture of a fried cutlet but with way less oil. Serve with a simple green salad or your favorite sauce for dipping, as these breaded chicken cutlets are essentially large-format, dinner-friendly chicken tenders.
Golden Diner’s Tuna Melt
This tuna melt, which was adapted from Sam Yoo, the owner and chef of Golden Diner in New York, is almost more about the textures than the tuna: Two slices of rye bread, crisped in butter and adorned with melted American cheese, sandwich a hefty scoop of tuna salad and a fistful of salt-and-vinegar potato chips. The sandwich will crunch, audibly, as you smash it together, and again between your teeth as you eat it. But the tuna salad is equally memorable: Reminiscent of the flavors of a Big Mac, its tangy, mayo-based sauce gets a hefty dose of acidity from minced bread and butter pickles, mustard, vinegar and Tabasco. This tuna melt eats like a tuna grilled cheese and proves that the best sandwiches are all about contrast: hot and cold, buttery and tangy, crispy and creamy.
Creamy Cajun-Spiced Chicken Pasta
A little spicy, a touch sweet and incredibly rich, Cajun-style chicken pasta is a modern take on chicken Alfredo inspired by the bold flavors of Cajun cuisine, integrating bell peppers, scallions and a heat-forward spice blend into the creamy sauce. The origin of this dish is a bit unclear — it’s not a traditional Louisianian dish — but it’s become a cult classic, with several national chain restaurants featuring versions on their menu and even more copycat recipes. For this version, chicken breasts are rubbed with a Cajun-style seasoning (see Tip) and browned in the same skillet that’s later used to build the sauce. A big squeeze of lemon juice and chopped tomatoes help perk up the pasta. For extra acidity and heat, drizzle with Louisiana-style hot sauce at the table.
Upma (Spiced Semolina With Cashews and Chiles)
Capable of soothing the soul, lifting spirits and energizing the body, upma is a popular breakfast food in parts of India (and beyond), where protein- and nutrient-rich semolina is a canvas for more potent and invigorating savory flavors. For this fluffy and flavorful preparation, coarse-grain semolina (called rava in the south of India and sooji in the north) is toasted in the pan and then cooked in water flavored with tempered spices, like sizzling black mustard seeds, plus aromatic curry leaves and toasted urad and chana dals, creating a thick, savory porridge. Cashew nuts or peanuts lend a happy crunch, and the chiles wake everything up with a touch of heat. You can also add a small handful of vegetables to the mix, like frozen green peas, chopped green beans and carrots. The water-to-semolina ratio ensures the upma is fluffy and light rather than mushy like oatmeal. Serve bowls of fragrant, belly-warming upma with a squeeze of lemon, extra sugar and coconut chutney for a satisfying breakfast or anytime snack.
Creamy Cajun-Style Chicken Pasta
A little spicy, a touch sweet and incredibly rich chicken pasta is a modern take on chicken Alfredo inspired by the bold flavors of Cajun cuisine, integrating bell peppers, scallions and a heat-forward spice blend into the creamy sauce. The origin of this dish is a bit unclear — it’s not a traditional Louisianian dish — but it’s become a cult classic, with several national chain restaurants featuring versions on their menu and even more copycat recipes. For this version, chicken breasts are rubbed with a Cajun-style seasoning (see Tip) and browned in the same skillet that’s later used to build the sauce. A big squeeze of lemon juice and chopped tomatoes help perk up the pasta. For extra acidity and heat, drizzle with Louisiana-style hot sauce at the table.
Cold Tomato and Kimchi Soba Noodle Soup
When the coolness of gazpacho meets the punchiness of kimchi, magic happens. The result is a cold soup that is alive with freshness and rich with layered flavors that belie its ready-in-minutes preparation. The fruity tang of tomatoes and the mild vegetal sweetness of cucumbers are emboldened by the sour heat of kimchi. The soup serves as the perfect base for nutty soba, a noodle that always performs exceptionally well when served cold. If you don’t have soba, try rice, egg or wheat noodles. The soup could also be consumed noodle-free, served with crusty bread for a simple and quick meal that deeply satiates. If you like, top with extra kimchi and, on extra-hot days, dot with a few ice cubes.
Chopped Salad With Everything Bagel Croutons
This salad is somewhat of a New York style fattoush. Bagel pieces are tossed with olive oil, nuts and everything seasoning, then toasted in the oven to make supersavory, crunchy croutons. These are tossed through a green chopped salad with crispy lettuce, green bell pepper, scallions, cucumber, herbs and a zingy lemon dressing. The salad is rounded off with a base of tahini yogurt, adding a creamy, tangy finish that ties everything together. Perfect as a light lunch or a unique side dish, this salad is both wholesome and indulgent, offering layers of textures and flavors in every bite. Whether you’re a fan of bagels or crisp, textural salads, this recipe is sure to become a new favorite.
Harissa Puttanesca With Toasted Almonds
Pasta puttanesca, a classic Italian dish, gets a vibrant makeover with the addition of harissa, a spiced North African chile paste. In this version, harissa replaces the usual crushed red pepper, adding a smoky depth and complex warmth. Olives, anchovies and capers, classic puttanesca ingredients, deliver their signature briny punch, while toasted almonds add a satisfying crunch and a welcome protein boost. Perfect for busy weeknights, this dish made with pantry staples is both flavorful and comforting. While the recipe calls for spaghetti, any other type of long pasta will work just as well.
Eggplant Lasagna
Roasted eggplant takes the place of pasta in this veggie-heavy riff on traditional lasagna. All the other lasagna elements are here, including a spinach, herb and ricotta filling; marinara sauce; and plenty of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. The result is a completely gluten-free dish that tastes every bit as hearty and comforting as a true lasagna, with a welcome brightness from the addition of lemon zest. This is by no means a difficult recipe, but there are several steps. To save time, you can roast the eggplant slices in advance and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before assembling the lasagna.