Tomatoes
1737 recipes found
Crispy Gnocchi With Tomato and Red Onion
Inspired by panzanella, the beloved Tuscan bread salad, this dish swaps out stale bread for pan-fried gnocchi. The plump, crusty dumplings do a surprisingly good job at soaking up the summery combination of tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, while still maintaining their crisp edge. Shelf-stable gnocchi work best, as they are sturdier and crisp up well, but you could use frozen gnocchi, taking extra care not to move them around too much in the pan so they don’t break apart. Top with a sharp cheese such as Parmesan, pecorino or ricotta salata, for a hit of saltiness, if you like. This meal is best eaten immediately while the gnocchi remains crispy, but it can sit for up to 30 minutes, giving the flavors time to mingle. (However, don’t let it sit too long, as the gnocchi will turn mushy.)
Peanut Fish Stew
Luscious and delicate from coconut milk, with distinguishable nuttiness from ground peanuts and peanut butter, this fish stew would be a welcome addition to the comfort food repertoire for every home cook who isn’t allergic to the namesake ingredient. This recipe from Ricky Moore, the chef at Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham, N.C., comes together quickly with an approachable ingredient list. It also has deep, penetrating notes from ginger and garlic that give this stew subtle yet superlative depth. The diced tomatoes are an essential ingredient: Their acid cuts the creaminess of the dish and their color imparts a warm reddish hue. This stew is best served with rice and topped with spiced pickled celery.
Baked Rigatoni With Tomatoes, Olives and Pepper
This baked rigatoni is a grown-up version of macaroni and cheese. The tomato sauce, judiciously spiced with hot red pepper flakes and embellished with diced bright yellow bell pepper and pungent black olives, is easy and straightforward. It keeps for three or four days in the refrigerator, so you can make it ahead, or you can toss it right away with the al dente rigatoni and cheese. Spread the mixture in an oiled baking dish, cover it well and refrigerate. It will be fine there for a day, ready to transfer to the oven when the hungry troops begin to ask what’s for dinner. Bake the rigatoni until bubbly, make a green salad to serve alongside and everybody will be happy.
Shell Bean Ragout
Shell beans take less than half the time to cook than their dried counterparts. Look for varieties such as mottled pink and white cranberry beans, also known as borlotti beans; large scarlet runner beans that are mottled and purple, despite the name; and pale yellow cannellini beans.
Pasta Alla Vodka
There’s no need to order takeout from your neighborhood restaurant when this beloved, easy-to-assemble Italian-American classic gets dinner on the table in no time. Adding pancetta brings a salty smokiness, but if you leave it out, you’re still in for a quick and flavorful dish. If you’re feeling ambitious, the pasta is delightful with Caesar salad or garlic bread, but it’s also satisfying enough to take centerstage. Put on some Puccini, open up a bottle of red and you’re guaranteed a more relaxed dining experience than the one you might get at the local red-and-white checkered-tablecloth joint.
Caramelized Shallot Pasta
This pasta is all about the shallots, cooked down in a bath of olive oil to a jammy, caramelized paste. Tomato paste is there for tanginess, and anchovies for saltiness, but they serve more as background flavors to the sweetness of the shallot. This recipe makes enough caramelized shallot mixture for a double batch of pasta, or simply keep it refrigerated to spoon over fried eggs, or to serve underneath crispy chicken thighs or over roasted root vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes.
Spicy Clam Chorizo Pasta
Clams work their way into plenty of dishes in the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, which is where the chef Pati Jinich picked up this recipe for pasta con salsa picante de chorizo y almejas. The dish, which she featured on an episode of her PBS show, “Pati’s Mexican Table,” is a nod to the prized clams that are harvested in and around the coastal lagoons on Mexico’s Pacific shores. It pays homage to the surf-and-turf dishes in Tijuana, where cooks find seemingly endless ways to mix meat and seafood on a single plate. The dish takes its aggressive heat from chorizo and chiles de arbol, but it can be dialed down by substituting 1/2 teaspoon or less of red-pepper flakes. The beer in the dish is Ms. Jinich’s nod to the craft-beer boom in Baja.
Slow-Roasted Oregano Chicken With Buttered Tomatoes
There are about a million ways to roast a chicken, and people will always tell you that theirs is the best way. Here is the truth: If you smear a good, high-quality chicken with enough fat, season it with plenty of salt and roast it until the skin is brown, it will always be excellent. But it’s slow-roasting that gives you golden skin, tender meat and plenty of salty, savory chicken juices to serve as a sauce. From the simple assortment of ingredients to the ridiculously hands-off preparation, this recipe from Alison Roman's cookbook "Nothing Fancy" (Clarkson Potter, 2019) is casual in a way that feels almost lazy (but isn’t), with make-sounds-after-you-take-a-bite levels of deliciousness. To truly put it over the edge, add a few anchovies to the tomatoes.
Wedge Salad
Wedge salads are essential steakhouse fare and have been for decades – “iceberg wedges, blue cheese, bacon” was Roger Sterling’s order on “Mad Men” when he and Don Draper saved the Madison Square Garden account in Season 3, set in 1963. But there is no reason not to bring them home: Pale green-white triangles of commodity iceberg drizzled in pale white-blue dressing, with crumbles of bacon and bright red pops of cherry tomato, and pricks of green chive strewn across the top. Serve a wedge and a steak, or a wedge and a hamburger, or a wedge and a roast chicken, or just a wedge and a lot of warm bread and cold red wine, and it’s a pleasant evening you’re having, a retro delight. Wedge is a salad for pleasure.
Birria de Res (Beef Birria)
Birria took off in the United States as a soupy style made with beef and as birria tacos, popularized by birria vendors in Tijuana. The chef Josef Centeno, who grew up eating beef and goat birria in Texas, makes a delicious, thickly sauced version based on his grandma Alice’s recipe, mixing up the proteins by using oxtail, lamb on the bone and even tofu (you can, too). Preparing the adobo takes time, as does browning the meat, but it’s worth it for the deep flavors in the final dish. The best way to serve birria is immediately and simply, in a bowl, with some warm corn tortillas, which can be used to wrap the meat for tacos. But make sure to put any leftovers to work: Extra meat, pulled from the bones, can be shredded for crisp quesabirria tacos, fried in the birria fat for cheesy, lacy edges. And the leftover broth, or consomé, is ideal for a comforting bowl of birria ramen, with an egg and some fresh herbs on top.
West African-Inspired Brisket
During Passover, this brisket, an American Jewish dish deeply influenced by the food historian Michael W. Twitty’s Black heritage, will entice guests. Made with vibrant ingredients common in the cuisines of West and Central Africa, Mr. Twitty’s brisket gets its culinary power from the fresh flavors of bell peppers, onions and tomatoes, and the aromas of ground chiles, garlic, ginger and turmeric. Bathed in a piquant sauce, this brisket pairs well with rice or fufu (pounded tubers or plantains). According to Mr. Twitty, it may encourage table conversations spoken in Pidgin rather than Yiddish.
Seamus Mullen's Pan Con Tomate
Pan con tomate is traditionally a humble dish, a way to make a single tomato and some old bread serve a family for lunch. For Tertulia's version, use a box grater to shred the best tomato you can find. Microplane some garlic into it. Add salt and a big drizzle of fruity Spanish olive oil, then a little less of sherry vinegar. You'll heap this mixture onto a few thick slices of bread, and then scrape most of the tomato off. Add more olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Pastitsio (Greek Baked Pasta With Cinnamon and Tomatoes)
This comforting Greek baked pasta, which bears a striking resemblance to lasagna, derives its name from the Italian word “pasticcio.” That translates to English as “a mess,” indicating the forgiving, flexible nature of the dish. Many traditional pastitsio recipes call for beef –– which you can certainly use here –– but we use ground lamb for a fresh take on a classic (and many cooks prefer a combination). Because kefalotyri cheese and the long tubular noodles traditionally used in pastitsio can't be found in most American supermarkets, we substituted Parmesan and ziti in their place, but by all means, if you can get your hands on the real things, use them. The noodles and spiced meat sauce are layered in a casserole dish then topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and baked until golden. It’s project cooking that’s perfect for a cold winter’s night.
Creamed Tomatoes on Toast
Juicy canned tomatoes melted into fragrant cream mimic an instant cream of tomato soup. Served over toast, they make for a simple yet indulgent breakfast, or anytime snack. This dish is inspired by a recipe in "Roast Chicken and Other Stories." In the book, Simon Hopkinson writes that his version was inspired by Edouard de Pomiane’s "Cooking in 10 Minutes." Hopkinson bakes fresh tomatoes in garlicky, minty cream for half an hour. The version below, with canned tomatoes, woody herbs and a hint of cinnamon, is there for you when fresh tomatoes aren’t — and, like de Pomiane's approach, takes closer to 10 minutes.
Broiled Stuffed Tomatoes
Chiles Rellenos
This recipe for chiles rellenos comes from Andrea Serrato, who sells an exquisite version of the dish out of her home in East Los Angeles. Ms. Serrato learned to make it from her mother, Rose Serrato, who fills big chile poblanos simply with queso ranchero, fries them in a cloudlike batter and simmers them in a garlicky salsa roja. Be sure to take your time charring the chiles on the flame to make sure they get evenly tender. The dish is time-consuming and labor-intensive, but extremely worthwhile — delicious, comforting and beautiful, too.
Brunswick Stew
Few American dishes are more comforting than Brunswick stew, a motley mix of tomatoes, corn, beans and shredded meat. Chicken is most commonly used today, though some stew experts throw in beef chuck or pork shoulder for flavor and fat (or they prepare it in the old way, using game meat such as squirrel and rabbit). Both Brunswick County, Va., and Brunswick, Ga., lay claim to this hearty fall stew. This version borrows from the sweet and savory Virginian tradition. Thickened with potatoes, the stew tastes great on its own, alongside a hunk of cornbread or with a sleeve of saltine crackers.
Sopa de Fideo
Sopa de fideo is a quick and comforting Mexican staple that is particularly good on a chilly weeknight. The acidity from tomatoes, the bold garlic flavor and the luscious strands of fideo, a thin noodle similar to angel hair that’s typically included in Mexican soups, make for a hearty dish. Toppings for sopa de fideo vary, but common garnishes include avocado slices, sautéed mushrooms, lime juice, queso fresco, cooked potatoes, Mexican cream — the list goes on!
Kachumbari (Tomato and Onion Relish)
In his book, “Koshersoul,” the food historian Michael W. Twitty explores the varied cuisines of the global Jewish diaspora. Kachumbari, the Swahili word that means “pickle,” can be traced to Kenya and other East African countries where the tomato and onion mix is served as a salad or relish. This dish exemplifies a tradition of hospitality: Appetizers or snacks — salatim in Israel, kemia in North Africa and mezze in the Middle East — are offered to house guests. After tasting the small plates, the visitors then decide if they would like to stay and enjoy the main meal. This deeply flavored kachumbari can be served with nearly any fish or other protein-based dish, and can also be offered alongside plantains, or with hummus and pita.
Juicy BLT
The success of a BLT hangs in its balance of salt, acid, lusciousness and crunch. This version is perfect, with a generous swipe of mayonnaise on each slice of toast, followed by a drizzle of olive oil, tomatoes marinated in red wine vinegar and salt, butter lettuce leaves and thick-cut bacon. Squash this closed and eat while the bacon is still warm. BLTs are often associated with summer, but the vinegar here coaxes flavor and brings brightness to hothouse tomatoes, turning it into a sandwich for all seasons.
Quick Lamb Ragù
A simple sauce made mostly with pantry staples, this spicy, tomatoey take on a ragù, which is traditionally long-cooked, is unapologetically lamb-forward. If you prefer, you could use pork, beef or a mix of all three. Whatever you do, try not to skip the anchovies — they add a depth of flavor typically achieved by a long simmer, and anchovy-haters won't even know they are there.
Roast Oysters and Tomato Butter
These oysters are a good way to start a festive meal. One reason is that oysters seem to have built-in festivity — even when they were abundant to the point of local glut, they were eaten happily in bars that served only them, festively. The part of this recipe that requires any skill or focus is the shucking. This is a good skill to have anyway, and can't be gotten other than by practicing, meaning an hors d'oeuvre that is both nice for your guests and an exercise in self-edification. Once they’ve been opened, the oysters need little other attention.
Braised Chicken With Tomatoes, Cumin and Feta
Pleasantly reminiscent of shakshuka, this one-pot dinner has a similar spiced tomato sauce, but uses crispy skinned, cumin-laced chicken thighs instead of eggs. The harissa-spiked sauce is best spooned over an herbed rice or enjoyed with crusty bread to scoop up the melty feta. Roasted vegetables like kale or broccolini would round out the meal nicely. Harissa tends to differ in heat level from brand to brand, so adjust the heat accordingly.
Sweet-Corn Salad
Here's a recipe for sweet-corn salad designed to preserve the dignity of the solitary diner. The salad itself requires minimal cooking, which means the small amount of time you spend on it can all be attentive and quite personal. It amounts to simple cutting of kernels from the last of the season's corn cobs, and warming them in good olive oil with garlic, some scallions and a bit of chopped fresh vegetables, then finishing it all with chopped herbs. If corn season has ended, tender butter beans from a can, drained and rinsed, make a perfect substitute. Served with a wedge of good cheese and a thick cut of bread, the salad becomes part of a simple but complete meal, to be eaten in your own good company.