At Eataly's pasta and pizza counter, Mario Batali's team serves three different pasta shapes with a choice of about five different sauces ("made by some crazy dudes," says Batali). For the first time ever, he's going to let his customers match the sauce with the pasta shape. This sauce, an ever-so-slightly creamy ragù made with ground beef, pancetta and ham, is flavored with tomato paste instead of canned tomatoes.
I'm not fond of fish, but even I like this dish. Tilapia is mild, and the spicy crust is very appealing. I like to make the crumb crust in bulk and freeze in meal sized amounts. Then this becomes a super quick weeknight meal.
Leftover mashed potatoes are mixed with white cheddar cheese to form the top crust for this British pub-food staple. Ground beef is traditionally used, but lean ground turkey will work, as well. Brown the crust under the broiler for a minute or two, if you like.
Serve this Mexican-inspired hummus with raw veggies or tortilla chips for dipping, or spread it on sandwiches and wraps, too. Make sure to drain the black beans well, otherwise the hummus may be too thin.
A big, slurpy bowl of whisper-thin spinach noodles draped in a spicy curry and herb broth - inspired by a beautiful box of noodles I picked up in Mill Valley, Ca.
Some of my favorite meals are the simplest: thin, tender noodles coated with a subtle, light, silky sauce, tossed with crisp vegetables and sprinkled with tangy, fresh cheese. That happens to be a description for this here noodle bowl, actually.
You can mix these incredibly easy, fudge cookies right in the saucepan. When freshly baked, these thin cookies have crisp edges and chewy centers. You can make them with either Dutch process or natural unsweetened cocoa powder; we opted for the latter.
Chicken bacon roulades, chicken breasts, pounded thin, stuffed with bacon, shallots, and Parmesan, rolled up, browned, roasted, then served sliced, with a creamy white sauce.
This time of year, salad takes center stage. It's fast, it's fresh, and a little protein makes it a complete no-fuss meal. In this dish, the chicken is crunchy, the nectarines sweet, and the tangy dressing ties it all together. If you can't find chicken tenderloins, look for thin cutlets, which work just as well.
