What to Cook

Creamy Cauliflower Pasta With Pecorino Bread Crumbs

Equal parts cauliflower and pasta, this one-skillet dinner is a vegetable-forward version of macaroni and cheese.

Ricotta Dumplings With Buttered Peas and Asparagus

These dumplings are a way to get the satisfaction of making your own pasta without having to make your own pasta. It’s a truly excellent canvas for anything seasonal (asparagus and peas in the spring) so adjust as you like.

New Shrimp Louie (Poached Shrimp Salad)

In this spirit of classics like shrimp Louie or niçoise salad, this is a fairly basic, highly customizable salad-for-dinner deal that can mostly be cooked in the same pot of boiling water.

Olive Oil-Roasted Chicken With Caramelized Carrots

Think of this as a weeknight chicken confit, cooked low and slow in plenty of olive oil along with sweet carrots and tangy lemon slices.

Tomato-Poached Fish With Chile Oil and Herbs

Poaching boneless, skinless fish fillets in a brothy sauce is a foolproof (and undeniably delicious) method for cooking fish.

Skillet Chicken With White Beans and Caramelized Lemon

One of the best parts of cooking skin-on chicken in a skillet, aside from the obvious (crispy skin), is the delicious fat left behind.

Seafood Pasta With Tomato and Crushed Olives

Think of this as a weeknight fish stew with pasta rather than a seafood pasta. It's highly customizable: You can use whatever seafood you like, including but not limited to shellfish, like mussels, clams or shrimp, and firm-fleshed white fish, such as cod, halibut or flounder.

Butcher’s Steak With Leafy Greens Salsa Verde

. These cuts are great with little more than salt and pepper, so you can truly assess their flavor. But a tangy, garlicky salsa verde made from dark leafy greens doesn’t hurt. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a bowl of salty potato chips for a truly faux-bistro experience.

Clams With Celery and Toasted Garlic

Most clams you buy have already been scrubbed and soaked to purge any sediment, mud or sand, but it’s still a good idea to give them another scrub once you’re in your own kitchen. And the chorizo (or bacon, or pancetta) is optional; if you leave it out, the recipe is pescatarian.

Sweet and Salty Grilled Pork With Citrus and Herbs

Typically prepared as a long-cooked stew or braise, pork shoulder is remarkably (and perhaps surprisingly) fantastic when treated like a steak.

Quick-Seared Short Ribs With Charred Scallion Salsa

To serve, thinly slice the meat and top it generously with a mixture of fresh and charred scallions and tomatillos. Set it out with warmed tortillas and hot sauce for a D.I.Y. taco experience, though it’s also great over a bed of peppery greens or crunchy romaine.

Pasta With Zucchini, Feta and Fried Lemon

The zucchini mixture should be deeply flavorful and concentrated, rather than loose or watery. If you’re looking for something saucier, add more olive oil (not pasta water) as needed to coat each piece of pasta before serving.