Soba Noodles with Dipping Sauce MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 20 minutes Lightning-fast, cool, and refreshing, this is a standard summertime soup in Japan, where summers are plenty hot. Soba noodles, with their marked and pleasant buckwheat flavor, are available at…
Rice Cakes with Sweet Soy Sauce MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes These sauted or stir-fried rice cakes are sweet, salty, spicy, and addicting. I love them spicy with lots of Chile-Sesame Paste, Korean Style, or any other hot sauce. 1 pound rice cakes, sliced 3…
Ravioli Nudi MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 30 minutes When you want ravioli but just don’t have the energy to make them. With nudi you just turn the stuffing into naked, uncovered dumplings and serve them with any pasta you like. 1 cup fresh bread crumbs 2 eggs…
Potato Gnocchi MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 11/2 hours Gnocchi should be ethereal. If all you’ve ever had are hard and chewy, try these. With just a bit of practice you’ll be making the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi you’ve ever eaten. 1 pound baking (russet…
Porcini Dumplings MAKES: 4 servings TIME: About 1 hour These dumplings are full of mushroomy flavor that’s almost meaty. Increase the ratio of porcini as you like; fresh shiitakes are a good substitute if you don’t have any porcini on hand. Serve the…
Pasta with Walnut Sauce MAKES: 4 About 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes A rich bread-thickened nut sauce that’s unbelievable with stuffed pasta. To make a nondairy version of this sauce, use about 1/2 cup bread crumbs with nondairy milk and omit the Parmesan. Salt 1…
Pasta with Mushrooms MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes In many parts of the world, from Italy to the Pacific Northwest to Chile, you would think to make these, at least seasonally, with fresh porcini. Almost needless to say, it is an amazing dish when made this way,…
Pasta with Lentils or Other Legumes MAKES: 6 to 8 servings TIME: About 1 hour Lentils are ideal for this dish, because they cook so quickly they won’t slow you down much. But you can make pasta with almost any legume, as long as it’s soft enough; for…
Pasta with Garlic and Oil Pasta Aglio e Olio MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes One of my all-time favorites, the quintessential late-night Roman dish, great as a snack or even a centerpiece when you want something simple. Needless to say, good extra virgin olive oil…
Pasta with Chestnut Cream MAKES: 4 About 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes This rich, traditional Mediterranean dish is a perfect first course for a fancy dinner, especially with fresh pasta. And you can make it vegan just by using nondairy cream and skipping the Parmesan….
Pasta with Caramelized Onions MAKES: 4 About 4 servings TIME: About 1 hour I found this recipe miraculous when I was introduced to it around 20 years ago, and I still love it. The onions are cooked slowly and carefully (see Caramelized Onions), until they become sweet…
Pasta with Butter and Parmesan MAKES: About 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes One of the recipes that demonstrates the value of water in pasta sauces: You can use as little as 1/2 stick of butter here and still make a credible sauce, as long as you thin it slightly with the…