Cheese

Turn leftover meat from Flank Steak with Parsley-Garlic Sauce (page 194) into one of these weeknight dinners. The steak for the salad can be served cold, while the steak in the fajitas will warm through as it gets cooked with the rest of the ingredients.

Butterflying a steak is actually quite simple and can be done quickly at home, but you can also ask your butcher to do it.

Chicken thighs stay moist when cut into pieces and grilled. You could substitute other vegetables, such as summer squash or bell peppers, for the zucchini. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for fifteen minutes to keep them from scorching on the grill.

Think of this hearty casserole of ground lamb in tomato sauce, penne pasta, and a béchamel-and-cheese sauce as the ultimate Greek comfort food.

A bit of butter, parmesan cheese, and fresh basil transforms roasted vegetables into a flavorful sauce for pasta. You could easily modify this recipe to use any vegetables that are in season.

Cauliflower topped with brown butter and bread crumbs is a classic French dish; here the same components (plus sage, often used to flavor brown butter) combine to produce a delicious pasta sauce.

Whole-wheat spaghetti, which is slightly nuttier and chewier than regular pasta, holds its own with the kale, fontina, and rich, smoky bacon in this substantial main course.

This creamy no-cook sauce is very simple: Whisk together goat cheese, reserved pasta water, and butter, and toss with pasta and roasted asparagus. The corkscrew shape of cavatappi is just right for cradling the sauce.

Two types of peas are cooked along with the pasta in this one-pot dish, so everything finishes at once. The vegetables should be cooked just long enough that their colors stay vibrant and they are warmed through.

Legend has it that this dish was first created in Sicily as a tribute to the famous opera by Vincenzo Bellini, a native composer. This version stays true to the traditional recipe, combining eggplant, tomatoes, and basil.

The delicious sauce on this pasta doesn’t require cooking—just a few seconds in the food processor. For the very best flavor, don’t skip the step of toasting the walnuts.

This Southwestern-style salad makes excellent use of shortcut staples such as canned beans, frozen corn, and prepared salsa. Fresh varieties of each can be used instead. Serve additional chips, cheese, and salsa on the side.

The beet can be roasted up to a day in advance of serving the salad. Although the red beet contrasts nicely with the orange wedges, a golden or chioggia beet can be used instead.

Roasting the portobello mushrooms deepens their flavor and makes them tender and meaty. To clean them, wipe the caps with a damp paper towel (do not soak).

Serve this rich, velvety dip with crostini (page 365), breadsticks, or crackers. Or try it as a delectable accompaniment for roast chicken or pork.

You can flavor the goat cheese with any one of the three suggested mix-ins listed below, or make some of each. Serve the cheese spread atop crostini (page 365) or crackers; this recipe makes enough for approximately twenty-four servings.