Vegetable

Chicken breasts get bold bursts of flavor from a zesty topping of cherry tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro, and green olives. Serve this dish with rice or a simple green salad and crusty bread.

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.

Thick, flat udon noodles have a sumptuous, chewy texture. Look for them in the Asian-food section of the supermarket. If you can’t find udon, use linguine—just break the noodles in half before boiling them.

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.

The combination of raisins, pine nuts, and chard is typical in Sicilian cooking; here it is used in a robust pasta dish, along with crumbled sweet Italian sausage. Running a paring knife down the center of the sausage is the easiest way to remove the casing.

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.

Begin cooking the shrimp and sauce while the pot of water is coming to a boil so everything is ready at the same time. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp, as they can easily become tough.

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.

Quickly wilted arugula, canned beans, and toasted walnuts add heft to this vegetarian main course. Try spinach in place of arugula and pine nuts instead of walnuts.

Full of fiery red-pepper flakes and salty capers, olives, and anchovy fillets, this tomato-based sauce is a lively alternative to a traditional marinara. Tossing the cooked pasta with the sauce in the skillet helps coat the strands.

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.

This quick version of a traditional Mexican stew gets its robust flavor from chipotle chiles—smoked jalapeños packed in adobo (spicy tomato sauce). Hominy (or posole) is also essential. Both can be found in the Latin American section of supermarkets.

Pieces of tilapia are added to this tomato-based chowder in the final minutes of simmering; the fish cooks quickly without breaking apart. Other flaky white fish, such as flounder, sole, or halibut, could be used instead. Serve the soup with soda crackers.

For its flavor, this Italian favorite relies on a combination of vegetables that are first sautéed and then simmered in water—no broth required. You can make the soup through step 2 up to two days beforehand, and then add the beans and pasta just before serving.

In this homemade version of the popular store-bought soup, chicken thighs and a wild-rice blend combine for a rich and nourishing dish.

This flavorful potato, bean, and mushroom stew is ready in less than an hour. You can use other beans, such as black-eyed peas, in place of the navy beans; kale or Swiss chard would be nice substitutions for the spinach leaves.

There’s no need to boil the noodles separately; here, they are cooked in the savory broth that serves as the base of this soup. Look for soba noodles in the Asian-food or pasta section of the grocery store. If you can’t find them, use whole-wheat spaghetti instead.

For true Southwestern flavor, squeeze lime juice over each portion of soup just before serving and place tortilla chips alongside. Buy the cooked ham from the deli counter, or leave it out altogether for a vegetarian version.