Four weeknight dishes and baked alfredo pasta
A great thing about cooking: It occupies both the mind and the hands.
By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times
It’s Election Day here in the United States, and I’ve been asking everyone I see what they’ll be doing as the results start to roll in.
Some of the people I’ve surveyed are heading out (restaurants, shows, other plans), going all in on distraction and avoiding the news altogether. Others are gathering with friends for dinner, making chili, hot pot or other large-format meals that draw people in. Still others (that’s me) will be hanging out at home with a somewhat fiddly cooking project and a glass of red wine, or maybe doing some baking. A great thing about cooking: It occupies both the mind and the hands.
I knew right away I wanted something cheesy, most likely a baked pasta — stuffed shells, lasagna. I settled on the baked Alfredo pasta below, with its pops of green and crisp panko coat. I’m also not ruling out putting a pan of shortbread, chewy brown butter cookies or brownies in the oven as the evening progresses.
1. Baked Alfredo Pasta With Broccoli Raab and Lemon
One of the great things about baked pastas is that you can get two different textures in one dish. Take the typical pasta Alfredo that’s prepared in a skillet: It’s delightfully creamy and lush, but the same, bite after bite. But add a green vegetable to that Alfredo pasta, pile it into a dish, top it with melty cheese and a crunchy breadcrumbs, then bake it, and you get a vegetarian dinner that’s got it all. If broccoli raab isn’t your thing, you can substitute cut asparagus or broccoli florets.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 cups finely grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- Black pepper
- 1 pound casarecce, cavatappi or other small tubed or curly pasta
- 1 bunch broccoli raab, trimmed, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Preparation
1. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Place the butter in a 9-by-13-inch/3-quart pan or baking dish and transfer it to the oven to melt while the oven heats; remove it from the oven once it’s melted.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the panko, 1/4 cup Parmesan and the lemon zest. Add 1 tablespoon of the melted butter from the baking pan, stir until the panko is moistened with butter, then season with salt and pepper.
3. When the water’s boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest. During the last minute of cooking, add the broccoli raab. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and broccoli raab.
4. Whisk the cream, garlic and pasta water into the melted butter in the baking dish until smooth. Add the remaining Parmesan in large handfuls, vigorously whisking until smooth and combined. Add the pasta, broccoli raab and half the mozzarella. Taste, and season well with salt and pepper. Stir until very combined.
5. Top with the remaining mozzarella, then sprinkle evenly with the panko mixture. Bake until the mozzarella has melted and the panko is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Salt-and-Vinegar Baked Fish and Chips
There’s nothing quite like the savory pucker of a salt and vinegar potato chip. Those flavors are applied to these fish and chips, baked in the oven for workday ease. Don’t be afraid of white vinegar: Its bracing, unadulterated acidity makes flaky white fish taste so good. Vinegar’s tartness also helps offset the richness of the fried potatoes. Reminiscent of a seafood shack dinner, this dish includes a makeshift tartar sauce that both marinates the fish and serves as a dip. It stars dill in all its glory, as an herb that reinforces the joyful sharpness of salt and vinegar.
By Eric Kim
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 14 to 15 ounces frozen French fries
- 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, plus more to taste
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill or parsley
- Coarse kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 (4-ounce) flaky white fish fillets, such as haddock or cod, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, thawed if frozen
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Preparation
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a large sheet pan, spread out the French fries in a single layer and scootch to the edges of the pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly crispy at the edges.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir to combine the mayonnaise, capers, vinegar, 2 tablespoons dill, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Transfer about half of the sauce to a small serving dish; set aside for later. Add the fish to the rest of the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
3. In a separate bowl, stir to combine the panko, olive oil, remaining 2 tablespoons dill, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
4. When the fries are slightly crisp at the edges, add the marinated fish pieces to the sheet pan. Sprinkle the fish evenly with panko, then douse the fish and fries with vinegar to taste (1 to 2 tablespoons) and sprinkle with salt.
5. Bake the fish alongside the fries until the fish is flaky and no longer opaque in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately with the reserved sauce.
3. Peanut Butter Noodles
This nutty midnight pasta is a dream to cook, as it requires just a handful of pantry staples and one pot. Peanut butter (the less fancy, the better) anchors a creamy sauce swathed in umami. Accentuated by a good, salty Parmesan, these noodles recall those cheesy peanut butter sandwich crackers. They make an ideal dinner for one, but the amounts can easily be doubled or quadrupled as needed. For an equally gripping vegan alternative, try swapping out the butter for olive oil and the cheese for nutritional yeast.
By Eric Kim
Yield: 1 serving
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- Salt
- 4 ounces spaghetti or 1 individual package instant ramen (seasoning packet saved for another use)
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Preparation
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil (and salt it, if using spaghetti). Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the noodles and return to the pot. Turn off the heat.
2. Add the peanut butter, butter, Parmesan and soy sauce. Vigorously stir the noodles for a minute, adding some reserved cooking water, a tablespoon or two at a time, until the sauce is glossy and clings to the noodles. Season to taste with salt.
3. Top with more cheese, if you’d like, and serve immediately.
4. Balsamic Chicken Thighs With Burst Tomatoes
It’s very likely you have everything on hand to make this easy chicken skillet for dinner tonight. Crispy chicken thighs are sautéed in a sweet and savory balsamic glaze made with chicken stock, mustard and garlic. Sweet cherry tomatoes surround the chicken as it cooks, bursting into the balsamic, soaking up all the flavor as their juices mingle, creating a delicious sauce that would be perfect sopped up by some crusty bread or served over pasta or polenta.
By Dan Pelosi
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon Dijon or deli mustard
- 6 garlic cloves, grated
- Crushed red pepper
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 6 thighs)
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes
- Fresh basil, for serving
- Cooked rice, pasta or polenta, or crusty bread, for serving
Preparation
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, chicken stock, mustard, garlic and a pinch of red pepper. Set aside.
2. Pat chicken thighs with a paper towel until the skin is dry, then salt generously all over. Set a medium to large oven-proof skillet or pan over medium heat and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add chicken thighs skin-down and cook, untouched, for 9 minutes. When the skins release from the pan, flip the thighs over and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove thighs from pan and set aside.
3. Add the balsamic mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping away the bits on the bottom as you go, 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, set your oven to broil.
4. Add tomatoes and chicken thighs, skin-side up, to the pan. Spoon the balsamic juices over the tomatoes and the chicken skin, cover the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes, spoon more balsamic juices over the chicken thighs, then cover the pan and simmer for 3 more minutes.
5. Remove the cover, spoon more balsamic juices over the chicken thighs, and then place the uncovered pan into the oven to broil until the chicken skin is browned and crispy, 2 to 4 minutes.
6. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately over rice, pasta or polenta, or with a few chunks of crusty bread.
5. Khoresh Kadoo Halvaii (Butternut Squash Stew)
Khoresh kadoo halvaii is a popular and comforting fall dish from the northern region of Iran and is typically prepared with meat or chicken. This version swaps out the meat for canned chickpeas and is just as flavorful. Dried fruits are commonly used in Iranian cuisine to infuse a variety of savory dishes with a sweet and sour taste. Traditionally, dried golden sour prunes, aloo Bukhara, are added to this stew for a pleasing and distinct sour flavor, but pitted dark prunes, which lean a little sweeter, can be used. If using aloo Bukhara, be mindful of their pits when eating.
By Naz Deravian
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- A pinch of saffron threads (about 3/4 teaspoon)
- 1 tablespoon plus a pinch of granulated sugar, more as needed
- 1 pound precut butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes if needed
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 20 pitted prunes or dried golden sour prunes (aloo Bukhara), rinsed (see Tip)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more as needed
- Steamed rice, fresh herbs, scallions and plain yogurt, for serving
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Bring 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan or kettle, or using the microwave, then let stand for 2 minutes to allow the temperature to drop slightly while you grind the saffron. Using a mortar and pestle (or small bowl and the handle of a wooden spoon), grind the saffron with a pinch of sugar to a fine powder (scant 1/4 teaspoon), add the hot water, gently stir, cover and let steep until ready to use.
3. Place the butternut squash in a mound in the center of the prepared baking sheet. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt, and season with pepper. Toss to combine. Scatter the squash across the baking sheet in an even layer, and roast for 10 minutes. Flip the squash and roast until golden and almost tender, about 10 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil over medium-high, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to medium, sprinkle the onion with a little salt, add the turmeric and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas, season well with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. With the back of a wooden spoon, crush a few chickpeas to release their starches. Taste the chickpeas and make sure they’re seasoned to your liking.
6. Push the chickpeas to the sides and make a little space in the middle of the pot; if the pot is dry, drizzle in a little more oil. Add the tomato paste to the oil to cook off its raw taste, stirring continuously and taking care not to burn the paste, about 1 minute. Mix the tomato paste with the chickpeas, add 2 cups water and bring to a gentle boil, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the prunes and half of the saffron water. Stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Add the roasted squash, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar and the remaining saffron water. Gently stir to combine, cover and simmer over low heat until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes. The stew should be saucy but not soupy: add more water if the stew is too thick, or simmer uncovered if it’s too loose. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon juice or a little more sugar if needed to balance all the flavors. Serve over rice with herbs, scallions and a dollop of plain yogurt.
Tips
You can purchase aloo Bukhara, golden sour prunes, from Iranian markets and online. They’re also great to snack on.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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