Baked Spanakopita Pasta With Greens and Feta

 

INGREDIENTS

•  Kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 cups chopped spinach, Swiss chard or other mild greens (tough stems removed)
• 4 cups chopped arugula, watercress or other peppery greens
• 1 cup chopped fresh dill or parsley leaves and tender stems, or a combination
• 6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, whites and dark green parts separated
• 1 pound tubular or curvy pasta, like rigatoni or fusilli
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 8 ounces cream cheese (1 cup), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 ounces mozzarella, grated (1 cup)
• 4 ounces crumbled feta (1 cup)

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a 3-quart/9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the chopped spinach, arugula, herbs and scallion greens with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Squeeze the mixture with your hands to wilt, then set aside.
3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of al dente; reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside. Return the pot to the stove.
4. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, garlic and a pinch of salt, and sauté until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and pasta water and stir until smooth. Stir in the wilted greens, half the mozzarella and half the feta until combined. Stir in the pasta until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
5. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish, then top with remaining mozzarella and feta. Bake until the sauce has thickened and bubbly and the top has browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. If you like a crisper top, broil for a few minutes.

Five-Ingredient Creamy Miso Pasta

 This one-pot pasta comes together in minutes, and requires zero prep and minimal cleanup. It builds on the classic combination of pasta, butter and cheese with a spoonful of miso paste for complexity. But you could experiment with using any other condiments or spices you have on hand, such as red pesto, curry paste or ground turmeric in place of the miso. To achieve a silky smooth pasta, you’ll need to put your cacio e pepe skills to work: Vigorously toss the pasta, grated cheese and pasta water together to achieve a properly emulsified sauce. Top with shrimp, edamame, frozen peas or any steamed vegetable. The optional nori or furikake imparts an unexpected flavor of the sea, and it’s worth using if you have it on hand.

INGREDIENTS

•  Kosher salt
• 16 ounces spaghetti, linguine or bucatini
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons white (or red) miso
• 4 ounces Parmesan, finely grated (1 packed cup)
•  Kizami nori, furikake or thinly sliced seaweed snacks, for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain the pasta.
2. Add the butter, miso and 1 1/4 cups pasta water to the pot and whisk over medium heat until miso breaks down and liquid is uniform, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pasta and Parmesan and cook, stirring vigorously with tongs until cheese is melted and sauce emulsifies. (The key word here is “vigorously.” To achieve a silky smooth pasta instead of a gloppy one, put your cacio e pepe skills to work.)
3. Divide among shallow bowls and sprinkle with nori or furikake, if using.

Slow-Cooker Kofte in Tomato-Lime Broth

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lime
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 cup chopped dill, mint, parsley or a combination, plus more for serving
• ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt (about 4 ounces)
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric or another warm spice, like baharat, paprika, cumin, coriander, allspice or a mix
•  Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
• 2 pounds ground lamb, beef, turkey or a combination
• 3 pints cherry or Sungold tomatoes (about 30 ounces)
• Granulated sugar, to taste

PREPARATION

1. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the rind off the lime in wide strips. Add the rind to a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, along with the garlic and ¼ cup water. (Reserve the lime.)
2. In a large bowl, stir together the herbs, yogurt, turmeric, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add the meat and use your hands to combine. Form the meat into 8 balls (roughly 4½ ounces each) and add to the slow cooker in a single layer. If they don’t fit in one layer, add a few tomatoes to buffer the meatballs from one another, then add another layer of meatballs. Add the cherry tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, then cover and cook on low until the meatballs are cooked through, 3 to 4 hours.
3. Transfer the meatballs to plates, then remove and discard the garlic and lime peel. Burst most of the tomatoes by smashing them on the side of the slow cooker with a spoon. Squeeze the reserved lime into the slow cooker, then season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. (The sugar helps compensate for too-tart tomatoes.) Spoon the tomatoes and broth on top of the meatballs, along with more fresh herbs.

Black-Eyed Peas With Collard Greens

 

INGREDIENTS

• ½ pound black-eyed peas, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
•  Salt to taste
• 1 large bunch collard greens (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), stemmed, washed well and chopped or cut in ribbons
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1/2 cup water
• ¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh dill (to taste)
•  Freshly ground pepper to taste
•  For topping (optional): crumbled feta or 

PREPARATION

1. Place the black-eyed peas in a large saucepan, cover with water by two inches, bring to a boil and then drain. Combine with half the onion and one of the garlic cloves in the saucepan. Add water to cover by two inches, and bring back to a simmer. Add the bay leaf, and reduce the heat. Add salt to taste, cover and simmer 30 minutes, until the beans are just tender. Drain through a strainer set over a bowl.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large, ovenproof lidded skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat and add the remaining onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes, and add the remaining garlic. Stir together for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. A handful at a time, stir in the greens. As the greens wilt, stir in another handful, until all the greens have been added and have collapsed in the pan. Add the dissolved tomato paste and stir together. Add salt to taste. Add the beans and enough cooking liquid to barely cover everything, cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes, until the collards are tender and the beans very soft.
3. Uncover the pot, and add a bit of liquid if the beans are dry. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the dill, cover and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm or hot. If you wish, top with crumbled feta or a squeeze of lemon.