220 black pasta recipes

Slow cooker beef shanks braised in beer and tomato paste with mushrooms, carrots, red potatoes, and garlic, finished with fresh lemon zest and juice. Set it and forget it for up to 9 hours.

Killer shrimp: fiery herb-and-garlic broth with rosemary, thyme, fennel, and red pepper, simmered long then poached shrimp added at the end. Eaten with your fingers and plenty of bread.

Crock-Pot chicken cacciatore slow-cooked in tomato paste, red wine, mushrooms, and Creole seasoning until the meat falls off the bone. A set-it-and-forget-it Italian-Cajun fusion served over pasta.

Slow-simmered Italian tomato sauce with ground beef, San Marzano-style plum tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, and oregano. Rich, thick, and built for pasta night.

Golden pan-fried tofu simmered in a rustic Provencal tomato sauce with green beans, garlic, basil, and oregano. French-inspired, vegan, and on the table in 30 minutes.

A hearty double-crust vegetarian pie stuffed with curried green lentils, potatoes, carrots, and bell pepper spiced with coriander, cumin, turmeric, and ginger. Serve with chutney and a crisp salad.

Quick chicken skillet stew loaded with red potatoes, celery, bell pepper, and a rosemary tomato broth. A one-pan weeknight dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Greek-style tripe stew simmered for hours in a tomato paste, white wine, and butter sauce with onions and parsley. Serve with pilaf for a traditional Mediterranean comfort meal.

Bajan black bean soup from Barbados: dried black beans simmered with a ham hock, fragrant with allspice and lemon, finished with cream and an optional splash of dark rum. Caribbean comfort in a bowl.

Vegetarian pasta sauce with tomato paste, mushrooms, oregano, basil, and Parmesan. A simple from-scratch marinara for macaroni using pantry staples.

Braising can turn a tough piece of meat into a tender, fall off the bone, comfort food. I can think of no better example than the classic dish osso buco, made from veal shanks.

This sautéed babaganoush skips the grill and cooks cubed eggplant with onions, garlic, cumin, and coriander in a wok. Mashed with tahini and fresh lemon, it's a smoky, chunky dip served with warm pita.

Indian yogurt kabob sauce with cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and garlic-ginger paste. A tangy, spiced marinade for grilling meat, fish, or vegetables.

Parboiled cauliflower and broccoli tossed with colorful bell peppers in a creamy tahini-lemon dressing with garlic. Served chilled with pita wedges and fresh parsley for a vibrant, Mediterranean-inspired vegetable salad.

Homemade Thai curry spice paste with dried red chilies, coriander, garlic, shallots, anchovy, and lemon zest. Keeps two months in the fridge for quick weeknight curries.

Italian oil-packed tuna blitzed with mascarpone, kalamata olives, capers, anchovy paste, and lemon zest into a luxurious tapenade spread. Pile it on grilled crostini for a cocktail party appetizer that disappears fast.