Pasta recipes

Hearty vegetarian chili with kidney beans, mushrooms, and carrots, deepened with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and mustard seeds. Thick, smoky, and satisfying without any meat.

Southern-style catfish stew with bacon, bell peppers, okra, diced tomatoes, and chunks of catfish in a smoky-savory fish stock broth. A Lowcountry one-pot dinner for chilly nights.

This is a typical restaurant style curry. The basic curry forms the base and the variations show how it can easily be adapted.

Note: 15 bean mixtures are available packaged in supermarkets and health food stores. If you prefer, make your own by combining equal amounts of dried blackeyed peas, red kidney beans, white kidney beans (cannellini), green lentils, split peas, black beans, yellow split peas, navy beans, cranberry (Roman, shell, or shell out) beans, great Northern beans, pinto beans, small white limas, red lentils, cow peas (field peas), and pink beans. Avoid using beans such as garbanzos and large lima beans, as these take longer to cook than other varities.

Pressure-cooked beef roast shredded into a rich tomato-clam broth with mushrooms, onions, and garlic creates an unexpected fusion goulash with Hungarian-seafood soul.

Authentic Texas beef chili with no beans, toasted cumin, and beer-braised chuck. Bold, chunky chili simmered low and slow until fork-tender in rich tomato broth.

A Louisiana-style turkey gumbo loaded with sauteed okra, the holy trinity of celery, onion, and green pepper, fresh and canned tomatoes, and file powder, served over rice. Leftover turkey gets a bayou soul in 40 minutes.

Browned chicken and Italian sausage simmer with peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms in a tomato-herb sauce that practically cooks itself in your crockpot.

Blended lentil and tomato soup with rosemary, cumin, miso, and arame seaweed for umami depth. A vegan, high-fiber soup that simmers in just 20 minutes.

Lentil and tomato soup with rosemary, miso, and a pinch of arame seaweed blended smooth. A vegan soup with hidden umami depth from miso and seaweed that keeps you guessing.

Italian spaghetti sauce with three meats: beef, pork, and chicken simmered in tomato paste and Italian tomatoes with meatballs. A slow-cooked Sunday gravy that freezes well.

Slow cooker lasagna with a homemade white sauce, ground beef, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and mozzarella cheese. All the layers without heating up the oven.

Vegetarian eggplant casserole layered with crumbled veggie burgers in tomato sauce and cheddar cheese, baked until golden and bubbly. A meatless moussaka-style dish.

Vegetarian Mexican loaf made with crumbled veggie burgers, cornmeal, green chiles, corn, and chili powder baked in a water bath. Sliceable, savory, and served with homemade tomato sauce.

Stuffed polenta with meat sauce: two layers of Parmesan polenta sandwiching a meaty tomato-basil sauce and mozzarella, baked hot until bubbly. A lighter Italian alternative to lasagna.

These are great! Nice and healthy, big hit in our family.