Pasta recipes

Kahlua chili: ground beef chili spiked with coffee liqueur, served Cincinnati-style over spaghetti with cheddar and onion. The coffee-and-cocoa background note that makes it work.

Ratatouille casserole with layers of pre-roasted eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and sauteed peppers baked with fresh herbs. A light, Provencal-style vegetable bake.

Italian-style party meatballs with Parmesan and rolled oats simmered in a homemade tomato-oregano-basil sauce. Serve in a chafing dish for easy entertaining and cocktail parties.

Beef Bourguignon with cubed round steak braised in burgundy wine with crispy bacon, pearl onions, and mushrooms, plus a splash of sherry and tomato paste. The classic French bistro stew made at home.

Bean salad with mustard-tahini-soy marinade, scallions, carrots, and parsley stuffed into pita with alfalfa sprouts. A protein-packed vegetarian lunch ready in 25 minutes.

Dad's shepherd's pie: ground beef with mushrooms, tomato and brown gravy, topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and baked until the crust turns golden brown. Sunday-supper comfort food.

Baked falafel patties with chickpeas, tahini, parsley, cumin, and garlic. Oven-baked until golden and crusty, with a fry option for reheating. A lighter take on falafel.

Ethiopian-style mixed vegetable stew (atkilt alicha) built on berbere spice and ghee. Green beans, carrots and potatoes simmered in tomato broth, ready in 45 minutes. Vegetarian, deeply spiced.

Tender pork medallions braised with fennel, mushrooms, and wine in a rich tomato ragout. This Italian-inspired one-pan dinner is comfort food at its finest.

Chicken coq au vin made weeknight-easy: browned chicken breasts braised with mushrooms, carrots, and onion in red wine, broth, and tomato paste. A lighter, faster take on the French classic, ready in under an hour.

Rustic vegetable barley soup simmered with carrots, corn, peas, spinach, and garlic in a blended tomato-marjoram broth. Vegan comfort food that feeds 8 from one pot.

A North African-inspired vegetarian stew with chickpeas, butternut squash, turnips, and carrots simmered with harissa and served over fluffy couscous. Warm, spiced, and feeds 8.

Baked falafel made with chickpeas, garlic, tahini, cumin, turmeric, and fresh parsley. A low-calorie vegetarian falafel recipe coated in flour and oven-baked instead of deep-fried.

Homemade hummus from scratch using dried chickpeas, a pound of tahini, fresh lemon, and a freeze-to-soften trick for ultra-creamy texture. Middle Eastern dip that puts store-bought tubs to shame.

Olive oil marinated mushrooms simmer button mushrooms in herbed wine vinegar with thyme, garlic, and brandy. A make-ahead antipasto that gets better after a night in the fridge.

Stuffed flank steak rolled with a savory mushroom, herb, and breadcrumb filling, browned with bacon, and braised in beef broth. Served with a tangy Dijon mustard pan gravy.