Pasta recipes

Molasses barbecued ribs get a salt-vinegar brine soak, then a grill basting of dark molasses sauce loaded with onion, pepper, celery, tomato, cloves and allspice. Smoky, tangy, sticky, and built for summer.

Chili bean tacos stuff hard shells with cumin-spiced sausage, kidney beans, tomato and bell pepper, topped with sour cream. A 30-minute Tex-Mex weeknight dinner.

Another great vegetarian recipe, people sometimes think maybe vegetarian foods are tastless, it is not real, they are yummy too.

Italian barley soup slow-simmered for 3 hours with red wine, tomatoes, garlic, fresh herbs, and Parmesan. A thick, hearty vegetarian soup with deep, layered flavor from the long cook.

A competition-style Texas chili with coarse-ground beef chuck, no beans, and a bold spice blend of cumin, oregano, woodruff, and pequin chilis. Simmered for hours and thickened with corn flour.

Crisp lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, bean sprouts, and tofu tossed in a rich peanut-coconut milk dressing with red curry paste. A crunchy, creamy Thai salad topped with potato chips for fun.

Vegetarian tofu chili: a hearty meatless chili with browned tofu chunks, kidney beans, and a from-scratch spice blend of pure ground chiles, cumin, and oregano.

Italian-style pot roast is a beef chuck braised for three hours with soffritto, tomato paste, red wine, and Italian herbs. Sliced beef plus pasta sauce over spaghetti, feeds eight.

Three-meat chili loaded with ground beef, steak, pork, and linguica sausage, slow-simmered with black beans, green chilies, and beer for deep, layered heat that feeds a crowd.

Szechuan chicken in sesame paste with toasted peppercorns, green tea, ginger, and red pepper flakes, served cold in lettuce wraps. A spicy, make-ahead Chinese appetizer.

Quick pork carnitas with sliced pork loin, roasted poblano peppers, onion, garlic, and tomatoes, ready in 40 minutes. A weeknight-fast take on the Mexican classic for taco night.

Classic French tomato basil soup made from scratch with fresh Roma tomatoes and topped with sautéed fennel, zucchini, and mushrooms. A vegetarian potage that's rustic, fragrant, and deeply satisfying.

A make-ahead beef roast with a caper sauce. Thinly sliced and arranged on a plate or cubed and served as an appetizer.

Thai pad Thai-style fried rice noodles with shrimp three ways (fresh, dried, and paste), scrambled egg, and a sweet-sour-salty sauce of fish sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar. Topped with crushed peanuts and lime.

A vegetarian chili casserole with dried kidney beans, bulgur wheat, mixed vegetables, and red wine simmered in a spiced tomato broth. Hearty, filling, completely meatless.

This is a really rich, flavorful stew and goes GREAT with the stuffed onions and some french bread