Sauces/27 recipes

Pantry pasta puttanesca: quick tuna, anchovy, and olive pasta in low-fat tomato sauce. Low-fat, 20-minute weeknight dinner built entirely from pantry staples. Neapolitan attitude, no trip to the store.

Oros prawns, a South African favorite: garlic-butter prawns tossed in a sticky-sweet, spicy glaze of orange Oros cordial and Nando's peri-peri sauce. Sweet, hot, and ready in 20 minutes.

Open-faced sandwiches piled with sliced ham and chicken, smothered in a velvety cream sauce enriched with white wine and egg yolks, then broiled under a blanket of Parmesan until golden. Elegant comfort food in 20 minutes.

I love Asian food. These spring rolls were so refreshing and just delicious, and I also loved the texture because of all these fresh veggies. The dipping sauce was terrific.

Round-up beef for a crowd, slow-braised round steak strips in a sweet-tangy ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Feeds 20 with chuck-wagon flair, served over noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Easy chicken piccata with golden flour-dredged cutlets in a bright, buttery lemon pan sauce built right in the skillet. A restaurant-style dinner with a tangy lemon kick, ready in about 20 minutes.

Vietnamese-style beef and French fries with thin-sliced sirloin in a savory fish sauce glaze, served over crispy matchstick potatoes. A sizzling 20-minute stir-fry that earns its 5-star rating.

Flambeed peaches in a port wine and cherry jelly sauce with cinnamon and lime, spooned over lemon ice cream. A dramatic tableside dessert that goes from chafing dish to plate in 20 minutes.

Fried bananas almandine sautes split bananas with sliced almonds in clarified butter, served over warm chocolate sauce spiked with Grand Marnier. A classic French-leaning dessert that comes together in under 20 minutes.

Seven-ingredient vegetarian chili built on a can of refried beans, tomato sauce, and basic pantry spices. Comes together in 20 minutes flat. The college-dorm chili that scales to a real weeknight bowl.

Ginger shrimp stir-fry with zucchini, red peppers, and jalapeño in a bright sauce of white wine, lime, mirin, and chicken stock. A 20-minute Asian-fusion skillet dinner finished with cilantro and scallions.

Chilled tomato salsa over hot angel hair pasta with red and yellow peppers, basil, garlic, and a hit of romano. Italian summer technique that needs zero cooking for the sauce. Ready in 20 minutes.

Pla nung horapa: Thai steamed red snapper rubbed with a fiery paste of galangal, lemongrass, red chiles, and fish sauce, finished with Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves. Aromatic Thai seafood ready in 20 minutes of steaming.

A fast wok stir-fry with large shrimp, snow peas, and bok choy in a bright lemon-orange sauce thickened with cornstarch. Dinner in 20 minutes, start to finish. Light, fresh, and full of crunch.

All-American hot dish brings ground beef freezer mix, corn, tomato sauce, olives, and noodles together in one skillet, finished with melted cheddar. A pantry-friendly weeknight dinner that cooks itself in about 20 minutes.

Creamy tuna dip spiked with brandy, made with cream cheese, sour cream, and a dash of hot sauce. Whip it up in 20 minutes and serve with crackers, French bread, or fresh veggies. The ultimate party-ready appetizer.