Sauces/95 recipes

Pad Thai the authentic way: softened rice noodles wok-tossed with garlic, shrimp, egg, fish sauce, peanuts, bean sprouts, and green onions, finished with a squeeze of lime. Street-food speed in under 15 minutes.

Shortcut fettuccine with a creamy Parmesan sauce made from cream of mushroom soup, milk, and butter. A five-ingredient pantry dinner ready in 15 minutes flat.

Ginger chicken stir-fry with soy sauce, sherry, and brown sugar served over quick-cooking rice and vegetables. A complete weeknight dinner in about 25 minutes.

Cajun crawfish fettuccine in a rich cream sauce with onion, celery, scallions, and a kick of cayenne. A Louisiana-style pasta dinner ready in 25 minutes.

One-dish microwave spaghetti with ground beef, Italian tomato sauce, and Parmesan. A complete pasta dinner for two cooked entirely in the microwave in 15 minutes.

Quick sauteed salmon steaks pan-finished in butter with soy sauce and garlic powder, plated with lemon. Five ingredients, 15 minutes, weeknight-dinner heroics for under $10 a serving.

Quick chicken stir-fry with snow peas, carrots, water chestnuts, and green bell pepper in a soy-ginger-garlic sauce thickened with cornstarch. Marinate the chicken, fire up the wok, and dinner is on the table in 15 minutes.

Pineapple salsa with fresh pineapple, red bell pepper, scallions, and a splash of fish sauce or salt with bright lime juice. A 15-minute tropical salsa for grilled fish, tacos, or chips.

Chicken marinara made with a fast homemade tomato sauce of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, and basil spooned over cooked chicken pieces. A 25-minute weeknight Italian dinner with pantry staples.

Tex-Mex beans with chickpeas and kidney beans simmered in chili-spiced tomato sauce with green chiles. A vegan side or burrito filler ready in 25 minutes from pantry staples.

Green chili sauce made from scratch with diced green chiles, garlic, onion, and a simple flour roux. Ready in 15 minutes for enchiladas, burritos, and smothered anything.

Sesame noodles with soy sauce, garlic, crushed red pepper, and roasted red pepper strips. A quick cold noodle dish with nutty sesame flavor, ready in 25 minutes.

Whipped cranberry orange butter made with just three ingredients in 15 minutes. Cranberry sauce and orange marmalade beaten into fluffy butter for rolls, toast, and holiday breads.

Light pasta with sauteed baby artichoke hearts, garlic, lemon, and fresh Italian parsley in a brothy sauce. A low-calorie Italian dish ready in just 15 minutes.

Crab or lobster tossed with linguine in a garlicky cream sauce with fresh tomato, Swiss cheese, and Parmesan. A luxurious weeknight pasta ready in just 25 minutes.

Drunken pioneers pasta: wagon wheels topped with sauteed peppers and onions in a quick red wine and beef-stock sauce with basil and rosemary. Pantry weeknight pasta in 25 minutes.