Pasta recipes

Perfumed wtih Benali 5-spice (panch puran), this tasty melange of vegetables is wonderful with basmati rice.

Hearty winter borscht-style soup loaded with pearl barley, lima beans, split peas, lentils, mushrooms, turnips, and carrots in a savory miso-tamari broth. A meat-free, slow-simmered vegan one-pot.

Pear and apricot tart layers fanned pears and apricot halves over almond paste filling in a buttery almond pastry, then glazes with apple jelly. A bakery-worthy fruit tart for special occasions.

Homemade mustard cooked with dry mustard, white wine, vinegar, and egg yolks. One base recipe, four variations: lime, tarragon, spicy, and tomato. Keeps a month in the fridge.

Pasulj: Balkan white bean and kielbasa soup thickened with a paprika-oil roux (zaprška). Slow-simmered with onion, garlic, and smoked sausage. A Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian comfort classic.

Mandelbreit is a Jewish almond bread sliced twice-baked style with three fillings: cocoa, walnuts, and candied fruit. Aging the rolls in foil for a week deepens the flavor.

Slow-simmered marinara sauce with roasted garlic, anchovies, Italian plum tomatoes, and a strip of lemon peel for depth. Rich, savory, and worth the wait.

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.

Crispy tofu and tender-crisp green beans tossed in a spicy hoisin chili sauce. This 30-minute Chinese vegetarian stir-fry is packed with savory heat and works beautifully over steamed rice.

Southwest riblets baked in a mole-inspired sauce with ground red chiles, unsweetened chocolate, juniper berries, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar. A smoky, complex, slightly bitter glaze on tender pork back ribs.

Ethiopian vegetable stew (Yetakelt W'Et) with potatoes, carrots, green beans, and tomatoes simmered in berbere and ghee. A warming vegetarian dish ready in 40 minutes.

Thai hot and sour shrimp soup (Tom Yum Goong) with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, red curry paste, fish sauce, and fresh lime juice. A fragrant, spicy broth ready in 35 minutes.

Phanang curry paste pounded from dried red chiles, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, coriander root, cumin, and shrimp paste. An authentic Thai curry paste made from scratch.

San Francisco seafood casserole bakes mussels, shrimp, and white fish in a tomato-wine-clam juice broth. A streamlined cioppino in casserole form, ready in under an hour.

Provencal onion soup with eggplant, zucchini, tomato paste, and fresh basil simmered in red wine. A low-fat, vegetable-rich French soup with no butter or cheese.

Smoky, velvety tomato soup made with fire-kissed tomatoes, crispy bacon, red wine and a kick of cayenne. Ready in 30 minutes and leagues beyond anything from a can.