726 pasty recipes

Herb-packed chicken spaghetti sauce with oregano, basil, marjoram, and rosemary simmered in tomato paste and sauce. Make it in the microwave for a quick dinner or on the stovetop for deeper flavor.

Old-fashioned chocolate cake doughnuts made with buttermilk, melted chocolate, and a pinch of ginger, then deep-fried until crisp outside and tender within.

Holiday crescent rolls filled with chopped cranberries, orange zest, ginger, and cracker crumbs. A quick, festive appetizer or snack using store-bought crescent dough.

Ossi di Morti (Bones of the Dead) Italian cookies flavored with cinnamon and clove oil, baked hard and meant to be dunked in coffee or tea. A traditional Italian All Souls Day treat.

Low-sodium pasta sauce simmered with tomato puree, white wine, garlic, shallots, and a pinch of nutmeg. A fresh, herb-bright marinara for weeknight pasta without the salt.

Quick pasta primavera with broccoli, carrot matchsticks, and Parmesan in a creamy soup-based sauce. A pantry-friendly weeknight pasta ready in under 30 minutes.

Schneiderflecklesuppe is a German tailor's square soup featuring handmade pasta squares rolled paper-thin and simmered in rich beef broth. A rustic, soul-warming classic from the old country.

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.

Applesauce-raisin doughnuts made quick with a baking mix: spiced cake doughnut dough with applesauce and raisins, fried golden and tossed in cinnamon sugar. Warm, moist and easy fall doughnuts.

Homemade fried elephant ears: sour-cream and buttermilk dough rolled thin, slit, fried golden, then tumbled in cinnamon sugar. State fair pastry made in your own kitchen.

Old-fashioned apple ring fritters: peeled apple slices dipped in a quick milk-and-egg batter, pan-fried in shortening until golden, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. A 30-minute dessert from grandma's kitchen.

Middle Eastern halvah cake made with tahini, semolina, and warm spices, soaked in a citrusy orange-lemon syrup. Dense, fragrant, and not overly sweet.

Mexican-style lentils simmer with tomato sauce, sweet corn, onion, and bold spices into a hearty, plant-based base for rice or pasta. Cheap, filling, and weeknight-friendly.

Snouts and beans: a playful Halloween twist on franks and beans, where knockwurst is carved into curling 'snouts' and simmered with jazzed-up barbecue baked beans. A fun, kid-approved party dish.

Spinach spaghetti tossed in a creamy white bean and roasted red pepper sauce with steamed broccoli, asparagus, and sun-dried tomato garnish. Vegetarian, vibrant, and satisfying.

Light and fast, this is great for surprise guests.