European

We found that a couple cracks across the tops of these cookies were worth it in this recipe to ensure they are as light and moist as possible, but resting the portioned dough for the full hour helps minimize getting too many.

Clams vary in brininess and the amount of liquid they’ll release during cooking, so you’ll need to adjust the salt and add pasta water accordingly. To prevent the sauce from getting too salty, we recommend a measured amount of salt for the pasta water. If possible, look for an artisanal dried pasta for this recipe—the rougher surface texture will catch the slippery sauce better.

Known as mendiants in France, these adorned chocolate bites are a holiday tradition.

It’ll take a couple of hours to make the homemade broth and cook a whole chicken (your house will smell amazing) for this soup recipe. If you’ve had a long day, use 2 quarts store-bought broth and shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken. Whatever method you choose, use the chicken breasts to make this amazing salad with crispy rice. Check out step-by-step photos here.

Think of this butternut cacio e pepe recipe as pasta cacio e pepe...with sausage. It’s comfort food-y, so it could use some fresh greens and/or veggies to help balance it out. Check out step-by-step photos here.

If you don’t happen to have or particularly enjoy pastrami, bacon or pancetta would be a delicious substitute for this minestrone recipe. Check out step-by-step photos here.

You know how the cheese sometimes oozes out of a grilled cheese while it’s cooking and gets all brown and crunchy when it hits the skillet? Well, this open-face sandwich recipe is dedicated to making that happen on purpose.

These are extra saucy and a little sweet like the original SpaghettiOs, but with grown-up flavors all around.

You don’t need hours to simmer tomato sauce. This recipe shows you how to make an excellent one in 30 minutes, with 5 ingredients, in 1 pan, with very little effort.

Not the biggest fan of lamb? This hearty, soul-warming ravioli recipe will be equally successful if you use beef short ribs instead. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to shape and fill ravioli.

These are jumbo-sized ravioli, and each one envelops an egg yolk, which will run when you cut the pasta open and mingle with the pan sauce. Duh-lish!

Agnolotti is one of our favorite pasta shapes because the little pockets catch the sauce; try a variation with a simple ricotta filling and marinara sauce instead. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to make agnolotti.

This pasta dough is easy, texturally resilient, and versatile enough to form into any shape.

Getting the consistency of the creamy mushroom sauce right is key for this pasta recipe. You want to reduce it just until it clings to the pasta to create a light coating.

The genius of this pasta recipe is in the contrast of the textures and flavors. If spicy isn’t your thing, sub in any fresh sausage you like.

This all-star topper can gussy up anything: steak, roasted potatoes—even a citrus salad.

The sea dog (a fried fish sandwich) is not really a thing but should definitely be a thing because it’s that good. (If you’ve been to the Red Rooster on route 22 in Brewster, NY, you already know this is true.) The batter alone should become your go-to whenever you fry fish.

You can omit the pancetta, but it gives the finished dish a meaty depth that’s worth the extra step.

Once you get hooked on fresh chiles, you'll want to pack them into everything you cook—including your antipasto.

This twist on the traditional Italian peperonata omits the tomatoes, but the bell peppers are hearty and colorful enough on their own. Serve as a side dish or pour over steak.