Peruvian Pesto

In Peru, tallarines verde is made with spinach, not basil

Miso Pesto Pasta

Inspired by kinome ae, a miso and sansho leaf sauce we learned in Japan: rich miso replaces the cheese for a creamy, umami-packed pesto.

Pasta with Trapanese Pesto

We hear “pesto” and see shades of green, but the word refers to prep, not pigment. It stems from pestare, to pound—this Italian sauce traditionally was made with a mortar and pestle. The basil-heavy, and therefore green, version we know best comes fro

Pesto alla Genovese

We learned to make pesto alla Genovese in its birthplace—Genoa, Italy. It traditionally is made in a mortar and pestle of nothing more than basil, pine nuts, cheese, garlic, salt and olive oil, emphasis on the basil. We use a food processor for conven

Rigatoni with Ricotta-Sage Pesto

Sage can be either too bitter or too faint, but satisfyingly bold when gently cooked with creamy ricotta.

Pesto Potato Salad

A no-mayo potato salad you can assemble in under an hour. Dress the potatoes while they’re still warm so they soak up the pesto.

Spaghetti with Lemon Pesto

This zesty, lightly perfumed lemon pesto is inspired by the world-famous lemons of Amalfi, Italy.

Pasta with Pesto Rosso

Rich red pesto, a balance of savory and sun-dried tomatoey sweetness.

Pasta with Pesto Calabrese

Pesto calabrese, from the Calabria region that forms the “toe” of Italy‘s boot, is a simple puree with a base of sweet red peppers, tomatoes and ricotta cheese. It often includes nuts for richness and, on occasion, cooked eggplant for added creaminess

Pasta with Evergreen Pesto

Basil is pesto’s essence and also its liability. Peppery arugula, lemon juice and a slick of oil keep this one bright green for days.

Red Beet and Walnut Pesto

Beet pesto is a savory-sweet game-changer—it not only livens up pasta routine but makes an excellent put-in-on-everything sandwich spread.

Gnocchi with Pesto alla Genovese

In Genoa, the birthplace of basil pesto, we learned that great pesto is a thick, creamy harmony of good-quality ingredients. And each should be treated separately.

Fettuccine with Miso and Kale Pesto

Bold, salty-sweet white miso forms the backbone of this vegan earthy kale and basil-based pesto. For richness and body, we add walnuts, echoing miso’s umami punch (pine nuts are a good stand-in for those who aren’t fans of walnuts). A few splashes of

Farfalle with Spinach and Lemon Pesto

This speedy pasta was inspired by the spaghetti al pesto di limone that Giovanna Aceto made for us on her family’s farm in Amalfi, Italy. Instead of lemon juice, which is sharp and acidic, we use lemon zest, where the essential oils reside. We use lem

Fennel, Lemon and Pine Nut Pesto

This pesto is all about the fennel, which is to say, clear, bright flavors. No cheese needed.

Upside-Down Cardamom-Spiced Plum Cake

Peak-season plums mean plum cake—and we can do no better than this enchanting recipe, inspired by Claire Ptak’s upside-down fig cake.

By Rose HattabaughAugust 9, 2023

Tahini Banana Bread

Earthy, nutty tahini is as at home in cookies, brownies and cakes as it is in savory hummus. Here, it replaces some of the butter in banana bread, lending the crumb an especially plush, tender texture. Banana slices, arranged on the batter, followed b

By Lawman JohnsonNovember 14, 2025

Zucchini Bread with Orange Zest and Chocolate Chunks

Unlike the basic (and often boring) zucchini bread, this quick bread is saturated with citrusy orange flavor thanks to a simple step of rubbing orange zest into the sugar. This draws out the zest’s essential oils and evenly distributes them for bright

Browned Butter and Coconut Loaf Cake

This moist, dense, buttery loaf cake comes from Briana Holt of Tandem Coffee + Bakery in Portland, Maine. It's baked until the exterior is deeply browned, developing rich, toasty flavors and an amazing aroma. A coconut syrup is brushed on while the ca

Carrot-Tahini Quick Bread with Candied Ginger and Pistachios

We turn carrot cake into moist, tender quick bread for any time of day.

By Rose HattabaughApril 26, 2021

Double Chocolate Loaf Cake

A velvety, deeply chocolatey cake from renowned baker Claire Ptak, of Violet Cakes in East London.

By Malcolm JacksonJanuary 22, 2024

Meringue Cradle Cake

A lost 1950s Bake-Off winner: a chocolate-hazelnut meringue “cradle” that fuses to the crumb as it bakes, working as both shell and frosting.

By Hisham Ali HassanMarch 18, 2026

Banana-Hazelnut Bread

Buttery hazelnuts, ground in the food processor, take banana bread to a new level—adding more moisture to the crumb and playing off the bananas’ sweetness.

By Rose HattabaughOctober 12, 2020

Three-Citrus Tea Cake

A triple hit of citrus brings bright flavor, while a technique called "reverse creaming" gives this cake an impossibly tender crumb.

By Lawman JohnsonAugust 10, 2026

Clementine Blender Cake

We blitz whole, unpeeled clementines in a blender and use them to flavor the batter and finishing syrup in this fragrant, bright orange cake.

By Hisham Ali HassanFebruary 9, 2024

Brown Butter-Cardamom Banana Bread

Two simple changes, and zero additional effort, make banana bread holiday-worthy, and we now only make it this way.

Tomato, Feta and Black Olive Quick Bread

The idea for this savory quick bread with a Mediterranean flavor profile comes from Milk Street Facebook Community members Stephanie Huddleston and Alin Manukyan. Tomato, olives, feta and fresh dill add bursts of boldness, while olive oil and Greek yo

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 10, 2024

Yogurt Loaf Cake with Coriander and Orange

An easy yogurt cake often baked by French children, with a moist crumb and an added fragrant, zesty lift.

By Diane UngerDecember 14, 2020

Pistachio-Cardamom Cake

Baking a cake can be daunting. Enter the loaf cake, as easy as a quick bread but with more polish. Rose Bakery in Paris, created by Briton Rose Carrarini and her French husband, Jean-Charles, has elevated the style to an art form, producing tempting l

Marbled Chocolate-Tahini Cake

This loaf cake boasts a marbled interior featuring one of our favorite flavor combinations—nutty, savory tahini and rich dark chocolate. The cake’s striking design is made by alternating layers of chocolate-enriched batter and plain, lightly colored b

By Hisham Ali HassanAugust 12, 2024

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Our rich, creamy riff on classic Indian butter chicken uses no heavy cream—pureed cashews bring the creaminess and allow the warming spices and aromatics to shine through.

Garnish-as-You-Like Potato-Leek Soup

Potato-leek soup is a blank canvas for all manner of garnishes. Keep it simple for family—chopped thyme and black pepper—and for a larger gathering, double the soup and set out an array of options so guests can add what they like. With a base of water

Cantonese Stir-Fried Black Pepper Beef and Potatoes

In Hong Kong, Oi Man Sang Kitchen cook Tang Kwok Keung showed us how to make black pepper beef with potatoes, one of the eatery’s signature stir-fries. Our adaptation simplifies the process by simmering the potatoes instead of deep-frying them. Prior

Thai Cashew Chicken

[T]his not only is unlike any cashew chicken I’ve ever eaten,” writes J.M. Hirsch, “it’s also wildly better.”

One-Pot Tortellini with Cherry Tomatoes and Salami

There’s no need to boil a large pot of water for this recipe because we cook the pasta in the sauce for better flavor absorption. But we first brown the filled pasta in olive oil, a step that builds flavor in the dish. Then cherry (or grape) tomatoes

Traybake Tacos al Pastor

We’ve moved tacos al pastor off the spit roast and onto your baking sheet. Well-marbled boneless pork shoulder turns crisp and succulent in a high-heat oven, then gets drenched with a sweet-and-spicy chili blender sauce. To simplify prep, buy fresh pi

Oven-Fried Potato and Cheese Tacos Dorados

These crispy oven-fried tacos are loaded with cheese and potatoes, with a kick from pickled jalapeños and chipotle.

Gnocchi in an Instant with Arugula-Pistachio Pesto

Our search for a better way to make gnocchi brought us to an unexpected place: instant potato flakes. Not only do we get more consistent results, but there also is no need to peel, boil and rice potatoes. We sauce the gnocchi with a peppery green arug

French Lentil Salad with Bacon

Chef Loïc Lobet at Le Bon Georges, a bistro in Paris’ 9th arrondissement, showed us his version of the classic French lentil salad. When simmering the lentils, he included finely chopped aromatics along with bacon fat, which provided richness in the f

Thai-Style Caramel-Braised Pork with Star Anise

The savory-sweet, warmly spiced braise known as moo hong is from southern Thailand but has Chinese roots. The classic cut of meat for the brothy stew is fatty pork belly, but in this Instant Pot version, we use leaner, meatier shoulder to moderate the

Miso Ground Chicken with Rice and Scallions

Japanese niku miso is a simple mixture of ground meat cooked with miso, soy sauce and a few other basic ingredients from the Japanese pantry. Its savory-sweet flavor tends to be intense and concentrated, as niku miso is meant to be eaten with rice or

Sausage, Potato and Sweet Pepper Traybake

Savory Italian sausages roast on top of potato, onion and bell pepper, finished with a tangy-sweet glaze in this almost hands-off traybake.

Stir-Fried Gochujang Chicken

Flavor-packed, spicy-sweet gochujang elevates a couldn’t-be-simpler chicken stir-fry. The complexly flavored Korean refrigerator staple is balanced by the pepperiness and pungency of ginger and garlic, plus a splash of salty soy sauce and a spoonful o

Japanese-Style One-Pot Mushroom Rice

Japanese takikomi gohan cooks a variety of ingredients—from sweet peas to hijiki (a type of seaweed) to bamboo shoots—directly on top of short-grain rice. When the cooking is done and the rice has had a chance to rest, the ingredients are stirred into

Spaghetti with Lemon Pesto

This zesty, lightly perfumed lemon pesto is inspired by the world-famous lemons of Amalfi, Italy.

Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowls (Teriyaki Donburi)

Tender and glossy, with a sweet-­savory glaze, this perfected chicken donburi was served to us by cook and philosopher Elizabeth Andoh.

Paprika-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

“I found myself wanting to lick my plate to get every last bit of sauce."

Chinese Chili and Scallion Noodles

These spicy Chinese scallion noodles have quickly become one of our back-pocket dinner ideas—the kind of recipe you throw together, top with a fried egg, and still look forward to every time.

Two-Cheese Orzo with Cauliflower

“You guys killed it coming up with this,” a reader writes about this creamy, cheesy “orzotto” with cauliflower.

Stir-Fried Masala-Spiced Pork with Peas

This pea-studded pork-and-rice bowl, inspired by southwestern Indian flavors, uses few ingredients for maximum pizazz.

Coconut Chicken Curry with Potatoes

A brothy weeknight curry that balances rich coconut milk with umami and bright ginger and lime.

Pan-Seared Steak with Smoky Miso Butter and Watercress Salad

Miso compound butter ups the umami; peppery watercress salad keeps things light.

Moroccan-Style Braised Lemon Chicken (Tangia)

This simple chicken braise loaded with high-flavor ingredients is modeled on tangia, a slow-cooked lamb dish from Marrakech. We got a lesson in cooking tangia the traditional way from taxi driver Youssef Boufelja. For our simplified version, we used b

Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Aleppo Pepper Oil

This toss-in-the pot lentil soup proves the transformative power of spices, which give hearty lentils potent flavor and heat.

Spicy Peanut-Sesame Stir-Fried Shrimp

Chunky peanut butter and toasted sesame oil bring two layers of nutty flavor to this simple stir-fry.

Vietnamese-Style Meatball Lettuce Wraps

Meatballs, carrot salad and a dipping sauce? Seems like a lot of work. But not so with these Vietnamese-style meatballs.

Chorizo and Potato Hash

Guisado de chorizo con papas, or Mexican chorizo and potato stew, inspired this simple, hearty one-skillet dish. Chorizo sausage is spicy, so if you’re sensitive to chili heat, you may want to remove the seeds from the jalapeño before slicing. Serve w

Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach

A full pound of fresh shiitake mushrooms and a good dose of soy sauce give this quick vegetarian supper lots of meaty flavor, while thick, chewy Japanese udon noodles give it satisfying texture. Though udon also is sold fresh and frozen, we use dried

Greek Chicken and Potato Traybake

The Greek dish known as kotopoulo skorthato typically is called “Greek garlic-lemon chicken” in English, but the ensemble also includes potatoes, making it a delicious complete meal. For our take on the classic, we use our trusty traybake technique—we

Milk-Poached Chicken with Tarragon Salsa Verde

We love the Italian trick of gently simmering pork and chicken breasts in milk for extra-tender, succulent meat.

Milk Street 7.5-inch Everyday Pan with Trivet

Milk Street Közmatik

Milk Street 11-inch Everything Pan with Magnetic Trivet

Milk Street 3-Piece 13-Inch Hammered Carbon Steel Wok

Milk Street 3-Piece 10.5-Inch Small Hammered Carbon Steel Wok

Milk Street Widebody Dutch Oven with Griddle Lid and Trivet

Otoshibuta Adjustable Stainless Steel Drop Lid

Kim's Cook Sandwich Press

Wahei Freiz Saisyokuan Stainless Steel Pot and Sieve Set

Wahei Freiz Fry Pot

Iwachu Cast-Iron Omelet Pan

AirHood Portable Induction Cooktop

The Baking Steel Mini Griddle

Wahei Freiz Deep Frying 3-Piece Set

Milk Street Enamel Roasting Pan

Tikka Masala Cauliflower

Ditch the cream, not the creamy flavor. This vegetarian spin on chicken tikka masala uses pureed cashews instead of dairy to create a rich and creamy tomato-based sauce. It’s a trick we learned in Mumbai. Be sure to use roasted cashews, which have dee

Indonesian-Style Stir-Fried Red Chili Tofu with Peanuts

In Jakarta, at Warteg Gang Mangga, we loved the spicy, savory-sweet kering tempeh. Crisply fried nuggets of tempeh were tossed with bumbu dasar merah, a red spice paste made by pureeing aromatics, that was cooked to a thick, glaze-like sauce that coat

Cheese-Crisped Pinto Bean Quesadillas

For easier, crispier quesadillas, skip the skillet

Zucchini Carbonara

Is it possible to get a vegetarian carbonara that’s still meaty and rich? Yes—with the added benefit of garden freshness.

Pasta with Smothered Tomatoes and Sweet Peppers

Cook tomatoes and peppers all the way down until jammy and the peppers turn creamy—with olive oil and starchy pasta water, a luscious sauce seasoned with nothing but salt.

Pasta with Cremini Mushrooms and Miso

A meaty-yet-meatless cremini mushroom pasta, cooked directly in the sauce.

Arrabbiata Slab Pizza

This slab-style pizza features a puffy, crisp-bottomed, focaccia-like crust and a spicy, garlicky tomato sauce inspired by pasta all’arrabbiata. We like mild, buttery fontina cheese for the way it counters the intensity of the sauce, but if you want b

Two-Cheese Orzo with Cauliflower

“You guys killed it coming up with this,” a reader writes about this creamy, cheesy “orzotto” with cauliflower.

Polenta Soup with Kale and Parmesan

Soft polenta takes on a brothy quality in our take on comforting polentina alla toscana.

Sri Lankan Winter Squash and Coconut Curry

In Colombo, Sri Lanka, home cook Mallika Fernando and her husband, Allan, taught us to make poosanikai kootu, an easy one-pot pumpkin curry in a rich, fragrant coconut base. Butternut squash works well in this recipe, but if kabocha is available, it’s

Pizza with Cherry Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil

Fettuccine Alfredo

In Rome, fettuccine alfredo is totally unlike gloopy American versions—silky-smooth, buttery, and light.

Spaghetti al Limone

Lemony freshness and light creaminess pair beautifully in this simple, vibrant pasta from Italy’s Amalfi coast.

Spaghetti with Lemon Pesto

This zesty, lightly perfumed lemon pesto is inspired by the world-famous lemons of Amalfi, Italy.

Gemelli Pasta with Chevre, Arugula and Walnuts

We get optimal creaminess in this goat cheese-sauced pasta, with the perfect duo of peppery arugula and soft walnuts.

Japanese-Style Chicken Meatballs

“Perfect recipe!” wrote one reader of our savory-sweet chicken meatballs, based on Japanese tsukune.

Vietnamese-Style Chicken Meatballs

These flavor-packed, quick-and-easy meatballs were inspired by traditional Vietnamese pork meatballs. They can be served with lettuce leaves for wrapping, piled onto cooked rice to make rice bowls, added to Southeast Asian soups or tucked into a bague

Spaghetti and Meatballs

What makes the perfect spaghetti and meatballs? We looked to Naples, though the combination isn’t actually served in Italy.

Spiced Chicken and Cashew Meatballs

Roasted cashews ground in a food processor with a few seasonings add richness and bold flavor to these oven-cooked meatballs. Ground cardamom lends subtle citrus, mint and floral notes, while garam masala adds a warm, well-rounded spiciness; use which

Spanish-Style Meatballs

These tapas-style meatballs, called albondigas, are rich and satisfying. Smoked paprika not only spices the meatballs, it also flavors the sauce and helps thicken it to a glaze-like consistency. For this recipes, look for firm, meaty green olives such

Neapolitan Meatballs with Ragù

Naples is best known for pizza—but we went for the generously-sized, ultra-tender meatballs.

Turkish Meatballs with Lime Yogurt Sauce

There are many variations (and spellings) of kofta across the Middle East and North Africa, but essentially they’re seasoned patties, often made from ground lamb or a blend of beef and lamb. It’s the rest of the world’s answer to the Italian meatball.

Pecorino “Meatballs” in Tomato Sauce

At Checchino dal 1887, a restaurant in Rome’s Testaccio neighborhood, we were introduced to pallotte cacio e ova, or cheese and egg balls. The dish exemplifies the cooking of cucina povera, which takes simple, local ingredients and transforms them int

Curried Chicken and Cashew Meatballs

Dried out, flavorless ground chicken? Just add cashews! In these super tender meatballs, the fatty nuts fix both problems. Meanwhile, torn-up bread mashed with yogurt further helps with tenderization while also binding the mixture. Either dark- or whi

Greek Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

These Greek cigar-shaped meatballs are known as soutzoukakia smyrneika. The spicing reflects the dish’s origins in Smyrna, a former Greek settlement and now the Turkish city of Izmir. Soutzoukakia often are made with beef or a combination of beef and

Greek Meatballs with Tomato Sauce (Soutzoukakia)

These tender-sweet, all-pork meatballs are seasoned with cumin and simmered in a garlicky honeyed tomato sauce.

Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce (Albondigas Enchipotladas)

These Mexican meatballs are served in a tomato sauce laced with spicy, smoky chipotle chilies. Canned fire-roasted tomatoes are an easy way to give the sauce flavor that accentuates the smokiness of the chipotles. Instead of browning the meatballs on

Baked Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce

A go-to pantry flavor solution does double duty when we add it to both meatballs and sauce. Depending on your mood and what you have on hand, give the dish a Mexican flair with smoky-spicy chipotle chilies in adobo, or use the spice paste harissa for

Belgian Meatballs (Boulets à la Liégeoise)

This recipe was inspired by “a torrent of 700 foil-wrapped meatballs” we saw rain from balconies in Belgium.

Turkey Meatballs in Tomato-Chipotle Sauce

Albóndigas en chipotle, or meatballs in chipotle sauce, is a Mexican classic. We use ground turkey (dark meat is best for flavor and texture, but white meat works, too), and we bind it with both breadcrumbs and pepper jack cheese. Additional cheese go

Otoshibuta Adjustable Stainless Steel Drop Lid

Pure Indian Foods Alphonso Mango Puree

Kinto Pickling Jar

Dreamfarm Fluicer

Villa Jerada Za’atar

The Baking Steel Mini Griddle

Work Sharp Rolling Knife Sharpener

Straight Type Mentsuyu (All Purpose Soup Base)

GIR Ultimate Whisk

Blank Slate Kitchen Sichuan Chili Oil

Suncraft Brunch Knife

Oak Pasta Board with Roller

Blackthorn 100% Scottish Sea Salt Flakes

Skeppshult Waffle Iron

New Metro Metal Bowl Pouring Chute