Best Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

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

By Courtney HillDecember 2, 2024

Two-Cheese Orzo with Cauliflower

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

By Rose HattabaughAugust 9, 2023

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

By Courtney HillAugust 13, 2025

Pizza with Cherry Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil

By Chris KimballSeptember 19, 2024

Fettuccine Alfredo

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

By Diane UngerJune 11, 2021

Spaghetti al Limone

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

By Diane UngerMay 28, 2018

Spaghetti with Lemon Pesto

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

By Courtney HillDecember 14, 2020

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.

Afghan-Style Braised Butternut Squash with Garlic-Mint Yogurt

This is our version of the Afghan pumpkin dish called borani kadoo. We use butternut squash instead of pumpkin since it is readily available throughout the year, and swap tomato paste for the fresh tomatoes called for in many versions. The garlicky, m

By Elizabeth MindreauAugust 9, 2021

Campanelle Pasta with Sweet Corn, Tomatoes and Basil

This summery campanelle utilizes sweet corn two ways to infuse the noodles with creamy, grassy sweetness.

By Courtney HillOctober 15, 2019

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

By Hisham Ali HassanFebruary 24, 2025

Yakiudon with Pickled Ginger

Japan’s dense, chewy noodles balance savoriness with a sharp bite of pickled ginger.

By Diane UngerAugust 7, 2017

Afghan-Style Chickpea and Tomato Curry

Wake up your chickpea curry with tangy vinegar!

Roasted Whole Cauliflower with Feta

This whole-roasted cauliflower encapsulates Ikaria’s no-fuss home cooking with minimal manipulation, lots of flavor and brightness.

By Courtney HillJanuary 22, 2024

Umbrian Lentil Soup (Zuppa de Lenticchie)

In her kitchen in Perugia, Italy, home cook Silvia Buitoni taught us how to make brothy but hearty Umbrian lentil soup, or zuppa di lenticchie, a regional classic and a fine example of rustic Italian cooking. Of utmost importance, of course, are the l

By Diane UngerAugust 9, 2021

Pizza with Ricotta, Zucchini and Mint

The bright, summery flavors of this pizza are a nice change from rich, cheesy, tomatoey pies. Be sure to choose medium-sized zucchini or summer squash—that is, one that weighs no more than about 8 ounces. Its texture will be more tender and its core w

By Courtney HillSeptember 11, 2024

Inverted Pizza with Onions, Potatoes and Thyme

An all-time Milk Street favorite, this pizza comes together with store bought dough, rolled out over the toppings. Flip it over after baking, and get toppings that meld with the crust.

Sri Lankan Spinach and Coconut Dal with Tomato Tarka

In Sri Lanka, we learned to make nivithi dal, a rustic, rich dish of coconut-simmered red lentils and spinach. Our rendition combines the spinach-heavy version prepared at restaurant Lunu Mirisa in Boralesgamuwa and the tarka-embellished dal by Colomb

By Courtney HillMarch 27, 2025

Coconut Curried Chickpeas and Potatoes

London-based food writer Meera Sodha introduced us to this weeknight-friendly curry from her most recent book, “Dinner.” The dish is vegetarian, and is immensely satisfying because of the hearty textures and bold flavors. Sambal oelek is an Indonesian

By Courtney HillNovember 14, 2025

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

By Courtney HillDecember 21, 2024

Skillet Spanakopita

This free-form, skillet-sized version of the Greek spinach-and-feta-stuffed hand pie eliminates the fuss of phyllo.

By Courtney HillApril 20, 2022

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

By Courtney HillJuly 31, 2025

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Tomatoes and Basil

Italy’s perfect pasta—cheap, easy, essentially olive oil and pasta—gets an added flavor boost from tomatoes and basil.

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 10, 2021

Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini and Lemon

In downtown Beirut, chefs display the cooking of their hometowns

By Chris KimballJune 3, 2019

Braised Whole Cauliflower alla Diavola

We give a whole head of cauliflower the pot-roast treatment by cooking it in a Dutch oven with a spicy tomato, garlic and green olive braising liquid that becomes a flavorful sauce. When the cauliflower is almost fully tender, we dust it with pecorino

By Courtney HillSeptember 5, 2025

Skillet-Crisped Chickpeas and Herbed Yogurt Pilaf

Not another boring grain salad! Skillet crisping chickpeas until crunchy-savory-spicy adds bold texture and flavor to paprika spiked bulgur. And sumac- and herb-spiked Greek yogurt ties it all together with creamy and tangy notes. Be sure to use coars

By Milk StreetMarch 26, 2025

White Pizza with Garlic and Rosemary

By Chris KimballSeptember 19, 2024