Joshua McFadden

This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!

Cabbage is the unsung hero of the winter kitchen—available anywhere, long-lasting in the fridge, and super-affordable. It’s also an excellent partner for pasta.

People always want bread to dip into their clam broth, so why not put the clams right on the bread from the get-go?

You can mix and match the types of apples with whatever you have on hand. Doing so brings out a more complex flavor as well as a more colorful salad.

Baking a salad might make you nervous, but a quick moment in the oven will only wilt the greens slightly and yet melt the cheese so that it cloaks the greens nicely.

Adding peas to a carbonara is by no means classically Italian, though the combination of black pepper, pancetta, and peas is. Instead of (or in addition to) the peas, you could use asparagus or thinly sliced sugar snap peas.

Make this dish before you do any cooked asparagus dishes, at the start of the season when you get pristine spears. At first glance, the dish looks kind of “meh,” but once you taste it, the flavor and texture blow you away. Be sure to cut the asparagus very thin.

Sometimes the oddest-sounding things are the most mind-blowing. Case in point: this savory, crunchy, juicy, sugary sundae.

If serving at a party, set out the big pot of soup and the garnishes family-style and let guests doctor their own bowls.

Freshness counts. Buy prime tomatoes when they’re in season. And, if possible, grind whole green cardamom pods rather than using powdered.

To prep this salad ahead, hold beets and scallions in a bowl of cold water with a splash of vinegar, which both seasons them and maintains crunch.

If topping a fried fish sandwich with lobster mayo sounds decadent…well, it is.

There’s nothing wrong with a regular tomato-and-mayo sandwich, but this shredded lettuce and Italian vinaigrette masterpiece is worthy too.

Sweet from dates, sour from lemon, bitter from celery, and salty from Parmesan, this humble salad manages to get all taste buds firing at once.

If you’d like, let the croutons sit in the pepper mixture until the bread is fairly soft; it’ll soak up the flavorful dressing.

Sauté whatever leafy greens you like or happen to have on hand; it’s an ideal way to use up those slightly past their prime.

Browning the farro imbues it with a nutty flavor—a step you can add any time you prepare the grain.