Hello, Five Weeknight Dishes readers! I’m honored that Emily asked me to show up for her in this space. (She’s on leave for the next few months.) I take the responsibility of choosing weeknight-friendly recipes seriously. Years of food writing, and cooking for my own family after work, have taught me a lot of brilliant shortcuts. I also know how to spot the pitfalls: ingredients that need two stages of cooking, vegetables that take ages to peel, any spice you can’t pick up on the way home. I’ll be back next Friday, but, in the meantime, try these recipes and email me with your cooking hopes and dreams at dearjulia@nytimes.com.
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Here are five dishes for the week:
One of life’s best weeknight dinners: pasta with tomatoes, cream, chile flakes and lots of parsley. You really can leave out the pancetta here; canned tomatoes quickly cook down to an intense, jammy sauce.
This Melissa Clark classic tastes like a slow braise but cooks like a quick bite, made up of pantry staples. It makes a great Thermos lunch and only gets better as the week goes on.
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4. Vegetarian ‘Carbonara’ With Spinach
Sometimes pasta comes up more than once a week, especially in the winter. Carbonara always feels like a treat. Here’s our new vegetarian-friendly version, with smoked provolone or Gouda to replace the traditional bacon.
