Hi! I’m back from vacation — rested, sunburned and extremely well-fed. Although cooking is part of my livelihood, it’s also my happy place, and a vacation gives me more time and head space to revel in it. I could take as much time as I liked dreaming up meal plans, experimenting with new ingredients, fussing over garnishes and cute little hors d’oeuvres.
Back home in the workweek, time is short and it’s all about getting to delicious fast. One perfect solution is Alexa Weibel’s one pot zucchini-basil pasta. She cuts to the chase by cooking the pasta in vegetable stock, letting it simmer down into a sauce enriched with creamy mascarpone. Garnished with a gremolata made from chopped salted almonds, parsley and basil, it’s fresh and crunchy; a solid contender for zucchini season, which is nigh.
Featured Recipe
One-Pot Zucchini-Basil Pasta
Speaking of which, have you baked up a loaf of zucchini bread yet this summer? Or for something unexpected and savory, how about Zuni Café’s zucchini pickles with turmeric and mustard seeds? David Tanis adapted the recipe, which the restaurant serves with its burgers; the pickles will be a hit with yours, too.
To some, the burger experience is incomplete without cracking a cold beer, but Rebekah Peppler ups the ante by pouring it into a cocktail. Her Tequila Soleil is a cross between a tequila Negroni and a spritz, with a crisp I.P.A. standing in for the usual bubbly.
And because summer is in full swing, senior editor Krysten Chambrot has a roundup of 24 no-cook recipes bursting with the best produce of the season. There you’ll find Naz Deravian’s naan-o paneer-o sabzi, a classic Persian combination of fresh herbs, feta and flatbread, best described as the heart and soul of the Iranian table. And Yewande Komolafe makes good use of a rotisserie chicken in an herb salad with nuoc cham. Prep: five minutes. Enjoyment: all summer long.
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One more thing! Today is day two of Amazon’s Prime Day sales, and our colleagues at Wirecutter have collected the best kitchen deals for you. If you’re splashing out on that pizza oven you’ve been coveting, then we have the recipes ready for you.
