Hi, friends, and welcome to Five Weeknight Dishes. Margaux Laskey filling in for Em today.
What a roller coaster of week. How are you doing? I’m trying to focus on the bright spots: My kids. My Christmas tree. (Yup, it’s still up.) What’s for dinner. Looking for something to cook has become a delicious daily distraction. I cook a lot from the 19,000-plus recipes on NYT Cooking, but like everyone, I get stuck in a rut sometimes. (Say hello to Melissa Clark’s lemony anchovy chicken for the 732nd time, folks.) This week, I discovered five new-to-me recipes that I’m excited about. Maybe put your phone down and cook one with me? The news isn’t going anywhere.
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Em is back next week. In the meantime, take care of yourselves. Drink more water. Go to bed early. Call your mom. These are wild times.
1. Ricotta Cheese Gnocchi
Generally speaking, I’m not a make-my-own-pasta kind of gal, but this super simple ricotta gnocchi from Mark Bittman has me reconsidering. Basically a rough dumpling made with ricotta, flour, egg and Parmesan, they aren’t the prettiest things you’ve ever seen, but they’re tender and perfect. I served mine with browned butter, fresh basil leaves and burst cherry tomatoes. Not exactly seasonal, but that’s what was in my fridge. Everyone loved them.
4. Creamy Turmeric Pasta
Butter, garlic, shallots, half-and-half, ground turmeric and Parmesan come together in this earthy pasta from Sue Li, which is like a more interesting version of classic fettuccine Alfredo. I might top mine with some roasted cauliflower or shrimp for a bit more oomph.
View this recipe.
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