Weeknight Meals

Applying a classic steak cooking technique to carrots turns them into a satisfying vegetarian main. For the best presentation, use the largest carrots you can find.

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the zucchini lengthwise into thin ribbons, stopping when you get to the very center where it is all seeds. You can use this same technique with carrots and peel long carrot ribbons, or also choose to use half carrots and half zucchini. The zucchini (or carrots or both) sliced this way also make a light, fresh summer salad when tossed raw with lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs.

This recipe is a prime example of how to cut calories without sacrificing flavor. We use a ton of vegetables and just a handful of flavorful sausage. Don't skimp on the time needed to wilt down the vegetables, because that time adds sweetness to the sauce.

Bake salmon fillets next to tender spring asparagus on one sheet pan for an easy fish dinner that comes together in just 20 minutes.

We love King Soba noodles on the Clean team and could easily find hundreds of uses for them. This is a delicious Mediterranean-flavored version of a noodle bowl, quick and easy, and perfect for those meals you need to have on the table as fast as possible.

This works as a fancy little passed hors d'oeuvre toast or as a more substantial dinner toast. As an hors d'oeuvre, it'll pair especially well with rose but also any sparkling wine or crisp white. If you're eating it for dinner, saute some garlicky bok choy or watercress on the side, plus a little kimchi for bite. If you're tight on cash but still want to impress, this is a great one-you don't need to buy the most expensive crab; the miso makes up for it. That said, it's always best to buy the highest quality you can afford.

The secret to making this extraordinary spring salad? Remove and fry rotisserie chicken skin for a salty, extra-crispy topping.

The mere mention of ramen noodles may bring you back to your college days...and just like then, it's time to experiment a little. This spicy ramen dish contains ginger, chiles, and garlic-aromatic spices that have two amazing properties: they help to increase blood flow throughout the body and help to protect your gut against harmful bacteria, as they work as natural antiseptics in your digestive tract.

A simple spring salad of shaved asparagus and fennel provides the fresh crunch needed to offset rich breaded pork cutlets.

Fregola, a tiny toasted pasta similar to pearled couscous, makes a flavorful base for this brothy spring dinner.

Weeknight chowder? Use clam juice. Weekend? It's worth making fish stock from scratch.

The marinade is ridiculously delicious; you'll also want to use it on ribs or chicken.

The secret to this silky, lemony sauce is plenty of butter, and the courage to use it all.

We're into the ruffles-on-ruffles look you get from using reginetti noodles and Savoy cabbage, but any short pasta and green cabbage can be used in their place.

Chef Krajeck serves a similar dish at Rolf and Daughters; his hazelnut broth adds a clever layer of flavor.

Don't laugh—good gluten-free pastas exist.

No nduja? Just add an extra glug of olive oil along with some red pepper flakes.