By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times
What does summer taste like? Is it the salty snap of a hot dog? The creamy balm of strawberry ice cream? The tart-sweet burst of a handful of blueberries?
One of our New York Times Cooking editors recently described the linguine recipe below as “a pasta that tastes like summer,” and I found myself hungry for it instantaneously. If you, too, crave recipes like this, we have a whole collection just for you: Bright and Beautiful Summer Pastas. (It includes one of our all-time greatest NYT Cooking recipes: Melissa Clark’s creamy corn pasta with basil, with nearly 8,500 ratings and five stars.)
1. Linguine With Zucchini, Corn and Shrimp
By Dan Pelosi
This super fast and super easy summer pasta recipe barely cooks peak-season corn and zucchini, maintaining their freshness and crunch while highlighting their vibrant flavor. This same quick-cooking method is applied to the shrimp, which keeps its bite by spending little time in the pan. (While corn and zucchini turn mushy if overcooked, shrimp turns tough and rubbery.) Finishing off this summer pasta is a shower of fresh basil and mint, which cling to each glossy strand of linguine. Feel free to add whatever vegetables and herbs catch your eye at the market. This pasta is best eaten al fresco.
Yield: 4 to 6 Servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound linguine or other long pasta
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed (about 20 shrimp)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium shallot or 1/2 medium onion, minced
Red-pepper flakes
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch rounds, then each round cut into quarters
2 cups corn kernels (2 to 3 large ears)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, for garnishing
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, for garnishing
Preparation
1. In a large pasta pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the packaging directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and season with salt. In a separate large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter into 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook until just opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to extract shrimp and set aside.
3. Maintaining medium-high heat, add the garlic, shallot and a pinch each of salt, black pepper and red pepper, stirring constantly until the garlic is fragrant and shallot is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes. Add corn along with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt; stir to coat. Cook until the corn is bright yellow and warm, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables, they should maintain their crispness.
4. Add pasta to the pot with the vegetables, followed by the shrimp, 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir to combine, reheating the shrimp while creating a glossy sauce, for about 90 seconds. Remove from heat and add chopped mint and basil and stir. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve immediately.
2. Lomo Saltado (Tomato Beef Stir-Fry)
Lomo saltado (tomato beef stir-fry). This vibrant stir-fry from Christian Reynoso is Chifa cooking — the cuisine that commingles Chinese and Peruvian elements — and it’s utterly delicious. Food styled by Samantha Seneviratne. (Julia Gartland, The New York Times)
By Christian Reynoso
Lomo saltado might be the most well-known and beloved example of Chifa cuisine, a hybrid of Peruvian and Chinese culinary traditions. It’s a quick stir-fry made with marinated beef, juicy tomatoes, sautéed red onion, sweet peppers and potatoes or french fries, all tossed in a chile-and-soy-based sauce. Rice is served alongside to help soak up the bountiful sauce. A fresh, fruity, vibrantly yellow tropical chile called aji amarillo is usually called for, but this recipe calls for aji amarillo paste, which is more widely available. (Serrano chile works here, too.) Lomo saltado often has a subtle smoky flavor from engulfing the steak and sauce with flames in a wok, often with the South American brandy called pisco. This recipe is streamlined for home cooks, but if you’re familiar and comfortable with the technique, you may want to try it out.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds skirt or flank steak or beef tenderloin, cut against grain into 1/2-by-2-inch slices
Salt and pepper
1 pound frozen french fries
4 tablespoons avocado, grapeseed or canola oil
1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges (about 1 cup)
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons aji amarillo chile paste (see Tips) or 1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
Cilantro leaves and tender stems, for serving
Warm jasmine rice, for serving
Preparation
1. Season steak with salt and pepper. (If you have time, spread steak out on a plate, uncovered, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.) Cook fries per package directions, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
2. Heat a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) or wok over high, add 2 tablespoons oil and when it starts to smoke, sear the beef in three batches, until deeply caramelized, about 1 minute per side. Transfer seared steak to a large rimmed plate or sheet pan.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the hot skillet; add onion and cook, undisturbed, until golden around the edges, about 1 minute, then stir and sauté until just cooked through but still a bit crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to plate with steak. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and cook the bell pepper the same way; transfer to the plate.
4. Turn heat down to low and add tomatoes, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice and chile paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened, about 2 minutes. Return the steak, onion and pepper to the skillet, toss gently to combine and turn off heat.
5. To serve, transfer the fries to a rimmed serving platter or individual plates. Top with the stir-fried beef and vegetables and spoon the sauce over. Top with cilantro and more black pepper, if desired. Serve with rice.
Tips
To make lomo saltado your own, bump up flavor to taste with grated ginger, cumin, pisco, Worcestershire sauce or cumin seed.
Aji amarillo paste can be found in Latino markets or online; try using the remaining paste to marinate steak or chicken parts, stir into a coconut curry for a kick of fruity heat, whisk with lemon juice and olive oil for a quick dressing or even stir a little into mayonnaise to make a tangy dip for fries.
3. Garlicky Alfredo Beans
Garlicky alfredo beans. Carolina Gelen’s simple, extraordinarily creamy, garlic-forward beans are a brilliant pantry staple mash-up. Food styled by Spencer Richards. (Kerri Brewer, The New York Times)
By Carolina Gelen
This five-ingredient recipe transforms canned beans into a no-fuss, comforting meal that’s easy to whip together at the end of a long day. The beans are doused in a creamy, garlic-infused sauce that’s inspired by Alfredo, and topped with crunchy garlic chips. Choosing the right beans for this recipe might feel intimidating, but the most important thing to remember is texture. Beans that hold their shape and won’t immediately disappear in the sauce are ideal: butter (or lima), Great Northern or garbanzo beans will make great contenders for this recipe. When pan-frying the sliced garlic into chips, you’ll want to mix attentively for the best results, since the delicate garlic chips can burn very easily. Crunchy and flavorful, they’re worth the effort.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1/4 cup unsalted butter
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, plus 1 garlic clove, finely grated
Kosher salt
2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, rinsed
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup/2 ounces finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Preparation
1. Line a small plate with a paper towel.
2. In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the butter and sliced garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Once the butter starts to foam, start lifting the garlic to check its color and continue cooking and stirring until it starts to turn golden, another minute. (The garlic can burn very easily — and can continue to darken and cook after it’s been removed from the heat — so make sure to keep an eye on the pot and remove the garlic before it reaches a dark golden color.)
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic chips to the paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.
4. Add the beans, heavy cream, Parmesan and a hefty pinch of salt to the pot; stir to combine.
5. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring gently but frequently, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
6. Stir in the grated garlic and continue simmering for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
7. Divide among bowls. Top with additional Parmesan and the garlic chips.
4. Blackened Chicken Breasts
Blackened chicken breasts. This Cajun-style chicken may be one of the most useful staples to keep in your fridge. Food styled by Spencer Richards. (Christopher Testani, The New York Times)
By Kia Damon
Blackening is a technique that should live in the repertoire of every home cook. With a heavy-bottomed skillet and a Cajun-style spice blend, you can take proteins like shrimp, fish, scallops and the chicken breasts in this recipe and flip them into something flavorful, delicious and juicy. Most grocery store chicken breasts are large, so slicing the chicken in half horizontally ensures they cook quickly and more evenly. Blackened chicken can stand alone as a main, or it can sit atop a large, leafy salad with Caesar dressing or a creamy, Cajun pasta. When cooking this recipe, be aware of the inevitable smokiness that comes with searing at such high heat. Consider opening a window and turning the overhead fan on before getting started; nothing upends the cooking process quite like smoke alarms. Store any leftover chicken in the fridge for up to three days and upgrade your breakfast or lunch (think western-style omelets, breakfast burritos and chicken salad).
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal (or 1 3/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon ground cayenne
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds (see Tip)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preparation
1. Make the blackening seasoning: In a small bowl, combine the salt, smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder and cayenne.
2. Carefully slice the chicken breasts horizontally in half, then pat dry with a paper towel. Thoroughly coat all sides with the blackening seasoning and set aside.
3. Drizzle oil into a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high. When the oil begins to shimmer, carefully place the chicken in the pan and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Watch out for any oil splattering and popping out of the pan. Cook until the seasoning literally darkens. After 5 minutes, flip the chicken and cook for another 3 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and leave the pan tented with aluminum foil for 5 minutes (this will help the chicken continue cooking from the residual heat without drying out). Remove the foil, then let the chicken rest for at least 2 minutes.
5. When ready to serve, slice the chicken on a bias into 1/2-inch pieces. Serve immediately.
Tip
About 30 minutes before prepping, remove the chicken from the refrigerator to allow it to come to room temperature.
5. Snap Pea, Tofu and Herb Salad With Spicy Peanut Sauce
Snap pea, tofu and herb salad with spicy peanut sauce. Hetty Lui McKinnon’s new recipe makes the most of snap peas by serving them raw in a salad with barely seared tofu and peanut-chile crisp sauce. Food styled by Maggie Ruggiero. (Ryan Liebe, The New York Times)
By Hetty Lui McKinnon
When the season gifts us sweet, juicy sugar snap (or snow) peas, use them raw in this textural salad. Slicing them in half diagonally not only unlocks their innate crispness but also allows the inner peas to spill out, creating more texture. This salad is brazenly herb-forward and offers an excellent way to use up any leftover bundles in your fridge; mint, cilantro or basil can be used singularly or as a mix. The two-ingredient dressing is the simplest, and possibly tastiest, peanut sauce you’ll ever make: Peanut butter is whisked together with chile crisp and loosened with boiling water, which helps encourage it to emulsify, creating a smooth, creamy and intensely savory sauce. Looking for another shortcut? You can even skip pan-frying and use store-bought prebaked firm tofu.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 (14- to 16-ounce) package of extra-firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into 1/2-inch slices
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, stirred
1 tablespoon chile crisp (or more for more heat)
1/4 cup boiling water
12 ounces sugar snap peas or snow peas, trimmed and sliced diagonally in half
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 cups mint, cilantro, basil or Thai basil (or a mix of all), large leaves torn
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Preparation
1. Lay the tofu out on a cutting board and scatter with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil then place the tofu, seasoned side down, onto the hot surface. Drizzle the top of the tofu with a little more oil and season with a little more salt and pepper. Cook until the bottom is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side until golden, another 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
3. To a medium bowl, add the peanut butter and chile crisp. Pour in the boiling water and whisk to combine. If it is too thick, add more room temperature water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is smooth and pourable. Season with salt and pepper.
4. When the tofu is cool, slice lengthwise into thin strips.
5. Place the sugar snap peas into a large bowl. Add the tofu, scallions and herbs. Drizzle over half of the peanut sauce and toss to coat. Taste, season well with salt and pepper, and toss again. To finish, drizzle with the remaining peanut sauce, olive oil and serve.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.