Pasta recipes always sound so simple, but the ones we love the most can be so frustrating. I know that I experimented and failed with these dishes as soon as I decided to get serious about cooking. When I attempted my first lasagna, for instance, I followed a classic recipe (the source of which shall remain nameless) and spent hours carefully preparing my ingredients and meticulously constructing the layers before sliding the whole thing in the oven. It looked like perfection, but when it emerged two hours later, it was literally a hot mess. Another time I attempted carbonara with similar results, though this hot mess was filled with scrambled eggs.
I didn’t grow up in an Italian-American family—our version of lasagna was shepherd’s pie—but over time I’ve become a lot more confident in my abilities. I’ve even figured out a few shortcuts to make life easier. So, in honor of my first lasagna—and yours, too—this chapter is filled with no-fail recipes. Plus, you’ll find other dishes featuring rice, quinoa, and bulgur. All feature my favorite technique: cooking the grains in a large pot of water, as if boiling pasta.
with Baby Kale & Preserved Lemon
with Lamb Sausage, Chickpeas & Mint
with Chiles, Crispy Garlic & Ginger