Cookthink

Sauteed Asparagus With Pancetta And Garlic

The crispy fat of the pancetta complements the tender green asparagus without overpowering it. While the lemon brightens all the ingredients, we also like to add a dash of red pepper flakes to highlight the flavors.

Roast Leg Of Lamb With Rosemary And Garlic

This recipe is a good as it sounds. If you'd like some ideas about what to eat with it, click on the "goes with..." tab to the left. For the lowdown on ingredients, techniques and tools, click on "related tips."

Roasted Sardines

My mother would cook literally a hundred or more sardines at once—enough for everyone at the table to have at least twenty. Their high oil content means any leftover sardines can be reheated without drying out. Read more about this recipe in Efisio Farris' Sweet Myrtle & Bitter Honey: The Mediterranean Flavors of Sardinia.

Fresh Fettuccine With Chicken, Artichokes And Green Olives

This is a light, elegant pasta dish, delicious in early spring when the day's are still a little chilly. Tender fettuccine is a velvety canvas for the delicate chicken, earthy artichokes, briny olives and bright parsley. If you can't find fresh fettuccine, cook an equal amount of dried fettuccine until not quite al dente and add it to the pan with a few minutes before the chicken should be done.

Pork Shoulder Stuffed With Anise, Rosemary And Garlic

Porchetta is a traditional Italian dish, one that's often made by stuffing a whole suckling pig. For a simpler version, try it with just the pork shoulder, as we've done here. Be sure to ask your butcher to butterfly it for you, since it's tricky to do at home. The stuffing varies slightly according to the cook, so consider this one of many options.

Creamy White Beans With Garlic And Thyme

There's no actual cream in these creamy beans - they provide their own sauce, creating a side dish with very little fat and lots of flavor. If you have leftovers, these are wonderful mixed with fresh greens for a salad.

Watermelon Gazpacho With Jicama

This simple, no-cook, make-ahead summer soup is the perfect starter for your July 4th barbecue. Refreshing and cool, with a touch of heat, it’s just the thing to warm up the taste buds for whatever’s on the grill. This recipe comes from FoodieTots, and was the featured recipe for Root Source: Watermelon.

White Bean Soup With Sausage

This soup is creamy (without cream) and hearty, perfect comfort food for a chilly evening. It’s delicious with sausage, but just as lovely without, especially with a drizzle of truffle oil. Read more about this recipe at Cook & Eat.

Pastis-Flamed Shrimp

This is a beautiful, dramatic way to infuse shrimp with anise flavor. Unpeeled shrimp retain the most flavor, but you can peel and devein them before cooking if you like. Don't use more pastis than the recipe calls for (and have a lid on hand to cover the pan if the flames get too high). You can read more about this recipe on the Cookthink blog.

Agnolotti With Eggplant, Tomatoes And Garlic

Doesn't this recipe sound good? It is. If you'd like some ideas about what to eat with it, click on the "goes with..." tab to the left. For the lowdown on ingredients, techniques and tools, click on "related tips."

Spicy Indian Okra

Doesn't this recipe sound good? It is. If you'd like some ideas about what to eat with it, click on the "goes with..." tab to the left. For the lowdown on ingredients, techniques and tools, click on "related tips."

Baked Snapper In Lemon-Garlic Sauce

With minimum prep and light flavor, this is a great dish for the warmer months. Pair it with a light white wine and some salad for a quick and elegant meal.