Blog Posts by Mark Bittman

A jumping-off point for many creamy sauces-including the beloved fettuccine Alfredo-and one of the recipes that demonstrates the value of water in pasta sauces: You can use as little as 1/2 stick of butter here and still make a credible sauce, as long as you thin it slightly with the pasta-cooking water. Of course, within limits, more butter is better. From How to Cook Everything.

Spaghetti with Butter and Parmesan

Makes: About 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 tablespoons (1/2 to 3/4 stick) butter
1 pound long pasta, like linguine or spaghetti, or any other pasta
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Meanwhile, bring the butter to room temperature (you can soften it in a microwave, but don't melt it). Put it in a warm bowl.
2. Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy; drain it, reserving some of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the butter, adding a little

 By Alaina Sullivan

While udon noodles typically swim in water or broth, here they're cooked in green tea. The herbal broth is fortified by the noodles as they simmer, and brightened with a touch of sweet mirin. This dish is easy as can be (if you can brew tea and boil noodles you're good to go,) and a perfect canvas for endless variations. I made mine with yellow beans (added to the broth when the noodles were nearly finished cooking,) sliced leftover pork (decidedly not vegetarian,) crunchy lentil sprouts, chopped scallions and a final drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

1/4 cup green tea leaves
Salt
8 ounces udon noodles
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon mirin or sugar (optional)

1. Put 7 cups water in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let rest for a couple minutes. Stir in the tea leaves (or use a tea ball,

By Alaina Sullivan

When it comes to preparing scallops, less is often more: Salt, pepper and a quick butter sear is all it takes. Allow each side to caramelize for just a few minutes in a hot skillet - any longer and you run the risk of the scallops turning rubbery. Simple garnishes -- a kiss of lemon juice and fresh parsley -- add the perfect amount of brightness without overpowering the mild flavor of the scallops. Greens make a reliable companion, too. Here, the fresh crunch of romaine brings balance to the scallops' soft flesh. Grilling the romaine adds even more character to the dish - its smoky flavor is an excellent foil to the sweet, buttery scallops. Recipe from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express.

Seared Scallops with Romaine*

Season scallops with salt and pepper; then sear the scallops for a few minutes in butter, turning once, until just browned on both sides. Drizzle a bunch of romaine lettuce with some olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Flank steak is best for slicing; a marinade gives each slice more flavor. You can grill the whole piece, of course, but I like to grill half of it and leave the rest in its marinade, refrigerated, for a day or two, and cook it later for a salad or stir fry; see the variations below.

Flank steak is also good without marinating: just coat it with curry powder, chili powder, or any other spice rub before cooking. After cooking, slice the meat against the "grain"-that is, across its natural striations. From How to Cook Everything

Makes 4 to 8 servings
Time: About 1 hour, largely unattended, plus time to preheat the grill

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce or fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla, available at Asian markets)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 flank

Mark Bittman

Pasta frittataThis is a perfect way to use leftover pasta, instantly lovable and easily varied; add whatever fresh herbs you like or use grains, bread, or potatoes instead of pasta (see the variations). And you don't even have to use long pasta; try this with rigatoni for more chew. From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 40 minutes, including cooking the pasta

1/4 pound spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, or other long pasta or about 1/2 pound cooked pasta
Salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter or extra virgin olive oil
5 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley or fresh basil leaves (optional)

1. If you're using dried pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the pasta until barely tender, somewhat short of where you would normally cook it. Drain and immediately toss it in a wide bowl with half the butter or oil. Cool it a bit.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the remaining

By Alaina Sullivan

There is nothing quite like a fresh fig. It's delicate and sweet, with dark, chewy skin encasing a pulpy flesh that swims with tiny seeds. Fresh figs are best with simple, bold flavor pairings, and using them as a pizza topping is a genius way to savor the last of the season's crop. Here, fig crescents are spread across a flatbread crust and baked at high heat until their flesh oozes out, warm and sweet. Dabs of creamy goat cheese melt alongside, the tang a pretty perfect complement to the figs. A splash of balsamic is the final touch. Sometimes only something this simple can be so insanely delicious. Recipe from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express.

Flatbread Pizza with Figs, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic

Slice a couple of handfuls of figs into quarters. Brush olive oil on lavash or other flatbread and dot generously with goat cheese; spread the figs evenly on top of the cheese. Bake in a 450 degree oven until the cheese melts and the figs soften. Drizzle with a tiny bit of

by Freya Bellin

Certain dishes intimidate me, and paella has always been one of them. It has a level of authenticity about it that makes it rather daunting to try to replicate. However, if you let go of the need to make it perfectly traditional, it turns out to be pretty easy to make delicious paella at home.

I was surprised to find that the recipe calls for neither pimentón nor saffron, both of which I associate with paella. I considered adding a dash of one or the other anyway, but the recipe is right; the dish definitely doesn't need the extra flavor. The chorizo has a spicy smokiness that pervades the whole dish. Make sure you use the type of chorizo that comes wrapped like salami or a hot dog because you need to be able to dice it. The more sausage-like chorizo will crumble when you cut through the casing. Instead of fresh tomatoes, which are hard to find this time of year, I substituted 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes, and then used the juice from the canned tomatoes instead of

This deep, richly flavored chili has enough caffeine to keep you awake-literally. (Bear this in mind when you're serving it; use decaffeinated espresso if you or your guests are caffeine sensitive or reserve it for lunch or early dinner.) Serve this with rice, a stack of warm tortillas, or tortilla chips, some crumbled queso fresco or sour cream, and parsley or cilantro.

Other beans you can use: Earthy-flavored beans that can stand up to the other flavors-pinto, kidney, or dried soybeans-work best. Recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.