Hi Reader,

This is the time of year when The One and I begin negotiating dinner based almost entirely on darkness.
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At six o’clock in July, I can look at a salad and think, Yes, absolutely. How refreshing. At six o’clock in October, when the windows have turned into black mirrors, and I can see my own slightly disgruntled face staring back at me, lettuce feels like a personal insult.
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I want pasta.
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Not some delicate little tangle requiring tweezers and a degree from culinary school. Something you carry to the table with both hands. Lasagna bubbling furiously around the edges. Pappardelle slicked with a creamy sauce. Spaghetti buried beneath meatballs. Sausage, pancetta, mushrooms, caramelized onions, cheese: preferably several of the above.
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There’s something wonderfully defiant about a big bowl of pasta on a dark evening. Outside, the day may have packed up and left indecently early. Inside, though, there’s the scrape of forks, the passing of Parmesan, and that glorious moment when everyone goes quiet because they’re too busy eating.
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Let darkness have the windows.
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I’ve got the oven on.

What I Refuse to Skip

• Salt the water properly. Pasta absorbs seasoning as it cooks, so give that enormous pot of water enough salt to taste of something. Bland noodles cannot be rehabilitated by dumping Parmesan on them later. Believe me, I’ve tried.
• Save some pasta water. Before you drain anything, scoop out a cup or two. That cloudy, starchy stuff is your insurance policy for loosening a tight sauce and helping it cling to every blessed noodle.
• Finish the pasta in the sauce. Drain it while it still has some backbone, then let it spend its final minute or two in the pan. That last minute is where the sauce coats the noodle instead of sitting on it.
• For baked pasta, embrace excess. Lasagna and baked spaghetti should emerge bubbling, bronzed, and slightly dangerous to touch. Those crisp corners are not imperfections. They’re the pieces I’m hoping you won’t notice so I can have them.
• Bring it to the table hot. Baked pasta stiffens up in about ten minutes on the counter, so get everyone seated before it comes out of the oven, not after.

WHAT'S INSIDE...

• ​Lasagne Bolognese​
• ​Pasta With Pancetta & Brussels Sprouts​
• ​Open Mushroom Lasagna​
• ​Blue Cheese, Sausage, & Walnut Pasta​
• ​Creamy Pappardelle With Chicken & Bacon​
• ​Dorie Greenspan's Spaghetti & Meatballs​
• ​Caramelized Onion Pasta​
• ​Cheesy Baked Spaghetti​

​Lasagne Bolognese​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.87 from 23 votes

This lasagne bolognese from Giuliano Hazan is as authentic as it gets.

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​Pasta With Pancetta & Brussels Sprouts​

Pancetta and Brussels sprouts are a winning combination, frequently appearing on holiday dinner tables. There's no need to save them for special occasions though. This easy weeknight meal combines pasta with Brussels sprouts and pancetta, and adds a crispy breadcrumb garnish.

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​Open Mushroom Lasagna​

This open lasagna of mushrooms, pine nuts, and thyme with a garlic cream sauce is the fastest and easiest lasagna we've ever made.

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​Blue Cheese, Sausage, & Walnut Pasta​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.91 from 11 votes

This blue cheese, sausage, and walnut pasta is rich, creamy comfort food made with walnuts, sweet Italian sausage, pasta, and blue cheese. It's an easy-peasy way to have dinner on the table when you're getting antsy for a quick yet ultra-satisfying meal.

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​Creamy Pappardelle With Chicken & Bacon​

Rotisserie chicken is folded into a rich, bacony cream sauce that drapes perfectly over pappardelle (or other wide noodles) for a comforting dish that’s as good for a chilly night at home alone as it is for a casual yet special dinner with friends.

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​Dorie Greenspan's Spaghetti & Meatballs​

This spaghetti and meatballs is everything you'd expect from Dorie Greenspan. It's easy, utterly delicious, and a crowd pleaser. The meatballs take on a unique taste and texture thanks to a couple healthy stealth ingredients.

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​Caramelized Onion Pasta​

This caramelized onion pasta is an inexpensive, yet incredibly satisfying weeknight supper of pasta, tender caramelized onions, and Italian sausage.

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​Cheesy Baked Spaghetti​

This cheesy baked spaghetti, made with pasta, tomatoes, ground beef or Italian sausage, mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano is a true one-pan wonder that will satisfy even the pickiest eaters at your table.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​