Baked Ziti with Crunchy Italian Salad and Garlic Bread
Photo: José Manuel Picayo Rivera
Whip up an easy, satisfying vegetarian meal any day of the week, including chili, pizza, enchiladas, tacos, frittatas, stir-fry, and pasta for every season.
A soul-satisfying dinner of three-cheese baked ziti, garlic bread, and green salad with red-wine vinaigrette only takes 40 minutes, start to finish. Feel free to add soy sausage or thawed frozen spinach to the ziti mixture.
Get the Baked Ziti with Crunchy Italian Salad and Garlic Bread Recipe
Dress Japanese somen noodles in a snappy dressing of grated ginger, lime zest, and rice-wine vinegar, and top with scallions and roasted peanuts. Somen noodles are available in the Asian section of many supermarkets; you may substitute vermicelli or thin spaghetti.
Drain some of the oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes and mix it with Dijon mustard to make a unique sandwich spread. Layer the cheese, tomatoes, and fresh parsley on ciabatta bread and weigh the sandwich down with heavy cans to meld the flavors for at least an hour before serving.
To make pan-fried tofu that's deliciously browned and crisp, first press it between weighted baking sheets for 20 minutes to squeeze out the excess liquid. Combine the tofu with stir-fried broccoli, season with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and red-pepper flakes, and top each serving with toasted cashews.
Get the Bulgur with Roasted Red Peppers, Chickpeas, and Spinach Recipe
Get the Double-Portobello Burgers with Roasted Tomatoes Recipe
Frozen peas and fresh parsley blended with toasted walnuts make a sweet, refreshing version of pesto sauce. Freeze any leftover pesto in ice cube trays and then store in frozen cubes in zip-top bags so you can enjoy a this lively sauce anytime.
Get the Easy Eggs Florentine with Baby Spinach and Goat Cheese Recipe
Cauliflower is roasted with red onion and garlic, then tossed with corkscrew pasta and topped with toasted breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. It takes only 10 minutes of prep time to make this satisfying vegetarian main dish.
Get the Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Parsley, and Breadcrumbs Recipe
Butternut squash and kale cook along with toothsome Arborio rice, making this risotto extra hearty and sweet. After sauteeing for a few minutes on the stove, this dish goes into the oven -- unlike most risottos, there's no need to stand and stir!
Canned tomatoes, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh cherry tomatoes create layers of flavor in this quick spaghetti sauce. Minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes pack a lively punch.
Combine chewy Israeli couscous with sauteed mushrooms, scallions, and corn to make this one-bowl vegan dinner. The addition of black beans and avocado make it a hearty meal.
Get the Couscous Salad with Black Beans, Mushrooms, and Corn Recipe
An oven-baked version of eggplant Parmesan tops crusty Italian bread to make a satisfying vegetarian sandwich. For an extra treat, brush the halved loaf of bread with garlic butter and brown under the broiler before adding the layers of tomato sauce, eggplant, and mozzarella.
The garlicky tomato sauce for this tortilla, egg, and cheese casserole is thickened with a little bit of flour and enriched with half-and-half. The whole family will enjoy this satisfying dish for brunch or dinner.
Get the Baked Eggs and Tortillas in Creamy Tomato Sauce Recipe
With a sturdy backbone of bulgur wheat and lentils, this is a stick-to-your ribs vegetarian salad. Grape tomatoes, scallions, and feta cheese add bright notes.
This Italian-American classic combines small pasta shapes, such as ditalini, with canned tomatoes and diced celery, carrots, and onion to make a thick stew. Save your Parmesan rinds in the freezer to add flavor to broths like the one here.
Creamy fresh mozzarella, sweet grape tomatoes, and earthy thyme make a harmonious blend of flavors in this 20-minute pasta dinner. Chickpeas boost the protein content.
Get the Grilled Pizzas with Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Recipe
In this version of a favorite Tex-Mex breakfast dish, "migas," onion, poblano chile, and diced tomatoes are sauteed and then scrambled with eggs, pan-fried corn tortilla strips, and cheddar cheese. Serve with salsa, hot sauce, and sour cream if you like.
Caramelized onions and arugula provide a lively contrast of sweet and peppery flavors in this pasta dish. Fresh diced tomatoes add juiciness and color.
This bright and healthy taco salad begins with a bed of romaine lettuce and baked tortilla chips. Heat pinto beans, frozen corn, and salsa in the microwave, and stir in scallions, avocado and tomato to mound on top.
A fiery dose of crushed red-pepper flakes give this pasta dish its name, which means "angry" in Italian. A simple and flavorful tomato, garlic, and white-wine sauce provides a base for the spicy seasoning.
Get the Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas Recipe
Fold garlicky sauteed zucchini, corn, cilantro, and grated pepper Jack cheese into flour tortillas and bake until browned and crisp. These quesadillas are also wonderful with the addition of black beans or soy chorizo.
Soaking dried porcini mushrooms in hot water softens them and creates a flavorful broth used for the pasta's sauce. Use a combination of fresh mushrooms, such as button, cremini, shiitake, or portobello, for sauteing with shallots and thyme.
Grill zucchini, portobello mushrooms, and scallions to top these colorful tostadas. Brush flour tortillas with olive oil and brown them on the barbecue before scattering with the grilled vegetables, feta cheese, and fresh salsa.
Make a quick sauce from canned tomatoes and garlic, then mix in diced fresh mozzarella, parboiled spaghetti, and lots of fresh basil. This baked pasta casserole would also be marvelous with the addition of sauteed mushrooms or zucchini.
Japanese eggplant and shiitake mushrooms are steamed until tender and dressed in a peanut sauce flavored with ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Serve this Asian-inspired vegetarian main dish over jasmine rice, brown rice, or noodles.
Get the Steamed Eggplant and Mushrooms with Peanut Sauce Recipe
Haloumi cheese, made from a blend of sheep and goat milk, remains satisfyingly chewy even when heated. Cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and pine nuts evoke the flavors of the Mediterranean.
Roasted squash, shiitake mushrooms, onion, and olive oil give this simple soup a deep flavor. Use sugar pumpkin, butternut squash, or any other winter squash for this satisfying vegan soup.
Purchased pizza dough is a great shortcut for making this easy, sophisticated pizza. Grill it until the fontina cheese melts, then scatter baby arugula over the top and drizzle with olive oil just before serving.
Fresh sugar snap peas and frozen peas give sweetness and crunch to this pasta dish. Part-skim ricotta ricotta makes an easy, creamy sauce.
This pasta dish features the intense flavors of garlic, sauteed cherry tomatoes, oregano, Kalamata olives, fresh parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Dial up the excitement even further by adding capers or toasted nuts.
A poached egg and grated Parmesan on top of tender steamed asparagus make a light, pretty vegetarian meal. Egg yolks serve as a rich sauce for the pasta.
Stuffed acorn squash halves make a beautiful presentation at the table. The filling of wild rice, dried cherries, and pecans is substantial enough to make this an entree, but it would also be a festive side dish.
Break pappardelle pasta into large pieces, simmer in your favorite marinara sauce, and top each serving with fresh basil leaves and a spoonful of ricotta cheese. This easy family dinner is ready in just 15 minutes.
Equally appropriate for brunch, lunch, or dinner, warm fried potatoes combine with fresh spinach and Dijon vinaigrette to make a wilted salad. Top each salad with a fried egg and serve with toast if you like.
Get the Warm Spinach Salad with Fried Egg and Potatoes Recipe
Get the Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce Recipe
This version of the popular brunch dish is made with scrambled eggs rather than fried ones. Make the accompanying sauce by pureeing canned tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, and garlic in a blender.
Asia meets the Mediterranean in this fun and fresh pasta salad combining snow peas and cilantro with feta cheese and yellow bell pepper. Enjoy as a light dinner or as part of a picnic lunch.
At the height of summer, buy lots of fresh basil and make pesto to freeze so you can enjoy these easy pizzas anytime. Use purchased, precooked pizza crusts or roll out your own dough.
To make these colorful vegetarian tostadas, top flour tortillas with black beans, grape tomatoes, minced jalapeno, and Monterey Jack cheese, and bake in a hot oven until the tortillas are golden and crisp. Top each tostada with corn-scallion relish and diced avocado just before serving.
Purchased pizza dough is grilled and then topped with tomatoes, scallions, and crumbled goat cheese. Dress fresh spinach and diced avocado with red-wine vinegar and olive oil, and pile onto the pizzas just before serving. These quick pizzas are ready in just 25 minutes.
This colorful frittata is made with sauteed red bell peppers and red onion along with a generous portion of shredded cheddar cheese. Serve for brunch or dinner with an easy vinaigrette-dressed green salad.
Toss warm roasted zucchini, carrots, and onions in a light vinaigrette with Boston lettuce and goat cheese. This salad is endlessly flexible: Add bell peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, or any other vegetables you have on hand.
Get the Mediterranean Salad with Artichokes, Penne, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Recipe
Whole-wheat pitas stand in for pizza dough in these quick and easy personal-size pizzas. Season ricotta cheese with crushed garlic and dried oregano before spreading on the crusts.
Cumin, cinnamon, coriander, allspice, and cayenne pepper season this rich Moroccan stew. Butternut squash, carrots, potatoes, eggplant, canned diced tomatoes, and chickpeas make it a satisfying meal.
Toss hot pasta with goat cheese and grated Parmesan, followed by your choice of toppings, such as sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, olives, and fresh basil or parsley. This is a quick and flexible recipe, perfect for busy nights.
Nutty, protein-rich quinoa mingles with yellow bell pepper, garlic, scallions, and zucchini in this satisfying main-dish salad. After cooking, stir in toasted almonds and celery to add crunch.
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