An internet-famous pasta that’s perfect for easy cleanup

This spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and kale lets you cook noodles and sauce in the same pot.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 5, 2024 A pasta that's perfect for easy cleanup By Emily Weinstein Last week, I asked for your favorite brilliant and easy dinners after I shared a new one of mine, Eric Kim's peanut butter noodles. I got an email from a reader named Lia that was so attuned to the prompt that I'm sharing it here. It's a no-recipe recipe for roasted salmon, and to me it both reads like a scene from my own kitchen ("check emails quickly if it's not done yet") and sounds like it should be dinner tonight: Slather stone-ground mustard and maple syrup on a salmon fillet on a baking sheet, and pop it in the oven at around 375 or so. (I've done this with fresh and with frozen salmon, both work well, but frozen is in some ways better because: 1. You don't have to thaw it if it's something you have on hand in your freezer, 2. The mustard and maple stick to it better, and 3. It's harder to overcook the salmon — usually ends up juicier.) Throw some mustard and maple in a largish bowl with the zest and juice of a lime or two, a bit of salt and some olive oil, and mix. Toss in a good amount of hearty greens (anything will do, but my favorite is frisée) and mix a bit. Check the salmon for doneness, check emails quickly if it's not done yet, check it again, and if it's done (or better yet just slightly under since it seems to keep cooking once it's out) put salad in a bowl, salmon on top and dinner's ready. I also want to tell you more about a new feature from New York Times Cooking. You'll find One Pot, Once a Week every Wednesday in the Cooking newsletter. (You get the Cooking newsletter, right? And The Veggie?) Our editors pick easy meals with easy cleanup, like the one-pot spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and kale below. As ever, tell me what you're cooking by emailing me at dearemily@nytimes.com. I love to hear from you. I'm also making. … Kimchi tuna salad, cast-iron steak and perfect buttermilk pancakes. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. 1. One-Pot Spaghetti With Cherry Tomatoes and Kale Did you know that you can cook all the ingredients for a simple pasta dish, including the spaghetti, in one pan? No giant pot of water on the stove, slowly gurgling to a boil? This recipe, from the cookbook author Anna Jones, is a version of an internet-famous dish that made the rounds online about a decade ago. The technique still brings fresh delight. View this recipe. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food stylist: Simon Andrews. 2. Skillet Ginger Chicken With Apricots Dried apricots and chicken make magic together (think of tagines, where you'll sometimes find them paired). Yasmin Fahr throws them together to make something wholly new and nearly effortless with ginger, white wine and spinach. I love the flavors, the zippy cook time and the fact that there's barely any chopping to do. View this recipe. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. 3. Kharra Masala Fish (Fish With Tomatoes and Onions) This utterly delicious recipe by Zainab Shah melds tomatoes, onions and a small cloud of spices into a delicious sauce. The ingredient list is long, but the cook time is short: The whole thing is done within 30 minutes. Use any white fish you like — they'll all taste good here. View this recipe. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. 4. Sheet-Pan Sausages and Brussels Sprouts With Honey Mustard Here's a dinner to sneak in before the weather turns warm: Ali Slagle's sausages with brussels sprouts and potatoes, sweetened with tangy honey mustard. It's a weighted blanket of a meal, and I mean that as a compliment. I would swap in broccoli if I were feeding small children or other known haters of brussels sprouts. View this recipe. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. 5. Lemony Pearl Barley Soup If the sheet-pan sausages above look back toward January, this soup from Hetty Lui McKinnon gazes forward toward April. (There's a full cup of dill here! The springiest of herbs.) It's lighter than your deep, dark wintry stews, but still filling enough to be dinner, especially with bread. One commenter wrote: "Am I crazy to think a soft poached egg would be good in this?" You're not crazy. I endorse! View this recipe. Thanks for reading and cooking. If you like the work we do at New York Times Cooking, please subscribe! (Or give a subscription as a gift!) You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, or follow me on Instagram. I'm dearemily@nytimes.com, and previous newsletters are archived here. Reach out to my colleagues at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you have any questions about your account. View all recipes in your weekly plan. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Five Weeknight Dishes from The New York Times. To stop receiving Five Weeknight Dishes, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018