Luscious and tangy labneh spaghetti

Ham El-Waylly's za'atar and labneh spaghetti is creamy, tangy and bright.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 20, 2024 Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Luscious and tangy labneh spaghetti By Melissa Clark Hello from the road! I'm scouting for part of our annual national restaurant list, eating nonstop at a slew of new-to-me places. As inspiring and fun as this is — and wow is it ever — it can also be a little overwhelming. Trips like these make me miss the simple meals I cook in my own kitchen. Ham El-Waylly has a homey and easy recipe for za'atar and labneh spaghetti that's at the top of the list for when I get back. The sauce has the plush, creamy texture of an Alfredo, but it's made with labneh (or strained yogurt), which emulsifies with the pasta water in the pan to instantly coat each spaghetti strand. Ham sprinkles green fistfuls of za'atar over the top just before serving, lending complex, earthy-herby notes. There's a video with the recipe so you can watch him make the pan sauce. It can be a little tricky if it accidentally comes to a boil, but fear not, Ham has a fix for that! Featured Recipe Za'atar and Labneh Spaghetti View Recipe → After days of restaurant meals, one of the things I'm jonesing for most is a plateful of roasted vegetables. Amanda Hesser's roasted cauliflower is an ideal blank canvas of a recipe, just waiting for some chopped herbs or capers or a squeeze of lemon to brighten up the translucent, sweet florets. Amanda roasts her cauliflower at 375 degrees, which makes for tender pieces that caramelize lightly in spots. But if you prefer deeper, darker singeing and lots of crisp edges, crank the temperature to 425 degrees. For an even faster vegetable-centered dinner, Hetty Lui McKinnon's cashew celery is a 20-minute stir-fry with delightful textures. There's crisp and juicy celery, crunchy cashews and slippery, soft tofu cubes, all enveloped in a fragrant, gingery sauce. Serve it over rice for the ultimate in speedy, meatless weeknight meals. Here's another quick dish that goes perfectly with rice: Nik Sharma's black pepper shrimp, adapted from his grandmother Lucy Carvalho. To get the most flavor out of the crushed peppercorns, and to temper the spice, Ms. Carvalho blooms them in hot oil before adding a mix of onion, garlic and sweet bell pepper. The shrimp go in at the end so they stay succulent and plump. Speaking of succulent and plump, Kay Chun has a trick for making chicken meatballs particularly soft and fluffy. She keeps the meat supple by adding tofu and ricotta to the ground chicken mixture before cooking. Then, taking them one step closer to heaven, she gives them the Parmesan treatment, simmering the meatballs in marinara sauce and topping them with a gooey blanket of melted cheese. Serve them with a loaf of crusty Italian bread or mound everything over pasta. Finally, for a bite-size sweet with outsize appeal, Nargisse Benkabbou's rose and almond ghriba have the powdery sugar coating and floral fragrance of lukum (also called Turkish delight), but with a chewy, caky texture. If rose water isn't your thing, you can get creative with flavorings, substituting orange, vanilla or cardamom (or a combination). As always, you'll find loads of inspiration in the recipe notes. You will need to subscribe to get these recipes, along with the thousands of others available at New York Times Cooking (and if you're already a subscriber, we thank you). If you need any help with a technical issue, reach out to cookingcare@nytimes.com. And I'm at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to get in touch. Before I leave you, I have a request. Would you be willing to show us your grocery store receipts? My colleague Priya Krishna is working on a story about our shopping habits during this moment of inflation and supply chain disruptions, and we'd love to hear from you. Sang An for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Simon Andrews. Let's come back to Kay for this week's one-pot wonder. Her recipe for sticky coconut chicken and rice features slightly sweet coconut rice infused with pungent ginger and scallions and then studded with savory pieces of chicken and cashews. It's everything I want in a comforting, home-cooked meal. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Roasted Cauliflower By Amanda Hesser 30 minutes Makes 4 servings Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Cashew Celery By Hetty Lui McKinnon 20 minutes Makes 4 servings Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Black Pepper Shrimp By Nik Sharma 20 minutes Makes 4 servings Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Sstylist: Simon Andrews. Cheesy Chicken Parmesan Meatballs By Kay Chun 45 minutes Makes 4 servings Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Rose and Almond Ghriba By Nargisse Benkabbou 45 minutes Makes 16 cookies Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox 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 Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. 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