Canned Tomato

Not the biggest fan of lamb? This hearty, soul-warming ravioli recipe will be equally successful if you use beef short ribs instead. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to shape and fill ravioli.

Not a big fan of chorizo? This chili recipe can also be made with chicken, turkey, or Italian sweet or spicy sausage.

At Pietro’s, the cooks deep fry the chicken cutlets in a large, wide skillet, which allows the oil to come up to temperature very quickly and stay there once the cutlet is added. Smart, but potentially messy (it’s a lot of oil!). If you have a Dutch oven with high sides, that will minimize splatter—we’d feel rotten if you got burned.

Add another ½ tsp. red pepper flakes if you like it fiery; omit them all if you don’t. This sauce pairs perfectly with our mozzarella sticks.

This fragrant sauce calls for a mix of dried spices. If the ones you’ve got in the pantry smell musty or you can’t remember when you bought them, restock.

Roasting brings out the sweetness of canned tomatoes, but this method works with fresh tomatoes, too. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Gigante beans are our favorites, but almost any bean will be delicious this way. 

The smoky flavor of the fire-roasted tomatoes fits in here, but regular tomatoes would be good, too. This goes great with our beer-braised brisket.

The pasta will continue to absorb the broth as it sits, so use a small noodle like ditalini, stars, or alphabet shapes.

Leftovers are the key to packing lunches easily—and this recipe is perfect for that. Plus it freezes well, too; if you freeze in small portioned containers, all you have to do is reheat and go.

Try pouring the soup directly over the sliced sandwich for an irresistible cheesy bread soup.

In this turkey-spinach meatballs recipe, you brown them under the broiler instead of in the pan. It’s faster, neater, and big-batch friendly.

For this chicken tikka masala recipe, the yogurt helps tenderize the chicken; the garlic, ginger, and spices in the marinade infuse it with lots of flavor.

This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a larger group—and makes for great leftovers. For a lighter soup, omit the cream; or for a little decadence, add more cream or swirl in a little crème fraîche.

The secret to this simple tomato-based pasta recipe? Pasta water and butter.