Name: Rustic Polenta Casserole
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: Cooking spray; 1 teaspoon olive oil; 2 cups chopped onion (about 2 onions); 3 cups (12 ounces) coarsely chopped cremini mushrooms; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/3 cup red wine; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary; 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes; 1 cup polenta; 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 ounces); 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese; 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

This dish comes together fast for a simple weeknight meal, and it's also elegant enough to serve to any important guest.

freezes well!

For best results, prepare the casserole through step 4. Wrap in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the casserole overnight in the refrigerator before baking as stated in the recipe. Note that casseroles that have not been completely thawed may take 15 to 30 minutes longer, so be sure to check for bubbling edges and a hot center.

Recipe notes

Charred Vegetable Ragù

This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!

Pasta Alla Mezcal

This marinara sauce is great tossed with any pasta for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that will leave you thinking, “Why didn’t anyone try this sooner?”

Halloumi Lasagna

In this lasagna, soft layers of pasta and béchamel are interspersed with a rich tomato sauce laden with hearty Mediterranean vegetables.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Leeks With Sumac, Parm, and Pine Nuts

This side dish is flavorful enough to also serve as a main course.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Sofrito Bolognese

An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.