Name: Grain and Ricotta Pie
Yield: Makes 16 servings
Ingredients: 4 cups fresh or packaged whole-milk ricotta; 2 cups granulated sugar; 4 large egg yolks; Grated zest of 1 lemon; 2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter or shortening, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature; 4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups hulled wheat kernels; 4 cups milk; 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 3 large eggs; 2 large egg yolks; 2 teaspoons orange water*; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 cup candied lemon or orange peel, cut into 1/4-inch dice; Confectioners' sugar; Orange-flour water is made by distilling orange oil. It is available in specialty food stores and Middle Eastern groceries.

Image may contain Cutlery Fork Home Decor Bowl and Pottery

Photo by Chelsea Kyle

Pastiera Napoletana

If you can't find hulled whole-wheat kernels (sometimes sold as "pastry wheat"), substitute barley, skip the soaking, and cook as described below, but for only about 30 minutes. Whole wheat kernels — grano in Italian — are used for this traditional Neapolitan dessert that became a mainstay in Italian-American restaurants and bakeries. In Italy, cooked whole-wheat kernels can be found in cans; if you spot some, it will make this recipe a little simpler.

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Heavenly Halva Cake

Serve a thick slice for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up.

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.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu

Reliable cabbage is cooked in the punchy sauce and then combined with store-bought baked tofu and roasted cashews for a salad that can also be eaten with rice.

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.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.