Ingredients

• ½ cup plain yogurt
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. roasted garlic paste OR 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into approximately 2-inch pieces
• Vegetable oil (for grates); spray oil (for kebabs)

Directions

1. Whisk yogurt, olive oil, garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Stir in chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 to 6 hours.
    
   

   
2. Remove chicken from yogurt marinade; discard marinade. Divvy up the chicken and thread each skewer with even amounts of meat. You will have to fold over pieces so that nothing hangs down.
   
3. Preheat the grill for 10-15 minutes until very hot. Brush the grates with vegetable oil. Mist the kebabs with a neutral cooking spray.
4. Grill the skewers over high heat until chicken is charred around edges on all four sides and cooked through, about ?? minutes total.
    
   

   
5. Transfer to platter and serve immediately with your choice of sides.
   
   

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Ingredients

• 1.75 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced across the grain into bite-size strips
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, (more for a slurry if necessary)
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, (more if desired)
• Kosher salt
• 4 Tbsp. soy sauce, divided
• 3 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
• 8 scallions, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced crosswise
• 12 oz. green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise (about 4 cups)
• Steamed white rice, chopped toasted cashews or peanuts, sesame seeds, and/or thinly sliced fresh chiles (for serving; optional)
• 2 cups cooked jasmine rice, made according to package directions, preferably with homemade chicken stock

Directions

1. Make steamed rice according to package directions but use chicken stock (preferably homemade) in place of water.
2. Toss chicken, cornstarch, red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt, and 1½ Tbsp. soy sauce in a medium bowl.
   
3. Stir vinegar, wine, and remaining 2½ Tbsp. soy sauce in a small bowl. Have all your other ingredients prepped and ready to go (once you start cooking, there isn’t a stopping point and you’ll need them handy).
4. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large wok over high heat. When oil is shimmering and slides quickly around the surface of the pan, add scallions and ginger and cook, tossing, until scallions are browned and softened, about 2 minutes.
   
5. Add green beans, another 1 Tbsp. of oil and a pinch of salt and cook, tossing often, until green beans are crisp-tender, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer green bean mixture to a medium bowl.
   
6. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in same wok over high. When oil is shimmering again, add chicken mixture and arrange slices in a single layer in skillet. Cook, undisturbed, until chicken is browned and caramelized on first side, about 1-2 minutes.
   
7. Toss and continue to cook until meat is no longer pink and cooked through, about a minute or two longer.
   
   

   
8. Pour in wine mixture and green bean mixture and cook, tossing briskly, until sauce is thickened and all ingredients are coated, about 30 seconds. (If sauce hasn’t thickened, make a small amount of corn starch slurry and stir in.) Remove from heat and taste, then season with more salt, if desired.
   
   
9. Divide steamed rice among plates, serve stir-fry over rice, and sprinkle with desired toppings.
   

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INGREDIENTS

• ¼ pound slab or thick-cut bacon, diced (optional)
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 1 ½ pounds ground beef, like chuck or sirloin
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, hot or mild
• 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ to ⅔ cup chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium, or water
• 1 12- to-16-ounce bag corn tortilla chips
• ½ head iceberg or romaine lettuce, shredded
• ½ cup pickled jalapeños
• 2 avocados, pitted and sliced
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• ½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
• 3 radishes, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced into quarters
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 limes, cut into eighths, for garnish
• Hot sauce, if desired

Assembling layer one on a rimmed baking sheet.

All three layers are now complete.

The nachos fresh out of the oven before the toppings are added.

Toppings included fresh avocado, shredded lettuce, cilantro, dollops of sour cream, and thinly sliced radishes.

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put a large sauté pan with high sides over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pieces are crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes, then remove the bacon and set aside.
2. Add the onions to the bacon fat and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they have softened and started to go brown around the edges, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and garlic and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the chile powder, cumin, salt, paprika, black pepper, sugar, cornstarch and red pepper flakes and stir to combine and toast the spices. Add enough chicken stock or water to loosen the mixture, and allow it to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. (Add a little more stock or water if mixture is too thick.)
4. Assemble the nachos on a half sheet pan: Put a layer of tortilla chips on the pan and cover with about 1/3 of the meat sauce, then add 1/3 of the jalapeños, about 1/3 of the lettuce, some avocado slices (or add these last two ingredients after cooking) and a handful of the Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses.
5. Top with more tortilla chips, more meat sauce, more lettuce, jalapeños, avocado and cheese, then make a final layer of chips, meat, bacon, jalapeños, avocado and cheese. Top with crumbled Cotija cheese and slide the sheet pan into the oven to bake until the cheeses have melted through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Top cooked nachos with the sliced radishes and tomatoes, and dot the tray with teaspoons of sour cream. Scatter the cilantro over the top and serve, accompanied by limes and hot sauce.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 2 12- to 14-ounce beef strip steaks, each about 1 inch thick, trimmed of fat and gristle, patted dry
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup (good) sherry vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 medium garlic cloves, finely grated (I used a garlic press)
• 1 jalapeño chili, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into thin rounds
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• 5 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp. salted butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Piri-piri oil, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoons each salt and pepper. Season both sides of each steak with the mixture, rubbing it into the meat. Set aside.
   
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the onion, olives, vinegar and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Let the steaks and onion mixture stand for 30 minutes, stirring the onion mixture once halfway through.
   
3. In a nonstick 10-inch skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until barely smoking. Add the steaks and cook without disturbing until well browned on the bottoms, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until well browned on the second sides and the centers reach 120°F (for medium-rare), another 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.
    
   

   
4. Pour off and discard the fat from the skillet, then wipe out the pan. (I did not wipe the pan as I wanted to incorporate the browned bits, plus there was very little discernable fat.) Set over medium-high and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the garlic and chili. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
   
5. Add the wine and bay, then bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 2 to 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in the butter until melted.
   
6. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board. Cut each steak lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into ½-inch pieces.
7. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Add the parsley and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
   
8. Drain off and discard the liquid from the onion mixture and transfer to a platter. Pour the steak mixture over the onions, then drizzle with piri-piri oil, if using. Discard bay leaves.
   

Piri-Piri Oil

Milk Street’s offers this version of the spicy, herbal piri-piri oil, a condiment on nearly every restaurant table in Lisbon. Instead of hard-to-find piri-piri chilies, use árbol chilies. To get the right heat level and color, coarsely grind half of them and simply break the rest by hand. Store the oil in a tightly sealed container for up to one month. If you like, the recipe can be halved. If you can’t find árbol, substitute with 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes and 2 teaspoons sweet paprika.

Ingredients

• 1 cup árbol chilies, stemmed and broken in half
• 2 cups sunflower oil
• 4 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 8 bay leaves, broken into small pieces
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 2 tsp. dried oregano

Directions

1. Place half of the chilies in a spice grinder and pulse until coarsely ground, about 10 pulses.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the ground chilies and the remaining halved chilies. Add the oil, garlic, bay and rosemary. Heat over low, stirring occasionally, until the mixture registers 275°F, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Off heat, stir in the oregano. Cool to room temperature. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, then transfer to a clean jar and seal tightly.

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Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 14-oz. package firm or extra-firm tofu, patted dry, cut into ½” cubes
• Kosher salt
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• ⅓ cup red curry paste
• 2 large zucchini, cut into ½” pieces
• 1 large or 2 small Japanese eggplant, cut into ½” pieces
• 8 oz. green beans, trimmed, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
• Lime wedges, cilantro leaves with tender stems, and coarsely chopped salted, roasted peanuts (for garnish)
• Rice noodles

Directions

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high. Add tofu in a single layer and cook, turning over once, until cooked sides are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with kosher salt.
   
   
2. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large pot or high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add onions and a generous pinch of salt and stir to coat. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Stir in curry paste and cook, stirring often, until darkened in color, about 2 minutes.
   
   
4. Add zucchini, eggplant, and green beans and cook, tossing to coat, until vegetables are softened and starting to brown in spots, 5–7 minutes.
   
5. Pour in coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
   
6. Add tofu to pot and stir gently to combine. Cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Season with more salt if needed.
   
   
7. Meanwhile, make rice noodles according to package directions.
8. Divide rice noodles among bowls, ladle curry over noodles, and add a generous squeeze of lime juice to each. Top with cilantro and peanuts.

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Ingredients

• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 3/4 cup well-shaken unsweetened coconut milk
• Kosher salt
• 1/3 cup dark rum
• 3 Tbs. packed dark brown sugar
• 2 medium limes, finely grated to yield 1 tsp. zest and squeezed to yield 1/4 cup juice
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil; more for grill grates
• 1 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1- to 1-1/4-lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Lime wedges for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Melt 1 Tbs. of the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir until well coated.
2. Add the coconut milk, 1-1/2 cups water, and 3/4 tsp. salt; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, cover, and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, combine the rum, brown sugar, 2 Tbs. of the lime juice, and the remaining 2 Tbs. butter in a 1-quart saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until syrupy, about 5 minutes (this took me more like 12 minutes). Stir in 1/8 tsp. salt and remove from the heat.
    
   

   
4. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 Tbs. lime juice with the oil, allspice, cayenne, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Add the pork and toss to coat.
   
5. Thread the pork, bell pepper, and onions onto four 12-inch metal skewers, alternating the meat and vegetables.
   
6. Prepare a medium-high (400°F) gas or charcoal grill fire or heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Oil the grate or pan. Grill the skewers until seared on all sides, about 4 minutes total.
7. Brush the skewers with the glaze and grill, turning occasionally, until the pork is browned on the outside but still slightly pink in the center, 2 to 4 minutes more.
   
8. Add the zest to the rice and fluff. Brush the skewers with any additional glaze and serve with the rice and lime wedges, if you like.
   

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Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp.sweet paprika
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1 whole chicken, 4-5 lbs.
• 5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, 3 finely grated, 1 chopped
• 2 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes (about 4)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cop mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Combine cumin, paprika, oregano, 1 Tbsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
2. With kitchen shears, cut chicken along its backbone along one side; open like a book. (Or remove backbone entirely and save for a future use such as homemade stock.) Place on a rimmed baking sheet, breast-side up; press down flat.
   
3. Rub all over with 2 Tbsp. oil and grated garlic. Sprinkle with spice mixture. Let stand 1 hours (or refrigerate, covered for several hours or overnight).
   
4. In a sauce pan, cover potatoes with 2″ of water and bring to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Boil until just tender, 11 to 13 minutes.
5. Drain and immediately return to pan; toss with remaining 3 Tbsp. of oil and season with salt and pepper. (Potatoes will break apart slightly.)
   
   
6. Scatter potatoes around chicken on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until chicken is golden and a thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 160°, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and let rest while potatoes continue cooking.
   
   

   
7. Flip potatoes and continue to roast until golden and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes more.
   
8. Meanwhile, purée cilantro, jalapeño, chopped garlic, mayonnaise, lime juice and 1 Tbsp. water. (If sauce is too thick, add more water 1 tsp. at a time.) Season with salt.
   
9. Carve chicken and serve with potatoes and cilantro sauce, garnished with cilantro leaves and lime wedges.
   

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 ½ pounds grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 pound campanelle pasta
• Salt
• ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and minced
• ½ cup minced fresh parsley
• Grated parmesan for garnish, optional

Directions

1. Combine oil, garlic, anchovy paste, pepper flakes, and oregano in bowl.
   
2. Process tomatoes in blender until finely chopped but not puréed, 15 to 45 seconds.
3. Transfer to fine-mesh strainer set in large bowl and let drain for 5 minutes, occasionally pressing gently on solids with rubber spatula to extract liquid (this should yield about 3/4 cup). Reserve tomato liquid in bowl and tomato pulp in strainer.
   
4. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add campanelle and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain campanelle and return it to pot.
5. While campanelle is cooking, cook garlic-anchovy mixture in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
   
6. Add tomato liquid and simmer until reduced to 1/3 cup, 2 to 3 minutes. (This step took nearly 8 minutes in my case.)
   
   
7. Add tomato pulp, olives, and capers; cook until just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in parsley.
    
   

   
8. Pour sauce over campanelle and toss to combine, adding reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Season with salt to taste; add grated parm if using. Serve immediately.
   

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Ingredients

• 1½ Lbs. jumbo shrimp (21/25 per pound), peeled, deveined and patted dry
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil
• ⅓ cup lightly packed fresh tarragon
• 3 medium garlic cloves
• 1½ tsp. grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Thread the shrimp onto eight 8- to 10-inch metal skewers, dividing them evenly; skewer each shrimp in a C shape, piercing through 2 points. Place the skewers on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large baking dish.
2. In a blender, combine the basil, tarragon, garlic, lemon zest and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pulse until chopped. Scrape down the sides, add the oil and puree until bright green and almost smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl.
   
3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. For a charcoal grill, ignite a large chimney filled ¾ full of coals, let burn until lightly ashed over, then distribute the coals evenly over the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents and the lid vent. Heat the grill, covered, for 5 minutes, then clean and oil the cooking grate. For a gas grill, turn all burners to high and heat, covered, for 15 minutes, then clean and oil the cooking grate.
4. In another small bowl, stir together ½ cup of the herb puree, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, then slather onto one side of the shrimp. Place on grill marinated side down, then slather top side with mixture.
   
5. Grill the skewers until the shrimp turn opaque and are lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until the shrimp are just opaque, about another 2 to 3 minutes.
    
   

   
6. Transfer the skewers to a serving platter. Stir the lemon juice into the remaining herb puree and drizzle over the shrimp.
   

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 3 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups heavy cream, chilled
• ¼ cup water

Directions

1. Lightly spray loaf pan with vegetable oil spray and line with plastic wrap, leaving 3-inch overhang on all sides. Place chocolate in large heatproof bowl; set fine-mesh strainer over bowl and set aside. Stir vanilla and espresso powder in small bowl until espresso powder is dissolved.
   
2. Whisk eggs, sugar, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Heat ½ cup cream (keep remaining 1½ cups chilled) and water in medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Slowly whisk hot cream mixture into egg mixture until combined. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of saucepan with rubber spatula, until mixture is very slightly thickened and registers 160 to 165 degrees, about 5 minutes. Do not let mixture simmer.
   
3. Immediately pour mixture through strainer set over chocolate. Let mixture stand to melt chocolate, about 5 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth, then whisk in vanilla-espresso mixture. Let chocolate mixture cool completely, about 15 minutes.
   
4. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat remaining 1½ cups cream on low speed until bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat until whisk leaves trail, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until nearly doubled in volume and whipped cream forms soft peaks, 30 to 45 seconds longer.
5. Whisk one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Using rubber spatula, gently fold remaining whipped cream into chocolate mixture until incorporated and no streaks of whipped cream remain. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread evenly with rubber spatula. Fold overhanging plastic over surface. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.
   
   
   

   

   

6. When ready to serve, remove plastic from surface and invert pan onto serving plate. Remove plastic and smooth surface with spatula as necessary. Dip slicing knife in very hot water and wipe dry. Slice semifreddo 1 inch thick, transferring slices to individual plates and dipping and wiping knife after each slice. Serve immediately. (Semifreddo can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 weeks.)
   
   

   

   

Strawberry Sauce

Yields about 2 cups.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces frozen strawberries
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cognac
• 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Combine strawberries and sugar in bowl and microwave for 1½ minutes. Stir, then continue to microwave until sugar is mostly dissolved, about 1 minute longer. Combine cognac and cornstarch in small bowl.
   
2. Drain strawberries in fine-mesh strainer set over small saucepan. Return strawberries to bowl and set aside.
   
3. Bring juice in saucepan to simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in cognac mixture and bring to boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened and appears syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in strawberries and lemon juice. Let sauce cool completely before serving. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
   
   

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Ingredients

• 1 Pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 4 Ears corn, husked
• 4 Tbsp. (½ stick) salted butter, cut into 4 pieces, divided
• 2 Medium shallots, minced
• 1 Habañero chili, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 12 oz. campanelle or other short pasta
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 1/2 qts. water (10 cups)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together the tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt; set aside.
   
2. Set a box grater in a rimmed baking sheet or pie plate. Using the grater’s large holes, grate the corn down to the cobs; reserve the cobs.
   
3. In a large pot, bring 2½ quarts water to a boil. Add the corn cobs (cut them in half to fit in the pot better) and 1 tablespoon salt, reduce to medium and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Using tongs, remove and discard the cobs, then remove the pot from the heat.
   
4. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the grated corn, shallots, chili and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the shallots have softened, about 5 minutes.
   
5. Stir in 1½ cups of the cooking water. Cook over medium-low, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened (a spatula should leave a brief trail when drawn through the mixture), 10 to 15 minutes.
   
6. Meanwhile, return the remaining corn-infused water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
7. Add the pasta to the skillet and cook over medium, stirring constantly, until the pasta is coated and the sauce is creamy, about 2 minutes; if needed, add the reserved cooking water 2 tablespoons at a time to reach proper consistency.
   
8. Off heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the tomatoes with their juices and the basil, then toss until the butter has melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
    
   

   

   

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Ingredients

• Kosher or sea salt
• 2 medium cloves garlic, mashed with salt
• 1 cup plain Greek whole-milk yogurt (like Fagé)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup peeled seedless cucumber, grated
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. red-wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh mint
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Fresh mint leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Put 3/4 tsp. salt in a mortar bowl. Peel the garlic, chop it and add to the mortar. Mash with pestle until it’s a coarse paste.
   
2. Transfer the garlic and salt to a medium bowl and stir in the yogurt and sour cream.
3. Grate the cucumber over some paper towels and squeeze as much liquid out of it as you can.
   
4. Add the cucumber, lemon juice, vinegar, mint, oregano, and olive oil to the yogurt mixture. Stir to blend and season to taste with salt.
   
5. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving so the flavors meld. Serve cool, garnished with the mint leaves and accompanied by fresh pita wedges and red bell pepper strips.
   

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