When it comes to baking, I like my desserts messy, which is to say that I like desserts that are free-form, imprecise and often referred to as "rustic." Thank goodness for the generations of country kitchens that devised homey, family-style desserts. Often involving fruit and usually containing folksy and forgiving words such as "crumble," "slump," "crisp" and "fool," these desserts revel in imprecision, delightfully embracing dribbles, lopsidedness and even mistakes (tarte Tatin, we are looking at you). Sure, some technique is involved, but the overriding rule is a relaxed unfussiness with a big helping of simplicity. Bring on the mess.

Which brings me to these slightly disheveled crostatas (actually, I believe that's "crostate" in the plural). Citrus is abundant right now, and with that comes the ruby blood orange. Sweet and tart, murky and winey, the blood orange is more nuanced than its navel counterpart, and its brilliant hue is a sight to behold when presented in desserts. I bought a bag of these oranges recently and made this recipe. It takes inspiration from a recipe I found years ago on The Kitchn, to which I've added my own tweaks -- including a sour cream crust and a luscious salted caramel sauce for drizzling.

Blood Orange Crostate With Salted Caramel Sauce

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling time

Yield: makes 8 (4-inch) crostate and 1 cup caramel sauce

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut in cubes

1/2 cup sour cream

For the filling:

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 navel oranges, skin and pith cut away, sliced crosswise, about 1/4-inch thick

3 blood oranges, skin and pith cut away, seeded and sliced crosswise, about 1/4-inch thick, each slice cut into 3 to 4 sections

1 egg beaten

8 teaspoons demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Make the crust: Combine flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Briefly pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse to achieve a crumbly consistency. Add the sour cream and pulse a few times until the dough just begins to stick together. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Make the filling: Whisk the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a small bowl to lighten and combine.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 8 equal portions. Roll out each portion in a circle about 6 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. Place a tablespoon of mascarpone mixture in the center of the dough, spreading it slightly, while keeping about 1 inch clear around the border of the dough. Place a navel orange slice in the center. Top with 3 to 4 blood orange sections. Fold the exposed edges of the dough in around the oranges, shaping and pinching to create a rim of crust (the centers will still be exposed).

Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment and repeat this process with the remaining dough.

Brush the pastry dough with the egg and sprinkle each crostata with about 1 teaspoon demerara sugar.

Bake the crostate until the crusts are firm to the touch and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, drizzled with Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe below).

Salted Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons European-style unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces

1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature

1 teaspoon fleur de sel sea salt flakes, such Maldon

Pour the sugar into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar melts, whisking occasionally and swirling the pan to ensure even cooking. The sugar may clump, but that's OK -- keep stirring until it melts. When the sugar is the color of dark amber, carefully whisk in the butter (it will foam).

Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the cream (it will foam again) and whisk until smooth. Add the sea salt flakes. Cool for about 10 minutes and then pour into a glass jar and cool to room temperature. The sauce may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

When I crave a comforting weeknight meal that's guaranteed to please the entire family and can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes, I make a pasta carbonara.

There is nothing more pleasing than a bowl of cheese-slicked noodles, the Roman answer to homey comfort food. A mere handful of ingredients usually stashed in the refrigerator -- eggs, cheese and frozen peas -- are effortlessly transformed into a rich, glistening sauce coating a heaping bowl of pasta studded with crispy bacon bits and sweet peas. While the peas are optional, I like to include them as a fresh and sweet counterpoint to the salty bacon. They also allow me to righteously call this a complete meal, with vegetables, in a bowl.

The key to making carbonara is to add the whisked eggs and cheese to the hot noodles away from direct heat, while stirring constantly to thoroughly coat the noodles. The heat from the pasta will help to cook the eggs while preventing them from scrambling. It may sound complicated, but once you give it a go, you will see how easy and foolproof this method is.

Spaghetti Carbonara With Sweet Peas

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

1 pound spaghetti or bucatini

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 large eggs

1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for sprinkling

1 cup (or more if desired) frozen sweet peas, thawed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente and drain.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the bacon, stirring to separate the pieces, and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with a paper towel.

While the bacon is cooking, whisk the eggs and cheese in a bowl until smooth; set aside. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan. Add the peas, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the drained pasta to the skillet and stir to coat the noodles. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly add the eggs and cheese, stirring constantly to coat the pasta and to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Return the bacon to the pan and stir once more. Serve immediately with extra cheese for sprinkling.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

I'll be honest. The real star of this salmon dish is the green olive and almond tapenade. No offense to the salmon, which is sublime as always and a no-fail, simple, healthy meal.

But, frankly, it's the tapenade I want to talk about: It's positively addictive with a briny brightness that complements the buttery, rich salmon. It's also versatile. Not only is the tapenade a worthy accompaniment to grilled fish (swordfish, cod and halibut are also good contenders), it's a great stand-alone starter spooned on crostini or sprinkled over pizzas, pasta and grains.

The good news is that this recipe makes a generous amount of tapenade, so you can refrigerate the leftovers. Then you will have extra to smear on a slice of bread or swipe a carrot stick through. You might even find yourself eating it straight from the bowl with a spoon. I'm speaking from experience.

Roasted Salmon With Green Olive Tapenade

Active time: 10 minutes

Total time: about 40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings; makes about 1 1/2 cups tapenade

Tapenade:

12 ounces pitted green olives

1/2 cup almonds, toasted

2 anchovies, drained

1 large garlic clove

2 teaspoons capers

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salmon:

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, pin bones removed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for garnish

Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus 4 lemon wedges for serving

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Make the tapenade: Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process to a coarse paste, without letting it get mushy. (The tapenade may be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the salmon in one layer in a roasting pan, skin-side down. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and the lemon juice. Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake in the oven until the salmon is just cooked through the center, about 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Transfer to serving plates and top each fillet with about 2 tablespoons of the tapenade. Garnish each fillet with a lemon wedge before serving.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS