This dish is no-drama with honest ingredients. During a busy week, its simplicity and flavor are a welcome and uncomplicated interlude. Crisp-tender broccolini spears and plump, briny shrimp mingle in a quick-cooked, three-ingredient tomato sauce infused with garlic. It’s fresh and bright, and can be whipped up in 30 minutes for a healthy weeknight dinner that’s low-maintenance and utterly delicious.

A series of quick steps ensures that each ingredient is perfectly cooked before tossing the whole lot together. The broccolini and shrimp are sauteed with crushed red pepper flakes and olive oil long enough to brighten in color and amplify their flavor, without overcooking and rendering them dull and limp. A simple Italian plum tomato sauce simmers with garlic to blend and thicken before binding the dish. A final flourish of fresh basil is added to the mix, letting the heat of the pasta wilt the leaves and release their perfume.

This short list of ingredients is accessible, straightforward and, well, honest. In return, it demands the best ingredients you can find for optimum flavor and freshness.

Spaghetti With Shrimp, Broccolini and Basil

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

12 ounces broccolini, ends trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces

Crushed red pepper flakes

Salt

1 pound large (20/24) shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails intact

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice

Pinch of sugar, optional

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound spaghetti or linguine

1/2 cup whole basil leaves, torn if large, plus extra for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccolini, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and lightly season with salt. Saute the broccolini until bright in color and crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same skillet. Add the shrimp in one layer with a pinch of red pepper flakes and season with salt. Cook over medium heat until pink on both sides and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer the shrimp to the bowl with the broccolini.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes, breaking the tomatoes apart with a spoon. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and/or a pinch of sugar if desired.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain the spaghetti and transfer to the skillet with the sauce. Add the shrimp, broccolini and basil, and stir to combine.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with freshly ground black pepper and additional basil leaves.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Here is what I think about risotto: A good risotto should be creamy, but not gummy or soupy. The rice should be tender, with a little give to each bite (al dente). Any accompanying ingredients should be minimal without muddying, and ideally, they should reflect the season. This risotto checks all of those boxes.

It’s firmly planted in spring with a lemony brightness and pucker that cuts through risotto’s inherent richness. Flecks of fresh mint and lemon zest add color and a fragrant whiff of garden-fresh flavor. The finished dish is creamy and elegant without being heavy. You can easily dig into a steaming bowl of this risotto and call it a meal, but it also makes a simple first course or side dish to meat and fish.

When making risotto, there are a few rules to follow for success. For a traditional risotto, you will need to purchase arborio, an Italian rice grain known for its high starch content, which creates a creamy risotto. Be sure to lightly toast the rice grains before adding any liquid. This step creates a protective shell around each grain, which prevents the rice from bursting or becoming soggy while cooking.

And yes, you must continually stir the rice while it cooks. This will prevent the rice from sticking to the pan and burning while cooking, and it will help to release the starch from the rice grains, which develops the risotto’s creaminess. This may sound labor-intensive, but the process should take only 20 to 25 minutes, and it you'll get to take pride of accomplishment in the finished result. It’s also a window of time when the only task at hand is to concentrate on the rhythm of stirring -- which in itself might be considered a simple pleasure -- yielding delicious results.

Lemon Risotto With Mint

Active Time: about 30 minutes

Total Time: about 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

6 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup

2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves, plus more for garnish

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus extra for garnish

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and the oil in a deep skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until the rice is well coated and slightly toasted, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the wine and stir until the wine is absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add 1 cup stock and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the liquid is absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup, until the rice is al dente and the risotto is creamy. (Depending on the age of the rice, you may not use all of the stock. Older rice requires more liquid to cook.)

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cheese. Stir in the lemon juice, mint, zest, salt and black pepper, and taste for seasoning.

Serve immediately, garnished with additional mint and lemon zest.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Hummus is my go-to appetizer. And while traditional chickpea hummus is always a favorite, it's fun to riff on this popular Middle Eastern dip with additional ingredients. For instance, vibrant beet hummus and roasted carrot hummus are flavorful and colorful additions to any menu and highly decorative on a party table.

This red pepper hummus is my latest rendition, which is smoky, sweet and fragrant with spice. Using the faithful chickpea as a base, I added roasted red peppers and fiery harissa paste to the mix as a spicy dip for vegetables and bread.

It’s garnished with dukkah, which is an essential Middle Eastern condiment made from ground nuts, sesame seeds and whole spices. It may appear underwhelming, but I assure you it is not. Dukkah is crunchy and aromatic, and adds extra texture and flavor to an assortment of dishes. It can simply be sprinkled over bread dipped in olive oil, or swirled into dips and spreads, scattered over salads, or used as a coating for meat and fish. And the good news is that it stores exceptionally well. You can make a batch of this versatile mix and keep it in the refrigerator for up to six months for handy sprinkling.

Smoky Red Pepper Hummus With Dukkah

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups hummus and 3/4 cup dukkah (both recipes may easily be doubled)

Hummus:

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

1 large roasted red bell pepper, drained well if using a jarred pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 to 2 teaspoons harissa paste (or Sriracha)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dukkah:

1/2 cup hazelnuts

1/4 cup raw almonds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon sea salt

Make the hummus:

Combine all of the hummus ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth. If too thick, add additional olive oil or warm water to your desired consistency.

Make the dukkah:

Toast the hazelnuts in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant and colored. Remove and pour onto a clean kitchen towel. Cover with the towel and rub to remove the skins. Cool the hazelnuts.

Separately, toast the almonds until golden brown, and toast the sesame seeds until light golden.

Add the cumin, coriander, peppercorns and fennel seeds to a clean skillet and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Combine the nuts and seeds in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the salt and taste for seasoning. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Serve the hummus garnished with dukkah and chopped fresh mint and/or cilantro.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS