Carla Lalli Music
Contributor
Carla Lalli Music is the author ofWhere Cooking Beginsand food editor at large atBon Appétit. In that role, she contributes regularly across all platforms: She hosts the video series Back to Back chef onBon Appétit’s YouTube channel, as well as appearing in many other videos. She writes a column for the print magazine and sends out a bi-monthly newsletter, writes and develops recipes forBA’s websites—bonappetit.com,Basically,andHealthyish—and is a frequent voice on theBon Appétitfoodcast. Carla was previously the food director atBon Appétit, where she oversaw the test kitchen and all of the food and recipe content for the brand. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons, and is currently working on her next cookbook. Find her on Instagram and Twitter @lallimusic.
Tostones With Creamy Green Sauce
Make this easy recipe for tostones for any get-together. The twice-fried plantains with creamy, spicy cilantro dipping sauce is the ultimate party flex.
Fettuccine Alfredo
A fettuccine Alfredo recipe should never include cream; the silky sauce comes from an emulsion of grated Parmesan, melted butter, and starchy pasta water.
Salt-and-Sugar Pork Rib Chops
Carla Lalli Music's ingenious shortcut for perfectly browned pork chops is the weeknight dinner cheat code we all need.
Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts With Crunchy Radish Salad
This fast technique brings out the best (a.k.a. the juiciness) in boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Extremely Cheesy Potato Gratin
Creamy, cheesy potatoes with crispy edges, tender middles, and just a whisper of heat—need we say more?
Coffee-Hazelnut Biscotti
Embrace biscotti as the anti-gooey-chewy cookie that can be packed with coffee, chocolate, and nuts, and dunked in amaro, bourbon, or cold milk.
Grilled Pork Shoulder With Butter Vinegar Sauce
Cooking lower and slower means a big hunk of meat will cook through to ideal internal temperature without getting blackened on the outside
Grilled Pizza
This grilled pizza is the perfect mix-and-match situation. Top it with fresh mozzarella, sliced cured meat, juicy burst tomatoes, or whatever else you like.
Rosemary Agrodolce
This versatile condiment brings a balanced mix of sweet, salty, acidic, and herbaceous flavors that complement virtually any pizza. If it’s not pizza night but you’ve got leftovers, drizzle this over roasted vegetables, cooked chicken, or a crispy-skinned piece of fish.
Buttermilk Spring Chicken
People have been brining chicken in buttermilk since forever, often as the first step in a dredged and fried chicken situation. But we have chef and cookbook author Samin Nosrat to credit for the idea of roasting poultry straight out of a buttermilk bath, which not only imparts delicious tangy flavor, but also helps the skin achieve a walnut-colored hue when roasted at high heat.
Vegetarian Carbonara
Swapping traditional ingredients like guanciale and pancetta for vegetable-based umami bombs (hello, garlic and smoked paprika) isn’t the only thing to consider when making a vegetarian carbonara. Many hard cheeses (including Parmigiano-Reggiano) use animal rennet, so if you want to seek an alternative, ask your cheesemonger.
Classic Carbonara
The classic reconsidered: less pasta, more crispy-chewy strips of guanciale, and more silky creamy egg to hold it all together.
Risotto With Mushrooms and Thyme
The Italian word for the ideal risotto texture is all’onda—literally, “like a wave.” Risotto should spread and move and undulate. If you can stand a spoon up in it, it needs more liquid.
Turkey and Bean Chili
Yes, turkey is a relatively lean protein, but when you pair it with white beans, a robust and concentrated chile purée, and simmer it for a short period of time, it delivers major body and richness.
Why-Is-It-So-Good Gravy
A make-ahead gravy that doesn’t rely on turkey drippings or a roux. The gravy’s depth of flavor comes from roasted poultry bones and—surprise!—a sprinkle of MSG, which has an umami-to-the-max effect.
Mashed Potatoes With Crispety Cruncheties
On the continuum from slightly textured to exquisitely satiny spuds, use a potato masher (rustic, but fine!), ricer (nicer!), or food mill fitted with the finest disk (woooow!).
White Pesto Pasta
This pesto variation is built on a combination of toasted nuts, creamy ricotta, salty Parm, and a little kick of raw garlic. You don’t need a food processor or a blender to make it; everything comes together in a single bowl.
Instant Pot Collard Greens
These collard greens are great to make for a dinner party when you need to keep your oven and stovetop free.
Hammy Chickpea Soup
Name a better activity for an autumnal, sweater-weather Sunday than simmering a cozy soup. (Oh, and apple-picking doesn't count.)
Any Berry Galette
To make this easy dessert, just roll out your dough, place the berries in the center, then fold the edges of the dough up and over before baking. Serve each slice with whipped cream or ice cream.