Summer

Think of this weeknight-friendly pasta recipe as a lighter take on the classic Italian ragù that features cherry tomatoes, a red chile for some heat, and tons of fresh basil.

Here’s the first thing you should make when you want to show off the peak-season tomatoes you’ve been waiting all year for.

An understated slaw that gives us what we want: crunch and bright acidity.

This salad is a riff on melon and prosciutto. We swapped the melon for jammy figs and sweet tomatoes.

When you’re not in the mood to do much work, you need a marinade that does the work for you.

Dish out individual servings in your favorite cocktail glasses for a lazy dessert that punches above its weight class.

Soft, billowy homemade whipped cream with juicy, sweet macerated berries.

To make this endlessly riffable salad, pair whatever produce you’ve got with 7-minute eggs, a mustardy dressing, and your favorite protein.

If you’re not set up for grilling or the weather doesn’t permit, a cast-iron grill pan will also do the trick for making these spicy, gingery, umami-packed meatballs.

Welcome to your newest go-to summer marinade, featuring some spicy sambal, brown sugar and coconut milk to balance out the heat, and lots of fresh ginger and lime juice.

Sweet summer corn begs to be mixed with a splash of acid, a touch of heat, salty cheese, and toasty nuts for texture.

Skirt steak is our favorite choice when grilling for a crowd for two reasons: it feeds many and cooks in a jiffy.

The crosshatch pattern isn’t just for show (even though it does look cool)!

This spicy, sweet, and punchy pasta salad is perfect for a hot summer picnic when you need your dishes perfect at room (ahem, air) temperature.

Don’t be surprised at how quickly this olive oil and cornmeal-enriched sheet cake will disappear.

Flank steak is flavorful but quite lean. To make sure it's as tender and juicy as possible, be careful not to overcook it (medium-rare is best) and be absolutely certain you’re slicing against the grain.

Don't be intimidated by the slices of jalapeños: The fire of the grill mellows their heat. If you're a real spice-seeker, you can even leave some of them raw.

In this unexpected take on panzanella, chunks of ripe melon take the place of tomatoes. But the unexpected star is the brine from the Peppadew peppers: Spicy, sweet, and tart, it combines with the melon's juices and soaks into the toasted bread.

Perfect as either a side salad or a cocktail hour snack platter, you’re going to want to keep serving this mix of complementary sweet and salty and crunchy and soft bites all summer long.

Don’t worry about removing all of the melon seeds in this take on the popular Mexican street snack—they’re edible and add a little crunch.