Urooj Mukhtar

Cherry tomatoes blistered in a hot skillet and tossed with pasta and starchy pasta water into a glossy sauce. Dinner in the time pasta boils.

A pantry pasta of penne in a creamy tomato sauce with good oil-packed tuna, capers, and lemon. Weeknight dinner from the cupboard.

Italian pasta e ceci: a thick one-pot chickpea and tomato soup made creamy by blending part of the beans. Humble, cheap, and deeply satisfying.

Golden Sungold tomatoes barely warmed in garlicky oil and tossed with angel hair. Sweet, low-acid, and the taste of peak summer.

A perfumed tomato salad where rose water lifts rather than overwhelms. How much to use, why it goes in the dressing, and what to pair it with.

Warm salmon over cool tomatoes with Szechwan peppercorn and lime. Why the peppercorn numbs rather than burns, and real salmon temperatures.

Crisp risotto cakes that hold together, on a bright tomato basil puree. Why cold day-old risotto is mandatory and how to set the crust.

Baked polenta with fresh tomatoes and parmesan. How to rain in the grain without lumps, and why acid stays out of the pot.

A summer tart with a crisp base, not a soggy one. Draining the tomatoes, why mustard and cheese are barriers, and blind baking explained.

A silky quiche with pesto, goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. The custard ratio that matters, and how to stop a soggy bottom for good.