Who doesn't like a baked cheesy pasta dish? While macaroni and cheese is the standout in this category -- that timeless childhood favorite coated in bechamel, rippling with cheese and crowned with crispy breadcrumbs -- I will suggest that you can have your baked pasta and cheese, and riff a little, too. What you get out of the deal is variety, an excuse to use up any lingering vegetables in your fridge, and an opportunity to add some extra goodies -- like sausage, if you're so inclined. Simply mound them into a baking dish, along with nearly al dente pasta and gads of cheese, then bake until melty and golden. All your mac 'n' cheese-loving family members, I dare say, will never dream of objecting.

I make dishes like this when I am looking for a quick solution for an easy dinner. It can be on the table in about 30 minutes, and it's likely to be devoured in half that time. This version is lighter than mac 'n cheese and loaded with veggies. To moisten the pasta (there's no bechamel sauce, after all), I use some of the starchy cooking water to bind the ingredients and add fresh mozzarella for creaminess. The key to precooking the pasta is to cook until just short of al dente. The pasta will continue to cook when the gratin is finished in the oven.

Baked Pasta With Roasted Tomatoes, Sausage and Kale

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Salt

12 ounces pasta, such as gemelli or farfalle

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces chorizo or hot Italian sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

1/2 bunch lacinato kale leaves, ribs discarded, torn into bite-size pieces

1 (8-ounce) fresh mozzarella, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or parmesan), divided

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until 1 to 2 minutes short of al dente. Scoop out 1/2 cup water and reserve, then drain the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large, deep ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add the sausage and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate lined with a paper towel and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet.

Add the tomatoes to the skillet and saute until they release their juices and soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chili flakes and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the kale and saute until the leaves soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the pasta and 1/4 cup of the reserved water to the skillet and toss or stir to combine. If the pasta seems too dry, add the remaining water a splash at a time until the pasta is moist, but not wet. Stir in the mozzarella and 1 cup Pecorino. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup Pecorino over the top of the pasta and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the top begins to color and the cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

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Early fall yields a rainbow of pepper fruit at the farmers' market -- sweet bells, cherries, Hungarians, Fresnos, Jimmy Nardellos, poblanos. It's impossible not to scoop up a bag's worth of these beauties simply for their colors and shapes. The trick is to find all sorts of ways to put them to use. Here is one -- this peppery potato salad.

A confetti of assorted peppers and a generous amount of herbs add sweet heat and freshness to this colorful autumn salad. It's a no-mayo potato salad, letting olive oil and vinegar stand in as a light and bright dressing, while shining the spotlight on the flavor of the potatoes and peppers. Feel free to mix and match the herbs to your taste -- I used parsley and mint, but dill, cilantro and chives are also great.

White balsamic vinegar is my favorite vinegar to use in a potato salad. Unlike dark balsamic vinegar, where grape juice is reduced and then aged for at least 12 years to achieve a rich, caramelized flavor and syrupy consistency, white balsamic is made by cooking white Trebbiano grape juice at high pressure and low temperature, and then aged for no longer than a year. The result is a distinctively lighter, fruitier and golden version of vinegar, which lends itself well to dressings, fruit and salads.

Peppery Potato Salad

(Note: If you don't have white balsamic vinegar, do not substitute traditional balsamic, which will overwhelm the salad. Instead, use a high-quality white wine vinegar and add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the salad.)

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: 6 servings

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes

3 teaspoons sea salt, divided use, plus more to taste

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried mustard, such as Colmans

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, optional

1 poblano pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped

1 small red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped

1 to 2 Jimmy Nardello or sweet Italian red peppers, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped

4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley, mint, dill, cilantro or chives

Quarter the potatoes and place in a large pot. Cover with cold water and add 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool 5 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and add the vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper and chili flakes. Stir to combine, breaking up any large chunks of potatoes, and let stand at room temperature until lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

Add the 1/4 cup olive oil and the remaining ingredients. Stir to thoroughly combine, and taste for seasoning. You may want to add a little more salt or a pinch of sugar, depending on the sweetness of the peppers.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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I was a late bloomer when it came to appreciating Mexican cuisine. The traditional cheese-meat-bean-tortilla combos were often too dense and gooey for my taste, and it took me well into my adulthood to develop a liking for cilantro, that famously divisive herb. Little did I know that when we moved to California from Denmark, my children's favorite fast food would become a burrito.

When we arrived in California, where Spanish is easily spoken and south of the border cuisine flourishes, the flavors and subtleties of Mexican food grew on me, with its potent spices, rich moles and myriad chiles. Before too long, I found myself devouring avocados like fruit and replacing pizza with burritos and tacos as kid-friendly fast food. At home, I improvised and gallantly made my own renditions of Mexican-inspired food, lighter and brighter to my taste, with lots of crisp vegetables, vibrant salsas and fresh herbs, while frequently adding seafood for the protein, resulting in a Californian-Mexican hybrid, which pleased everyone.

We ate these tostadas the other night, served buffet-style, so everyone could layer their own toppings. I marinated shrimp in lime for the protein and made cumin-spiced rice, along with a fresh corn and black bean salsa that could easily stand alone as a salad.

If you have access to fresh corn, you shouldn't hesitate to eat the uncooked kernels cut straight from the cob. They are juicy, sweet and crisp with no cooking required and a standout in any salsa or salad. To remove the kernels from the cob, lay the husked cob on a cutting board and carefully slice off the kernels lengthwise with a chef's knife, rotating the cob as you go. Sweep the kernels and any liquid into the bowl for the salsa. (If fresh corn is not available, defrosted frozen corn will do the trick. Simply defrost the corn; no need to cook it.)

Shrimp Tostadas With Black Bean-Corn Salsa and Spiced Rice

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Salsa:

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

Corn kernels from 1 ear of corn (or 1 cup defrosted frozen corn)

1 cup quartered cherry or grape tomatoes

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Mexican hot sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Rice:

1 cup long grain rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of ground cayenne

1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or water)

1 teaspoon salt

Shrimp:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

1 pound medium (26/30) shrimp, shelled and deveined

Tostadas:

8 tostada shells

Butter lettuce leaves

Tomato salsa or hot sauce

Fresh cilantro sprigs

Lime wedges

Combine all the salsa ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Taste for seasoning. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Prepare the rice: Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Add the onion and saute until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and cayenne and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and cook, stirring, to lightly toast and thoroughly coat the grains, about 1 minute. Add the stock and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.

Prepare the shrimp: Whisk 1 tablespoon olive oil, the lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp and stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-high (or prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat). Remove the shrimp from the marinade, shaking off any excess liquid, and transfer to the skillet or grill. Cook the shrimp until pink on both sides and just cooked through, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl.

To assemble the tostadas, lay a lettuce leaf over a tostada (corn) shell. Spoon some of the rice over the lettuce, then top with the black bean salsa. Top with 2 to 3 shrimp. Drizzle with a little tomato salsa or hot sauce. Garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately.

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