Mojo Chicken With Pineapple

This simple, bright chicken dinner will transport you to a sunnier place, no matter what color the sky may be where you are. It starts with a citrusy, garlicky Cuban mojo. Instead of marinating the chicken in the mojo before cooking, you marinate it afterward: As the warm, broiled chicken sits in the mojo (for up to an hour), it soaks up the lively flavors.

Makes: 4 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 pineapple, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 3 cups)

1 orange, zested, then quartered

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 jalapeño, stemmed

A few cilantro sprigs, leaves removed, then stems finely chopped

2 large limes, zested and juiced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Heat the broiler with a rack 6 inches from heat source. On a foil-lined quarter sheet pan (or half sheet pan), drizzle the pineapple chunks and orange quarters with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then broil until charred in spots, 8 to 13 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the mojo: On a cutting board, coarsely chop the garlic and jalapeño. Add the chopped cilantro stems, orange zest, lime zest, dried oregano and 1 teaspoon salt. Chop and smash the mixture until a coarse paste forms. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, then stir in the lime juice, ground cumin and 2 tablespoons olive oil.

4. Transfer charred fruit to mojo and transfer chicken to sheet pan. Coat with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and broil until cooked through and charred in spots, 15 to 20 minutes (no need to flip).

5. Add the cooked chicken to the mojo, pineapple and orange wedges, and toss to coat. Let sit 5 minutes or up to 1 hour. Slice the chicken and serve on a platter, with the sauce poured over top and the charred pineapple and orange wedges alongside. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Squeeze orange wedges over top as desired.

— Recipe by Ali Slagle

Pasta With Brown Butter and Parmesan

Sometimes you just want a big bowl of pasta with butter and Parmesan. Starchy, silky and salty, it’s always good — and practically foolproof. To make it a little more grown up, just take it one step further: Brown the butter. When you slide the butter into the skillet, let it cook until the milk solids turn a toasty brown. It adds a rich, nutty flavor that makes the dish a bit more sophisticated with very little extra work.

Makes: 4 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

Kosher salt

1 pound spaghetti, linguine or other long noodle

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta but don’t shake it fully dry.

2. In a skillet or Dutch oven large enough to hold the pasta (and preferably with a light-colored bottom so you can see the butter solids brown), melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the foam subsides, the milk solids turn golden-brown and it smells nutty and toasty, 3 to 4 minutes. (Watch carefully to see that it does not burn. If it does, start over.) Remove from heat immediately.

3. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss with the brown butter. Stir in the cheese until melted. Stir in pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the pasta is glossy with sauce (you probably won’t need the full 1/2 cup).

4. Serve with black pepper and more Parmesan on top.

— Recipe by Ali Slagle