Caprese Gnocchi

This Caprese gnocchi recipe combines baked gnocchi with classic Caprese flavors. Perfect for summer weeknights, it cooks on one pan in 30 minutes!

This Caprese gnocchi recipe is about to become your go-to summer weeknight dinner! It cooks on one pan in under 30 minutes and is bursting with fresh flavor. Inspired by a classic Caprese salad, it combines store-bought gnocchi with summer tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy mozzarella cheese. Just like in my sheet pan gnocchi recipe, I don’t boil the gnocchi here. Instead, I bake it in the oven alongside cherry tomatoes. The gnocchi soaks up the flavorful tomato juices while becoming lightly crisp and browned. After baking, I finish it with torn mozzarella, basil, and dollops of pesto for bold,…

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Pasta Alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma is a traditional Sicilian pasta dish made with a flavorful tomato sauce and eggplant. Learn how to make it with this easy recipe!

Eggplant lovers, this pasta alla Norma recipe is for you! Eggplant skeptics, I think you’ll actually get behind this Sicilian pasta too. It stars a garlicky tomato sauce filled with tender eggplant slices. The eggplant practically melts into the sauce, thickening it and adding rich flavor. I round it out with ricotta salata cheese and a shower of fresh basil. Pasta alla Norma is a classic Italian pasta dish that originated in Sicily, in the city of Catania. My recipe has traditional flavors, featuring a tomato sauce with eggplant, ricotta salata, and basil, but I roast the eggplant instead of frying…

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Lemon Orzo

This lemon orzo pasta is lightly creamy and bursting with bright lemon flavor. Easy to make in one pot in 20 minutes, it's perfect for weeknights!

This lemon orzo recipe is an easy, delicious one-pot dinner or side dish. This spring, it’s been one of my go-to weeknight meals. It calls for just 10 ingredients, cooks up in 20 minutes, and—best of all—is a hit with the whole family, kiddo included! I love this lemon orzo pasta because it’s bright, fresh, and creamy without any cream. The starches from the orzo and a little Parmesan perfect its comforting texture, while fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and herbs supply its zingy flavor. I often mix in some chickpeas and sautéed asparagus to make this lemon orzo a meal on…

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Baked Ziti

This baked ziti recipe is the easiest way to feed a crowd! Saucy, cheesy, comforting, and flavorful, this fuss-free pasta is always a hit.

This baked ziti recipe features layers of saucy pasta, creamy ricotta, and melty mozzarella cheese. Easy to assemble and always a hit, it’s one of my go-to recipes for feeding a crowd. I based this recipe on the baked ziti I ate as a kid. Reliably present at every potluck or party I attended, it was my favorite comfort food. I loved the jumbles of noodles mixed with tangy tomato sauce, gooey cheese, and Italian sausage or ground beef. These days, I skip the meat, but this baked ziti recipe is still hearty, satisfying, and packed with flavor. Try it on…

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21 Best Fall Pasta Recipes

Craving comfort food? These fall pasta recipes are for you! Packed with seasonal produce and cozy autumn flavors, they're perfect for cool nights.

Is anyone else making fall pasta recipes on repeat? With the sun setting earlier and the temps getting cooler, I’ve been craving comfort food lately, and nothing hits the spot like a cozy bowl of pasta. In case you feel the same, I’ve rounded up our best fall pasta recipes below. They include classic Italian tomato sauce pastas, ultra-creamy ones, and of course, others that are packed with the season’s best produce (bring on the butternut squash!). Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight fix or a crowd-pleasing dish for a special occasion, I’m sure you’ll find some fall pasta…

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Penne Alla Vodka

This penne alla vodka recipe stars a creamy, flavorful homemade vodka sauce. Ready in under 30 minutes, it's a comforting weeknight meal!

This penne alla vodka recipe is equal parts quick and comforting. It features a homemade vodka sauce that’s creamy, rich, and full of tangy tomato flavor…but easy to make in 30 minutes with a handful of pantry ingredients. We love to make this penne alla vodka on fall and winter weeknights. It’s so simple, cozy, and flavorful. The next time you’re craving comfort food, give it a try. I think you’ll love this penne alla vodka too! How to Make Penne alla Vodka This penne alla vodka recipe starts with simple ingredients: Ingredients Vodka, of course! You’ll only use 1/4 cup here,…

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Arrabbiata Sauce

Tired of the same old red sauce? Spice up your next pasta night with this arrabbiata sauce recipe! We love this fiery Italian tomato sauce over penne.

Break out the red pepper flakes—we’re making arrabbiata sauce! This spicy Italian tomato sauce is one of my favorite sauces to serve over pasta. It’s insanely flavorful, with a generous pinch of crushed red pepper giving it a delicious kick of heat. It also happens to be easy to make in 30 minutes with 7 basic ingredients. I love having this arrabbiata sauce recipe in our pasta night rotation—I hope you will too! How to Make Arrabbiata Sauce My arrabbiata sauce recipe has 7 simple ingredients: Canned whole peeled tomatoes – If you can find them, use San Marzano tomatoes for…

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Pasta Puttanesca

This pasta puttanesca recipe stars a flavorful tomato sauce packed with garlic, olives, and capers. Perfect for weeknights, it's ready in 30 minutes!

Pasta puttanesca is a perfect example of what I love about Italian cooking. This Southern Italian dish features a garlicky tomato sauce spiked with briny olives, capers, and anchovies. It requires simple ingredients and minimal prep, but it still delivers rich, bold flavor. I shared a puttanesca recipe with zucchini noodles in Love & Lemons Every Day, but since this classic pasta is one of my weeknight favorites, I thought it was about time I shared a more traditional recipe too. It calls for 10 ingredients, cooks in under 30 minutes, and is absolutely delicious. I hope you love it as…

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30 Best Summer Vegetable Recipes

These summer vegetable recipes star veggies like corn, tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini. Try one to make the most of the season's best produce!

These summer vegetable recipes are my unofficial summer cooking bucket list. They’re the dishes I come back to every July and August, when zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, corn, and more are in full swing and I want to make the most of them. If you’re looking for ways to use your latest farmers market haul or garden bounty, I think you’ll love these summer vegetable recipes too. Most of them are super simple—think quick sautés and salads you can throw together on a weeknight. A few are a little more involved (looking at you, tomato galette), but I think they’re well…

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20 Fresh Summer Pasta Recipes

These summer pasta recipes are packed with peak-season produce like tomatoes, basil, and zucchini. Try one for a fresh, easy weeknight dinner!

I’ve written a LOT of summer pasta recipes over the years. The reason is simple: anytime I come home from the farmers market with a pile of the season’s best produce and no plan for how to use it, a pasta dish feels like the perfect solution. This delicious Italian carb can pair with any vegetable, and it cooks in a matter of minutes. So if I want to get a veggie-packed summer dinner on the table quickly, pasta always does the trick. I’m sharing 20 of my best summer pasta recipes below. If you could use some new ideas for your weeknight…

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Pesto Gnocchi

Ready in 20 minutes, this pesto gnocchi recipe is a perfect dinner for summer weeknights! With a vibrant pesto sauce, it's fresh and delicious.

This pesto gnocchi recipe is exactly the kind of easy dinner I’m craving right now. It’s fresh and summery, featuring bursty cherry tomatoes and plenty of basil pesto. But at the same time, it’s super simple. Made with store-bought gnocchi, it comes together in 20 minutes or less. File it under “summer weeknight dinners to make on repeat!” This recipe is my extra-veggie spin on the Italian dish gnocchi al pesto. Hailing from Liguria, pesto’s home region, it traditionally consists of gnocchi tossed in a vibrant basil pesto sauce—that’s it. No other add-ins or garnishes, except for maybe a little cheese on…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Welcome to Love & Lemons!

I'm Jeanine Donofrio, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author and recipe developer. I share fresh, delicious vegetarian recipes that celebrate seasonal ingredients and flavors.

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