What Should I Cook Today? GialloZafferano’s Menu for Monday, October 19

To start the week, play with familiar ingredients and unexpected pairings: a soft appetizer, a creamy first course, a Spanish-inspired main, an original side dish, and a dessert to enjoy with coffee too. Five ideas to shake up the usual Monday.

Savory olive madeleines are small shell-shaped bites made with Parmigiano and sliced green olives. You can serve them warm as an appetizer or offer them for an at-home aperitivo: a tasty version of the classic French sweets.

Smart tip: organize your cooking by starting with these madeleines: the batter needs to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour, already portioned into the pan. In the meantime, you can work on the other recipes on the menu.

With cream and ham pasta, you can make a creamy first course while the penne cooks. The prosciutto cotto is browned and then coated in fresh liquid cream, with a pinch of nutmeg. Parmigiano and parsley complete a simple dish to serve right away.

Smart tip: before draining the pasta, save a little of its cooking water. You can add it a little at a time when tossing the penne with the sauce, to adjust the creaminess without using more cream.

Flamenco-style eggs introduce you to a main course from the Andalusian tradition. Tomato, potatoes, and peas are enriched with chorizo and jamon serrano before the eggs are added and everything goes into the oven in cocottes. It is an idea to bring to the table when you want a change from the usual frittata.

Smart tip: if you can’t find chorizo, you can replace it with spicy or mild salami, choosing according to your taste.

Cabbage salad is a rich, colorful side dish with purple cabbage, black-eyed peas, mandarin segments, and Parmigiano shavings. The honey dressing brings the ingredients together and lets you serve a salad that is different from the usual, even in the cooler months.

Smart tip: to skip soaking and cooking the dried beans, use well-drained precooked chickpeas, one of the alternatives suggested in the recipe.

Pistachio cookies are soft shortbread cookies made with pistachio flour. Shape them into small balls, roll them in powdered sugar, and decorate them with a whole pistachio before baking. You can serve them with coffee and save a few for a snack the next day.

Smart tip: make them ahead of time and, once completely cooled, store them in a tin or glass jar: they will keep for 3–4 days.