Every week, Executive Food Editor Keith Dresser pairs each main dish with a side to give you a complete, satisfying dinner without the guesswork. Look for the game plan section to learn tips on how to streamline your kitchen work so that dinner comes together quicker.
Weeknight Cooking
Dinner This Week: Summer Spaghetti Puttanesca
This week’s menus include Pan-Seared Flank Steak, Grilled Scallops, and Spaghetti Puttanesca for dinner in about an hour.
By Published Aug. 2, 2020.
Jump to a Section
Dinner 1: Spaghetti Puttanesca and Green Bean Salad
Game Plan: Bring pots of water to a boil for the pasta and green beans while prepping the ingredients for both dishes. Start cooking the pasta sauce (step 1). While the sauce simmers, blanch the green beans. While the pasta is boiling, toss the salad.
Boldly flavored Spaghetti Puttanesca comes together quickly using a handful of pantry staples. Canned whole tomatoes that have been drained and chopped can be used in place of the diced tomatoes. Two teaspoons of anchovy paste can be substituted for the fillets. Basil can stand in for the parsley, but we recommend reducing the amount to 2 tablespoons. The ingredients in Green Bean Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Feta can be adjusted as well. Goat cheese makes for a good substitute for the feta, and feel free to use balsamic or red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice.
Printable Shopping Lists: Spaghetti Puttanesca and Green Bean Salad
Sign up for the Cook's Insider newsletter
The latest recipes, tips, and tricks, plus behind-the-scenes stories from the Cook's Illustrated team.
America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.
Dinner 2: Seared Flank Steak and Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad)
Game Plan: Start by prepping and baking the steaks. While the steaks are in the oven, prepare the corn salad through step 3. While the salad cools, sear the steak. Toss the salad while the steak rests.
Pan-Seared Flank Steak with Sriracha-Lime Butter is slowly baked before searing to ensure that all of the pieces are evenly cooked to medium-rare. The steak can be served plain or without the butter, or feel free to use a different compound butter. Our Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad) features charred kernels with a nutty, slightly bitter flavor that complements the corn’s natural sweetness. If desired, substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream. We like serrano chiles here, but you can swap in a jalapeño chile that has been halved lengthwise and sliced ⅛ inch thick. If cotija cheese is unavailable, substitute feta cheese or queso fresco.
Printable Shopping Lists: Seared Flank Steak and Mexican Corn Salad
Equipment Review
Corn Strippers
Corn is great. Cutting it off the cob is not. Can a corn stripper make the process easier, neater, and safer?Read Our Review
Dinner 3: Grilled Scallops and Panzanella
Game Plan: Start by toasting the bread and salting the tomatoes for the salad (steps 1 and 2). Pat the scallops dry (step 1). Light the grill, then prepare the salad dressing and the oil mixture for the scallops. Right before grilling the scallops, toss the bread with the dressing. Finish the salad (step 4) after removing the scallops from the grill.
Look for untreated “dry” scallops for our Grilled Scallops to avoid the soapy flavor that affects “wet” scallops that have been processed with chemicals. To enhance browning and make flipping easier, we lightly coat the scallops with a slurry of vegetable oil, flour, cornstarch, and sugar. Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad) uses the liquid exuded by the fresh tomatoes to create the dressing. The cucumber and shallot can be swapped for other ingredients; shaved fennel and thinly sliced red onion are good options.
Printable Shopping Lists: Grilled Scallops and Panzanella
To view more quick weeknight dinner ideas, check out the rest of the Dinner This Week series.
- Dinner This Week: Grilled Chicken Breasts
- Dinner This Week: BBQ Pork Kebabs
- Dinner This Week: Pan-Seared Steaks
- Dinner This Week: Garlic-Lime Pork Tenderloin
- Dinner This Week: Speedy Shrimp Scampi
