Yes, it’s football season again. Trust me when I say you’ll want to slather this easy harissa sauce on everything you cook.

Full disclosure—I know absolutely nothing about football. What I do know is how to make crispy chicken wings smothered in super-fast hot wings sauce (Hint: It’s based based on the classic Frank’s Red Hot recipe). I like to serve the wings with a cooling tzatziki-like cucumber ranch dip brightened with plenty of lemon and fresh herbs.

How do I get my wings so crispy? I use a technique I learned years ago from iconic chef Thomas Keller—I dry roast them. Translation: I only salt the chicken before roasting in a high heat oven (400ºF for this recipe). This technique draws out excess moisture in the skin, which results in crispy skin, moist chicken, intensified flavor and a beautifully dark golden brown color. It’s also less messy.

WATCH How to make Harissa Chicken Wings with Cucumber Ranch Dip

Take 5 ingredients
chicken wings
harissa
butter
garlic

You may already have on hand
sea salt

Cool down the heat with this refreshing Cucumber Ranch Dip.

Take 5 ingredients
cucumber
plain Greek yogurt
garlic
fresh herbs, such as dill and cilantro
lemon

You may already have on hand
sea salt

Recipe by Silvana Nardone, food magazine editor and author of six cookbooks.

Saying goodbye to the last harvest of corn, tomatoes and zucchini is something I’ll never get over.

I’m spoiled. Maybe it was growing up part-time in Italy, where the abundance of summer is most palpable at the sandy beaches dotted with umbrellas, the long lines at gelaterias, and, of course, the revered open-air markets overflowing with sun-kissed vegetables.

The stars of this humble pasta dish indeed are the ingredients themselves. I’ve attempted to keep the vegetables as unadulterated as possible while coaxing the maximum flavor most notably from the corn, which I cream using a simple hand grater to yield sweet cream for the sauce.

While basil may seem an obvious choice for this recipe, mint may surprise you—until you take your first bite of pasta. Believe me when I say you’ll never want to serve this dish without the vibrancy mint delivers. In the hopes of catching bits of the sauce, my pasta preference is mezzi rigatoni . Of course, you can use whatever you have on hand.

If you’re looking to make this pasta dish more decadent, top it with shrimp quickly sautéed in garlic, oil and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. In this case, the Parmigiano would be optional—at least in my Roman family’s kitchen.

WATCH How to make Creamed Corn Pasta with Tomatoes and Zucchini

Take 5 ingredients
short pasta
parmigiano-reggiano
corn
cherry tomatoes
zucchini

You may already have on hand
extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt
basil
mint

Recipe by Silvana Nardone, food magazine editor and author of six cookbooks.