Recipes from Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro

Ina Garten teaches the essential recipes and techniques every cook must know to achieve success in the kitchen. Browse through the recipes featured on the show and start cooking like a pro at home.

Show: Barefoot Contessa: Modern Comfort Food

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Lemon Parmesan Chicken with Arugula Salad Topping

This easy chicken dish is Ina's favorite weeknight dinner. The crunchy coating on the chicken plays beautifully with the peppery arugula and lemony dressing.

Get the Recipe: Lemon Parmesan Chicken with Arugula Salad Topping

Anna's Tomato Tart

Layers of sliced tomatoes, an herb-garlic paste and Gruyere cheese make this tart irresistible. The crust is easy to make in the food processor. Blind baking it will ensure the product won't turn out soggy.

Get the Recipe: Anna's Tomato Tart

Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel

Fresh fennel and fennel seeds add a subtle licorice-like flavor to this pasta dish, enhancing the crumbled Italian sausage even more. Cream and white wine create a luxurious sauce.

Get the Recipe: Rigatoni with Sausage & Fennel

Roast Chicken with Radishes

Radishes lend a peppery bite to this effortless roast chicken recipe, Jeffrey's favorite Friday night dinner. Ina roasts the chicken at a high temperature to ensure crispy, browned skin — the best part of the bird.

Get the Recipe: Roast Chicken with Radishes

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage

This easy, colorful pasta dish comes together in a snap but is fancy enough for a dinner party.

Get the Recipe: Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage

Herbed Orzo with Feta

For the perfect pasta salad, Ina recommends using a small pasta shape like orzo, which is easy to eat and absorbs the lemon vinaigrette easily. Let the flavors meld at room temperature before serving.

Get the Recipe: Herbed Orzo with Feta

Ina's Homemade Vanilla Extract

“I think my favorite flavor of all is vanilla,” Ina reveals. “Not just any vanilla, good vanilla.” She uses three kinds in her baking: whole beans, a good-quality store bought extract and a jar of homemade extract that she started nearly 30 years ago. Read more: Ina's Favorite Flavor of All Time: The Good Vanilla

Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ina calls these cookies her favorite of all time. A light dusting of crunchy sea salt at the end highlights the big chunks of creamy chocolate.

Get the Recipe: Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chicken Thighs with Creamy Mustard Sauce

Ina uses two types of mustard to add deep flavor to this easy dish. It is good enough for company and quick enough for any weeknight.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Thighs with Creamy Mustard Sauce

Maple Roasted Acorn Squash

Good maple syrup and a touch of flaked sea salt turn squash into a delicious side dish for fall.

Get the Recipe: Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash

Oven-Baked Three-Cheese Sandwich

April Bloomfield's sandwich has a blend of manchego, fontina and goat cheese, all shredded and formed into a ball before being spread on slices of rustic bread. It comes out of the oven toasted, gooey and comforting.

Get the Recipe: Oven-Baked Three Cheese Sandwich

16 Bean Pasta e Fagiole

Ina amps up the classic Italian comfort stew with a 16-bean blend. For added thickness, she passes a small portion of the beans through a food mill, and cooks the ditalini directly in the tomato-based broth.

Get the Recipe: "16 Bean" Pasta e Fagioli

Truffled Chicken Liver Mousse

This elegant pate is perfect for entertaining. Ina's touch includes Cognac and white truffle butter, which not only enriches the flavor but also the texture. Serve with toast and cornichons.

Get the Recipe: Truffled Chicken Liver Mousse

Roasted Salmon Tacos

To make serving these tacos easy, Ina roasts a whole center-cut salmon fillet, which she flakes into chunks before filling warmed tortillas. Spicy mashed avocados and cabbage slaw add lots of flavor and texture.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Salmon Tacos

Salted Caramel Nuts

Caramel may look scary to make — all that molten sugar, but when you follow Ina's recipe, you'll cook the perfect batch to use on these mixed nuts.

Get the Recipe: Salted Caramel Nuts

Apple Pie Bars

Ina forgoes traditional apple pie by turning it into tasty dessert bars.

Get the Recipe: Apple Pie Bars

Crusty Baked Shells and Cauliflower

A bit of sage adds an earthy flavor to this cauliflower and pasta bake that has creamy ricotta and stretchy fontina cheeses. Since you'll be baking it in the oven, make sure not to overcook the pasta shells.

Get the Recipe: Crusty Baked Shells & Cauliflower

Garlic and Herb Roasted Shrimp

This oven-baked version of shrimp scampi is easy to make for dinner or even for a party appetizer. Serve with toasted bread for mopping up the garlic butter.

Get the Recipe: Garlic & Herb Roasted Shrimp

Vanilla Rum Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel

Using good vanilla is essential when making this creamy dessert that, Ina says, "will make a grown man cry."

Get the Recipe: Vanilla Rum Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel

Parmesan Roasted Zucchini

Ina tops halved zucchini with crunchy panko breadcrumbs seasoned with fresh herbs, garlic and good Parmesan and then roasts them.

Get the Recipe: Parmesan Roasted Zucchini

Tuscan Tomato and Bread Salad

This fresh and hearty salad is the perfect combination of a Caprese and panzanella salad. Ina called it, "the best of both worlds."

Get the Recipe: Tuscan Tomato & Bread Salad

Rosemary Rack of Lamb with Best Tzatziki

Ina lets a simple garlic and herb rub do the work of flavoring racks of lamb six hours before cooking. Then she roasts the lamb and serves it with an easy tzatziki sauce

Get the Recipe: Rosemary Rack of Lamb with Easy Tzatziki

Salmon and Melting Cherry Tomatoes

The fast and foolproof dinner is ready in less than an hour. Ina sears the salmon and then finishes it in the oven, like she does for steak. The salmon is served with tomatoes that are cooked down with onions and garlic until meltingly tender.

Get the Recipe: Salmon & Melting Cherry Tomatoes

Foolproof Ribs with Barbecue Sauce

Ina's dirty little secret for the best barbecue ribs ever is that she cooks them almost entirely in the oven and then finishes them on the grill. Before grilling, she slathers them with her easy, tangy barbecue sauce.

Get the Recipe: Foolproof Ribs with Barbecue Sauce

Warm Lobster Rolls

The combination of lobster and butter is one of the culinary world's greatest marriages. Ina piles the warm, buttery lobster on toasted buns.

Get the Recipe: Warm Lobster Rolls

Chicken and Spinach Waldorf Salad

Ina's interpretation of the Waldorf salad has raisins instead of grapes, and a honey, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinaigrette. The salad includes almonds, cashews and walnuts for added crunch. Top with wedges of soft-boiled eggs.

Get the Recipe: Chicken And Spinach Waldorf Salad

Cider Roasted Pork Tenderloin

This recipe makes a weeknight dinner doable. Have the pork loins marinating in hard cider, maple syrup and spices in the fridge while you're at work. When you come home, dinner is just 20-25 minutes of roasting time away.

Get the Recipe: Cider-Roasted Pork Tenderloins

Lemon Capellini

For the simplest weeknight meal, you can't go wrong with Ina's Lemon Capellini, which has three ingredients: pasta, butter and a lemon. Reserve some of the pasta water in case you need to thin the sauce.

Get the Recipe: Lemon Capellini

Souffle a L'Orange

Souffles may seem intimidating, but Ina dispels any fears with her recipe, which is flavored with orange liqueur, orange zest and vanilla. Follow her steps, and make sure not to open the oven door, and you'll be baking the perfect souffle, too.

Get the Recipe: Souffle a L'orange

"Ice Cream" Sandwiches

Ina makes her version of the classic ice cream sandwich by using bakery-fresh peanut butter cookies, delicious peanut butter and fudge sorbet and crushed peanuts for texture.

Get the Recipe: "Ice Cream" Sandwiches

Chocolate Ganache Cake

Find out how to make Ina's go-to chocolate cake.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Ganache Cake

Caesar Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon

Ina makes a tradtional Caesar dressing and serves it over a crisp romaine salad with soft-boiled eggs, crispy bacon and Roquefort cheese.

Get the Recipe: Caesar Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon

Eggs Benedict and Easy Hollandaise Sauce

Ina makes use of her blender to make a classic hollandaise sauce in a snap and then serves it over perfectly poached eggs and prosciutto on a toasted English muffin.

Get the Recipe: Eggs Benedict and Easy Hollandaise Sauce