Recipes from Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

“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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

The key to making a perfectly tender pavlova is to add the sugar very slowly.

Very low heat and a bit of Ina magic go into her perfect scambled eggs. See how it's done.

Ricotta cheese makes these pancakes extra fluffy.

Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar and fragrant herbs add bold flavors to this elegant dish.

Dry red wine instantly takes this spicy, flavorful sauce to the next level.

Coffee intensifies the chocolatey flavors of this decadent dessert. Ina uses toffee bits to add an extra crunch.

Fresh fruit and a bright vinaigrette bring zesty flavors to this summery salad.

Ina uses three different types of cheese and a blend of spices to give this dish an irresistible burst of flavors!