12 Martha Stewart Recipes We Can’t Stop Making—From One-Pan Pasta to Slab Pie (2024)

According to my mother, Martha Stewart is the queen of, well, everything. From her chic crafting supplies and flower-arranging tips to her party decor ideas and her cooking show with Snoop Dogg (yes, that Snoop Dogg), there doesn't seem to be anything she can't do. And at 80, the lifestyle guru continues to evolve. She has launched a line of CBD products for both humans and dogs; written close to 100 books; starred in a mini-series on HGTV called Martha Knows Best featuring a very handsome lineup of guests like Richard Gere, Antoni Porowski, and Zac Posen; and she even will soon be in the freezer section of your grocery store (in the form of high-quality prepared dinners). But of all the things Martha has mastered, her recipes are her greatest contribution—at least to my life. And on October 12th, 2021, Martha will be releasing her 99th (!) cookbook, Martha Stewart's Fruit Desserts: 100+ Delicious Ways to Savor the Best of Every Season.

Timeless and foolproof, Martha Stewart’s recipes have been a staple in my kitchen ever since I moved into my first apartment (we inaugurated those digs with her classic macaroni and cheese). And while I've never had a Martha recipe steer me in the wrong direction, there are a handful of favorites I turn to time and time again, most of which happen to live right here on Food52. One of her most popular recipes of all time is One-Pan Pasta, which calls for cooking spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, and onions all in one large pasta pot in less than 10 minutes. It looks just as good cooking in the pan as it does when it’s twirled into a perfect mound on the plate, and it’s perfect for days when sweating over the stove for a long time is not an option. Martha also makes use of beloved appliances like the Instant Pot and slow-cooker for recipes like Vietnamese-Style Chicken Soup and Italian-Braised Pork.

From her über-famous one-pan pasta (make it once and you'll understand why it's so popular) to a bright and spicy Thai soup you can make right in your slow cooker, here are our nine best Martha Stewart recipes:

Our Best Martha StewartRecipes

1. Martha Stewart's Cranberry Meringue Tartlets

The beauty of these individual tartlets is, yes, their appearance (the dollops of glossy meringue! The ruby red filling!), but also the fact that you can make them in advance, which is always a winner in our book come the holidays. Martha’s trick to getting a super-smooth filling is straining the curd through a fine-mesh sieve before pouring it into the tartlet crust—because we all know that lumps can ruin an otherwise perfect dessert.

Martha Stewart's Cranberry Meringue Tartlets

2. Martha Stewart's One-Pan Pasta

This Genius-approved one-pan pasta is famous for a reason: It cooks in just one pan (obviously) and makes its own sauce in under 10 minutes flat. And the ingredients list couldn’t be simpler—linguine, grape tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, extra-virgin olive oil, and a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Martha Stewart's One-Pan Pasta

3.

I can't count how many times I've made this bubbly, lusciously cheesy macaroni and cheese complete with buttered bread crumbs. It comes out perfect every single time. Martha likes a combination of Gruyère and sharp white cheddar cheese, so we like a combination of Gruyère and sharp white cheddar cheese, too.

4. Martha Stewart's Pineapple-Banana Upside-Down Cake

Martha is, well, good at everything, but where she excels is with recipes for classic treats like pineapple upside-down cake. But she wouldn’t be the queen of baking (and gardening and home-keeping and horseback riding) without a little innovation. Enter: bananas. In this recipe, they’re mashed until smooth and folded into the cake batter (like banana bread!) for moistness and sweetness.

Martha Stewart's Pineapple-Banana Upside-Down Cake

5. Martha Stewart's Slow-Cooker Tom Kha Gai

This bright, just-spicy-enough soup can easily be made on the stovetop in under an hour, but using the slow-cooker really allows the flavors to develop and the chicken thighs to get extra tender.

Martha Stewart's Slow-Cooker Tom Kha Gai

6. Martha Stewart's Whole-Lemon Pound Cake With Pomegranate Glaze

Martha says often that lemon desserts—particularly Lemon Meringue Pie—are her favorite sweets to eat, so it’s no surprise that her new book would include a recipe for an extra-lemony cake. A whole lemon (rind and flesh) are used in this buttery twist on a classic pound cake. A vibrant pink frosting made with pomegranate juice and arils not only introduces even more tartness, but it’s also a stunning contrast against the bright yellow cake.

Martha Stewart's Whole-Lemon Pound Cake With Pomegranate Glaze

7.

This Genius salad recipe is classic Martha: easy to make, yet totally refined (and very worthy of a dinner party), and it transforms simple ingredients (raw sweet potatoes, celery, apples, and other veggies) into an extraordinarily delicious dish.

8. Martha Stewart's Instant Pot Vietnamese-Style Chicken Soup

This extra-brothy Vietnamese-style chicken soup is like a big bowl of comfort. The best part: It's ready in under an hour, so whatever's ailing you (from a cold to a crummy day at work) can be remedied in a hurry.

Martha Stewart's Instant Pot Vietnamese-Style Chicken Soup

9. Martha Stewart's Slow-Cooker Italian-Braised Pork

You can serve this succulent, fall-apart Italian braised pork any which way you like (over creamy polenta, pasta, or couscous, take your pick), but a glass of red wine on the side is an absolute must.

Martha Stewart's Slow-Cooker Italian-Braised Pork Shoulder

10. Martha Stewart's Slab Pie

This any-berry slab pie feeds more people and makes way less mess thanks to a single sheet pan and small ingredients list. In place of the berries, feel free to use fresh sour cherries, peaches, or any fruit that suits your fancy.

Martha Stewart's Slab Pie

11.

Keep this Instant Pot beef stew recipe on file for winter—the tangy Dijon mustard unites all the other ingredients in a hearty, meaty broth that can take the chill off even the most frigid night.

12. Martha Stewart's Slow-Cooker Persian Lamb Stew

This slow-cooker Persian lamb stew was born for the weekend—or a weekday morning when you have time to prep the ingredients (there's not a whole lot you have to do), then just "set them and forget them" to finish while you're at the office. Martha’s recipe calls for a 4-to-5-pound lamb shoulder, which becomes super tender as it cooks over the course of several hours. And it wouldn’t be a Martha Stewart recipe without a little something extra...a large pinch of saffron threads adds an earthy, floral note to the stew.

Martha Stewart's Slow-Cooker Persian Lamb Stew
What's your all-time favorite Martha Stewart recipe? Tell us in the comments below!
12 Martha Stewart Recipes We Can’t Stop Making—From One-Pan Pasta to Slab Pie (2024)

FAQs

What is Martha Stewart's most famous recipe? ›

In what should be a shock to no one, our Community's most beloved Martha Stewart recipe is her One-Pan Pasta. Part of our Genius recipe series, this pasta is convenient, consistent, and absolutely delicious. The recipe begins by combining spaghetti, basil, cherry tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a sauté pan.

How do you cook pasta in a pan? ›

Place pasta in unwashed skillet (if pasta is very long it may not lie flat on bottom until it begins to soften). Add 2 teaspoons salt and 8 cups cold water. Place over high heat and cook uncovered, stirring frequently to keep pasta submerged, until pasta is almost al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on pasta.

What is Martha Stewart's favorite dish? ›

Stewart also counts lemon meringue pie among her favorites

"The mile-high lemon meringue pie is very delicious," she said. "And my upside-down lemon meringue pie has a meringue crust, and the lemon is in the crust and then topped with whipped cream.

What was the modern day Martha Stewart known for? ›

Born August 3rd, 1941, Stewart has for decades been America's most prominent homemaking and cooking personality. Television, magazines, radio programs, books, home furnishing and kitchenware brands, websites, and endless recipes—Stewart's numerous ventures have made her one of the nation's most recognizable faces.

Should I cover pan when cooking pasta? ›

Cover your pan with a lid to help bring the water up to the boil more quickly, then remove the lid once the water is boiling or reduce the temperature slightly to stop it bubbling over. Add the pasta to the water once it's boiling, never before, and cook without the lid.

Do you cover the pan when cooking pasta? ›

It's okay to put a lid on the pot while you are waiting for the water to boil. However, after it starts to boil and you add the pasta to the water, you should remove the lid to prevent the water from bubbling over.

What was Martha Stewart famous for cooking? ›

From her most iconic dishes like the one-pan pasta and her macaroni and cheese, to a sleeper hit chocolate chip cookie recipe that made one person question if Martha was some kind of sorceress, here are the Martha Stewart recipes we simply cannot live without.

Why is Martha Stewart so popular? ›

Aspirationally elegant home cooking, obsessively edged rose gardens, easy-breezy entertaining, unchangingly shoulder-length blonde hair—I can confidently say only one person is an expert in all four areas: Martha Stewart. Over her decades-long career, she has firmly ensconced herself in culinary icon territory.

What did Martha Stewart do before becoming famous? ›

Martha Stewart worked as a stockbroker at a small Wall Street firm (1965–72) until she and her family moved to Westport, Connecticut, and turned their ambitions toward restoring Turkey Hill, a Federal-style farmhouse.

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