4 Easy—Yet Decadent—Recipes With A Touch Of Cream

I developed these recipes for all those times when you find a little surprise hiding in the back of the fridge: a carton of cream. Cream is a simple, elegant upgrade to so many dishes. It makes sauces richer, adds body to soups and transforms even the simplest desserts into an indulgence. So, toss out that can of cream of celery soup, memorize this three-ingredient seafood sauce—and just wait till you see the chocolate mousse pie and its cloudlike topper. All thanks to a touch of cream.

Rigatoni Alla Vodka

Once you’ve learned the secret to making this easy classic pasta sauce, you’ll never go back to plain old marinara. The vodka enhances the sauce and its texture without adding too much flavour, meaning the tomatoes and cream can shine even brighter. Get this rigatoni alla vodka recipe.

Cream of Celery and Celeriac Soup

Celery has such a delicate, underrated flavour, while celeriac is far too often overlooked. Together, they go from zero to hero in this luscious soup, which is also fantastic served chilled—like a vichyssoise—in the summer. Get this cream of celery soup recipe.

Roasted Salmon with Mustard Cream Sauce

A chef friend taught me this sauce, a three-ingredient marvel that’s fabulous on fish but also great on chicken and vegetables. Serve roasted salmon and sauce with a simple green salad and rice for a meal that’s worthy of a dinner party—or a Tuesday night. Get this roasted salmon recipe.

Chocolate Mousse Pie

One of my favourite desserts growing up in the ’80s was chocolate-pudding pie, which was made from a pudding package and topped with artificial whipped cream from a tub. It was good. But this is better. Thankfully, it still hits all those nostalgia high notes. (Note: This is made in the French chocolate-mousse tradition, so it contains raw eggs.) Get this chocolate mousse pie recipe.