Which new recipes caught your eye this month? Our readers were drawn toward pastas of all shapes and sizes, from itty orzo to long spaghetti to cheese-sauce-catching shells. There were also several good reasons to turn on the oven, like a modern take on Midwestern hotdish and baked sweet potatoes with crisp chickpeas and chaat-inspired toppings.

Fall baking season is upon us—and this list includes two desserts that would steal the show at Thanksgiving: Almond Croissant Galette (picture a fancy pastry with one-tenth of the effort) and Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake (test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin will walk you through the recipe). How will you pick? Or better yet, why not make both?

Read on for October’s most popular dishes. And download the Epicurious app to save and cook the recipes—and chat with other enthusiastic home cooks.