Category: Pastas and Noodles

Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

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A hearty Bolognese sauce has always been a family favorite on a cool autumn or cold winter day.  Traditionally I make it with both ground beef and ground pork, but sometimes I make it only with beef.  The classic recipe calls for tomato paste, but I sometimes just use the Italian San Marzano tomatoes if I do not have any in the house.  I also sometimes choose to finish the Bolognese in a 350 F oven by simply waiting until the sauce comes to a boil in a Dutch oven. Then I place it in the oven 2-2 1/2 hours.

I love Bolognese sauce served with tagliatelle, but fresh pasta is not something I typically make at home.  Rigatoni and paccheri work beautifully with it.  I like to make large batches of Bolognese and keep them in the freezer for last-minute quick pasta lunches or dinners.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut in half
  • 1 medium celery stalk, cleaned and cut in half
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
  • 3 cups San Marzano canned tomatoes 
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
  • 1 pound of rigatoni or paccheri
  • ½ cup of grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, add the onion, carrot, and celery and mince everything together. (You can also choose to chop or shred everything by hand with a grater).
  2. Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery mixture and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until your onion is translucent.
  3. Crumble in the ground beef and pork and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until the meat is lightly browned and the liquid has evaporated.
  4. Pour in the wine and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the wine has evaporated. 
  5. Add the tomato paste and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, then add the canned San Marzano tomatoes, the bay leaves, and salt to taste.  
  6. Cook the sauce for 2-3 hours minimum. Make sure you add hot water as necessary to keep the meats and vegetables covered.  If you see a layer of oil floating at the top of the pot, you can remove it with a spoon or you can stir it back into the sauce.
  7. When you are ready to prepare the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the pasta.
  8. When the pasta is a little more than al dente, fish it out with a slotted spoon or spider and add it to the sauce. Stir so that the pasta is evenly coated.  Turn off the heat, add the grated cheese, and serve in shallow bowls.
Pasta with Basil and Pine Nut Pesto

Pasta with Basil and Pine Nut Pesto

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I make pesto quite often for my family.   It is the one green sauce that my youngest son, Luca, will eat daily if given the opportunity. 

The classic pesto sauce originated in Genoa, Italy, along the Italian Riviera where basil grows abundantly.  The classic way to serve pesto in that area is with pasta, potatoes and green beans with a trofie or trenette shaped pasta (which might be difficult to find here).  I like long pasta like spaghetti with my pesto, or fusilli, which holds the sauce well.   In fact, I really like the taste and texture of gluten-free lentil pasta with classic pesto. It is a favorite of my daughter’s.  

Pesto can be made ahead of time and refrigerated in a sealed container, topped with a bit of olive oil, for approximately 2 weeks.

Chef it Up:  Once you master the classic basil and pine nut pesto, you might want to toast some extra pine nuts and serve them on top like I did here.  It adds a great texture.  You can also build onto the recipe by trying the traditional Genovese rendition that adds potatoes and green beans to the pasta dish.  Do you like other herbs and nuts?  Substitute mint for the basil and almonds for the pine nuts, which is a favorite of mine.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pasta (spaghetti, fusilli, and penne work well with pesto)
  • 4 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
  • 4 tablespoons freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for grating

Instructions

  1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2.  In a food processor, combine the basil, salt, and garlic.  Add half of the olive oil and blend at low speed, stopping to press the basil down around the blades.  (The basil will form a paste).
  3. Add the pine nuts and pour in the remaining olive oil and blend until the nuts are finely ground.  Then add the cheese and blend again.
  4. Add the pasta to the pasta water and cook until al dente. 
  5. Remove the pasta with a slotted spoon or tongs, and add to a medium size bowl with the pesto. Mix together until the pasta is well-coated. 
  6. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a little extra cheese if desired.  Note: Never heat your pesto!
Pasta with Simple Tomato Sauce

Pasta with Simple Tomato Sauce

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In an ideal world, I would head to my garden in late August and harvest sweet cherry tomatoes, then I’d cook them into a sauce that could be bottled and used throughout the year.  This is what my parents did in Sicily.  The reality is that I do not have their garden, their soil, nor their climate.  However, a delicious, simple tomato sauce can be made from a can of good quality Italian plum tomatoes – preferably San Marzano. 

Once you master it, you can build on it.  You can add onions, spice it up with some peperoncino or a sprig or two of rosemary, or even add bacon or pancetta to it.  The variations are endless. For a smoother sauce, you can transfer the sauce to a tall plastic container and gently pulse the sauce with an immersion blender.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of pasta (I prefer long pasta like spaghetti or bucatini, or a short, small pasta like penne with this simple tomato sauce)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for a final drizzle
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed (you can whack them with the palm of your hand or the flat side of a knife)
  • One 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
  • Kosher salt to taste, plus more for the pasta water
  • 6-10 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces at the last minute
  • ½ cup of grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
  2. Heat the oil in a 2 to 3 quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. 
  3. Pour the tomatoes and their juices into the saucepan and, with a potato masher, whisk, or wooden spoon, gently mash the tomatoes and stir.  
  4. Bring the sauce to a slight boil and season lightly with salt.
  5. Lower the heat to a simmer and continue to break up the tomatoes while cooking for an additional 20 minutes.  Remove the garlic cloves.
  6. Meanwhile, add the pasta to your boiling water, timing it carefully so the pasta is barely al dente when the sauce is ready.
  7. Stir the basil into the sauce approximately 2 minutes before the sauce is finished.  Taste and season with more salt if necessary.  If your sauce needs a little sweetness, you can add a pinch of sugar or a slight drizzle of honey and stir.  The quality of your canned tomato will determine whether that is necessary.
  8. Transfer your al dente pasta with tongs directly into the sauce in the skillet and toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. 
  9. Add the grated cheese and an extra drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil before serving in a shallow bowl.
Pasta with American Amatriciana Sauce

Pasta with American Amatriciana Sauce

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Once you master a good tomato sauce, the next step is to do like they do in Rome – add some pork for extra flavor.  The traditional way in Rome is to add guanciale or pork cheek, but at home, I simply replace that with bacon.  Some Romans swear you must add lots of onions, but I prefer to create it without them when making a quick version at home.  They also typically serve it with grated Pecorino Romano, but I also like it with grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano. 

Servings: 6

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat 6 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot to cook the pasta.
  2. In a wide skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  After about 1 minute, add the garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the bacon and stir for approximately 4-5 minutes, until it’s sizzling.
  4. Add the San Marzano tomatoes. With a potato masher or wooden spoon, gently crush the tomatoes in the skillet while gently stirring the sauce.  Cook for an additional 15 minutes.  (You can also turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for a little less time.)
  5. When the tomatoes have been added to the skillet and the sauce is simmering, start cooking the pasta according to the package directions. Once the pasta is al dente, remove from the pot with tongs and drop it into the simmering sauce.  Toss together continuously, over moderate heat, for another 1-2 minutes until the pasta is coated with the sauce.  You can add some of the pasta cooking water if you need to thin the sauce.
  6. Turn off the heat and toss in the grated cheese.  Add a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and serve. 

Lasagna “Semplice”

Lasagna “Semplice”

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This delicious lasagna is not only inspired by my mother’s recipe, it is also incredibly simple and uses no-boil lasagna noodles. It is much lighter than many lasagna dishes that you find here in America. There is no meat, and I use cream instead of bechamel. You can also make this lasagna with bolognese sauce if you prefer to have a little protein.

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • Two 28-ounce cans whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • Kosher Salt
  • 2 large sprigs fresh basil
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 15 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles (about one 9-ounce box)
  • 4 cups freshly grated low-moisture mozzarella (about 1 pound)
  • 2 ½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano

Instructions

  1. For the sauce, heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the olive oil.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic, and let sizzle until just golden, about 1 minute.  Add the crushed tomatoes, mash with a potato masher and season with salt.
  2. Simmer until flavorful and slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.  Add the basil leaves in the last 2-3 minutes while the sauce cooks. Discard the garlic cloves and the basil sprigs. 
  3. Add the creamand simmer until the sauce comes together, 3-4 minutes.  Season again with salt to taste.  You should have 6 to 7 cups of sauce.
  4. To assemble the lasagna, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread about a cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. 
  5. Cover the sauce with three noodles (there will be extra space around the noodles, which is fine; they will expand as they absorb the sauce). 
  6. Spread another cup of sauce over the noodles, then sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and ½ cup of the grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano.  Top with another layer of noodles. 
  7. Continue with sauce, mozzarella, Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano, layering in the same manner, until you have five or six layers of noodles. Make sure you top the final with sauce and grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano (not the mozzarella).
  8. Cook the lasagna for approximately 30 minutes until all of the sauce is absorbed, and the lasagna is firm. If the lasagna needs a little extra color, turn the oven up to 375 F and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until you achieve the desired color.
  9. Let the lasagna rest out of the oven for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Rice Noodles with Cherry Tomatoes and Chili Oil

Rice Noodles with Cherry Tomatoes and Chili Oil

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Pasta is the noodle of choice in my household, but my family loves a good rice or soba noodle dish at least once a week.   I began cooking more gluten-free noodles at home for myself and my daughter since we seem to have a slight intolerance to gluten.  This  dish combines a few Italian flavors with a few not-so-Italian flavors that I actually like to use regularly.  In addition, I love the cherry tomato/soy combination.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Rinse the rice noodles in a bowl of cold water to remove the extra starch. 
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  3. Add the noodles and allow to boil for about 4-5 minutes, so that the noodles are still al dente. The amount of time you allow them to boil will vary slightly by brand. When draining the noodles, reserve about 1/2 cup of the water.
  4. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and stir gently until it’s soft and golden, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the sliced chili; cook and stir gently, until softened for about 1 minute.  
  5. Add the cherry tomatoes, soy sauce, and ¼ cup of the hot noodle water and stir together for an additional minute.   
  6. Add the drained noodles to the skillet, and toss to coat with the sauce.  Add the pistachios (or other nuts) and season with additional salt if needed. 
  7. Turn off the heat and add freshly torn basil leaves.   
  8. Serve in medium size deep bowls.  Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and if desired, black sesame seeds.

CHEF IT UP: To make this dish extra creamy and full of flavor (but without the soy sauce), remove basil leaves from two sprigs of basil and blanch them right before you start the dish.   Using a regular or immersion blender, mix the blanched basil leaves with ½ cup of cold water and ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil.  Add the mixture right after you cook the cherry tomatoes, disregard the soy sauce, and proceed with the remaining instructions. 

Pasta With Garlic and Oil

Pasta With Garlic and Oil

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Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil has very few ingredients, is simple to make, but does take practice to master.  A good spaghetti with garlic and oil is a great weeknight dinner, weekend lunch or even late night dinner after entertaining with friends and family.  

The typical pasta with garlic and oil is made with long pasta like spaghetti and uses only olive oil, garlic, and peperoncino or hot chili flakes.  To build on the flavor, you can add toasted breadcrumbs or grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano at the end; I sometimes like to add chopped basil and/or chopped parsley to either of these combinations.   

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 cloves garlic, crushed, and skin removed
  • 1 pound spaghetti or other long pasta like linguine or bucatini
  • ¼ teaspoon peperoncino flakes (red pepper flakes), or more to taste
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano OR ¾ cup of toasted breadcrumbs (optional)
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional)
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. 
  2. In the meantime, in a medium-large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and cook, making sure it does not burn, until softened and pale golden- about 3 to 4 minutes.   
  3. While the garlic is cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water and give it a stir.  Add the peperoncino to the garlic and oil and let toast for a minute. Then add 2 cups of the pasta water to the pan and bring the sauce to a rapid boil.  Season with a little additional salt and peperoncino.  
  4. Once the sauce has reduced by about half and the pasta is al dente, remove the pasta from the boiling water with tongs and add it to the sauce.  If you choose to add parsley, add it now and stir.  Otherwise, turn off the heat, add the toasted breadcrumbs or grated cheese and stir with the tongs.  You can also add the fresh basil and stir if you choose to use it.  Add a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, plate the pasta and serve immediately.  

CHEF IT UP:  Once you have mastered this this simple pasta dish, I suggest doing the following for an even more delicious, creamier sauce. After you begin cooking the pasta, ladle 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into a blender, add the garlic and oil from the saute pan and half of the grated cheese.  Blend until smooth, add parsley, then blend again and pour into a large skillet.  Then once your pasta is al dente, remove it with tongs to the skillet.  Turn off the fire, sprinkle with remaining cheese and toss to coat the pasta in the sauce.  If the pasta sauce seems dry, you can add another ladle of pasta water.  Plate and serve immediately.

To serve:

When the pasta is al dente, remove with tongs to the skillet.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Toss to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding a little more of the pasta cooking water if it seems dry.  When plating, use the tongs to twirl the pasta into the shape of a bird’s nest into the shallow bowl to help keep it warmer.  (You can also do this with a large serving fork and ladle).