Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is a great way to enjoy the bounty of eggplant in the summer. At its core, it’s pasta with eggplant and tomato sauce. You can make it anywhere from super easy to super elegant. Done well, it’s always super delicious.
Pasta Amatriciana
Marcella Hazan titled the recipe “Amatriciana – Tomato Sauce with Pancetta and Chili Pepper.” To me, the aged cheese plays too important of a role to go uncredited. To me it is “Amatriciana – Spicy Tomato Sauce with Cured Pork and Aged Grating Cheese.”
“Infallibile” Pasta Carbonara
Eggs and cheese and starchy pasta water transform into a rich and creamy sauce. Lace that with cured pork and combine with pasta, and you have one of Rome’s most famous pasta dishes. There’s a trick you should know to make the dish foolproof. Or, as Italians would say, infallibile (pronounced in·fal·lì·bi·le).
“Infallibile” Cacio e Pepe
Theoretically, Cacio e Pepe is one of the simplest pasta dishes in existence. Traditionally, the sauce is literally just three ingredients: Pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper and a splash of starchy pasta water. So, why is it so hard? Well, it can be foolproof, or as an Italian would say “Infallibile.”
Semolina Pasta Dough from Scratch
If you like the idea of making fresh pasta by hand, and you like the idea of fun shaped pasta, then semolina pasta dough is the choice for you. It is time consuming. After all, you have to touch each and every piece of pasta! But it’s not hard. And you have two options with respect to the time. One is to embrace some Zen meditation while forming the pasta yourself. The other is to enlist friends and family for a pasta shaping party. Both options are great for the soul.
Egg-Based Pasta Dough From Scratch
Fresh Pasta from Scratch? Why Bother? Dried pasta is cheap and convenient, and you can certainly whip up really nice pasta dishes using dried pasta. So, why would you bother to make fresh pasta from scratch? For the love!
Kenji’s New Way to Cook Pasta
All credit for this technique goes to my favorite celebrity cooking scientist, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. After giving this technique a try, I’ve never looked back. It’s how I cook short style dry pasta. Give it a try to see if it works for you.
Tomato Sauce From Scratch
I don’t have anything against a decent jarred tomato sauce from the grocery store, but you can make a much more special sauce if you make it from scratch. Especially if you use fresh tomatoes from the garden or farmers’ market. This article contains a few good recipes.
Pasta with Savory Melted Eggplant and Sweet Peppers
Eggplant and sweet red peppers are a classic vegetable combination. Cooking eggplant until it’s “melted” transforms it into a luxurious pasta sauce. Enhance the melted eggplant and sweet red peppers with herbs and Parmesan, and you have a vegetarian, comfort filled delight.
Pasta with Melted Eggplant, Italian Sausage, and Lemon
Combine one of my favorite flavor combinations for pasta and seasonal vegetables with one of my favorite cooking techniques for eggplant, and you get Pasta with Melted Eggplant, Italian Sausage and Lemon!
Melted Summer Squash Pasta with Sausage and Lemon
Do you have more zucchini coming out of your garden than you know how to use? This recipe is a great option. It uses a full two and a half pounds of summer squash. All that squash reduces to a creamy concoction perfect for coating pasta.
Caramelized Summer Squash and Onions
Onions aren’t the only thing you can caramelize. And some things are better caramelized along with onions. This recipe takes the Southern classic dish of summer squash and onions, but reduces it all to a spreadable flavor bomb.