Pasta

crowdsource Community Insights

This sauce comes together fast, but most people who made it hit the same snags. First, turn the heat down before you add the Parmesan; people who didn't said the sauce curdled or broke as the cheese went in. Second, save a cup of the pasta water when you drain the noodles; people who tossed all the water missed having that cup when they needed it. Third, be cautious with salt: people often waited to salt until after stirring in the Parmesan so they didn't over-salt, since the salt mainly keeps the pasta from sticking rather than giving a big salty hit.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Beginner Friendly: First-time cooks consistently pull this off without trouble.
• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 lb (454g) fettuccine, store-bought (or homemade fettuccine)
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lb (454g) chicken breast, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper, cracked
• Parsley
• 1 cup pasta cooking water

book_ribbon Instructions

Prep

1. Fill a big pot with water, set it over medium-high heat, and add at least a couple teaspoons of salt.
2. Smash, peel, and finely mince the garlic (the recipe calls for at least three cloves; this version uses nine cloves).
3. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so they pan-fry easily, and wash your hands.

Cook the chicken

1. Season the sliced chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon black pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat until the butter melts and sizzles.
3. Cook the chicken in two batches so it doesn't crowd the pan, cooking until each piece is nice and golden and cooked through; depending on your cooktop, cook for around seven minutes (maybe a little less or more), flipping when golden and repeating for the other side.

Cook the pasta

1. When the water is boiling, add 1 pound fettuccine and give it a swirl so the strands don't stick together.
2. Cook the fettuccine until perfectly al dente and reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
3. Drain the pasta and set aside.

Make the sauce

1. Drain the oil from the chicken pan and lightly wipe the pan, leaving some of the brown bits for flavor (wash out completely only if very blackened).
2. Add 1/2 cup (113 grams) butter, 2 cups (480 mL) heavy cream, and all the minced garlic to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter melts.
3. Reduce the heat to very low (the lowest of lows) and simmer, stirring frequently, for about five minutes or until the sauce thickens and the garlic loses some bite.
4. Season the simmering sauce with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, and continue to simmer until it thickens up.
5. Gradually whisk in 90 grams (or 1 cup) finely grated Parmesan over low heat until fully melted, then remove the pan from the heat.

Assemble and finish

1. Slice the cooked chicken breasts to your desired thickness.
2. Add the drained, cooked fettuccine directly into the sauce and toss to coat.
3. If the sauce becomes too thick or sets up, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water (warmed if desired) a little at a time to loosen and revive the sauce.
4. Finish with a sprinkle of parsley and serve.

crowdsource Community Insights

This version comes together quickly and tastes rich, and people who made it found two things mattered most. People who left out cream said the sauce tasted cleaner and more balanced (a few who wanted extra richness stirred in a little cream cheese or sour cream). Also, people who deglazed the pan and folded the chicken drippings into the sauce got the biggest flavor lift. If you want deeper, nuttier notes, some cooks made a roux before finishing the sauce, but it takes practice and can thicken the sauce quickly.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 0.375 inch chicken breast, flattened to about 3/8 inch (or boneless skinless chicken thighs)
• Cajun seasoning, no salt (or store-bought Cajun seasoning (e.g., McCormick or other brand))
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• Garlic
• 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Black pepper
• 1/2 lb (227g) egg pasta, nests

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Flatten the chicken breast to about 3/8 inch thickness and season both sides with Cajun seasoning (homemade, no salt) and extra salt.
2. Heat a large stainless-steel skillet over medium for about 3 minutes before adding fat.
3. Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil to the hot pan, add the chicken, and sear about 3 minutes per side; add about 1 tablespoon of butter while searing.
4. Cook until the chicken is firm to the touch or cooked through (about 6–7 minutes total as observed), then tent the chicken and set aside.
5. In a separate nonstick pan over medium-low, melt the remaining butter (about 7 tablespoons) and add the garlic; cook until the garlic turns lightly golden.
6. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 cup; reserve some for serving) and the heavy cream (1 cup) to the garlic-butter, bring to a gentle bubble, and let the sauce thicken.
7. Taste the sauce and season with about 3/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste; lower or turn off the heat while you cook the pasta.
8. Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it using 2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon of water (or 1.5 tablespoons if using 3 quarts).
9. Gently drop the pasta nests into the boiling water and stir carefully; cook the pasta until about 2 minutes from done.
10. Turn the sauce heat back on to very low, pull the pasta from the pot directly into the sauce with tongs, and toss in the sauce for about 30 seconds to coat.
11. If the sauce is too loose, sprinkle in more Parmigiano-Reggiano; if too dry, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
12. Slice the rested chicken, turn off the heat, serve the pasta with sliced chicken, and offer the reserved grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving.

crowdsource Community Insights

This lasagna gets high marks for taste and is pretty foolproof if you follow what people discovered making it. People who used bechamel sauce were glad they did. Those who bought pre-sliced low-moisture mozzarella instead of fresh mozzarella said they were happier with the result. And if you handle garlic at any point, people who rubbed their hands on the tap while washing found that quickly removed the garlic smell. Do those three small things and the whole process feels easier and comes together better.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Flour
• 2 eggs
• Hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
• Sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
• Fennel seeds, crushed
• Onion, finely chopped
• 5 clove garlic, very finely minced
• Olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• Red pepper flakes
• Black pepper, freshly cracked
• 1 tube tomato paste
• Whole tomatoes
• Basil leaves, fresh leaves
• Ricotta
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Nutmeg, fresh
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded into long strands
• 2 fresh pasta sheets, rolled into long sheets (or dried lasagna sheets, store-bought lasagna sheets)

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Make the pasta dough: create a well in the flour, add eggs, and whisk the eggs with a fork until fully combined; pull in flour from the outside of the well, gather the dough, and knead until smooth.
2. Let the dough rest briefly at room temperature, cut the dough into four portions, quickly roll each portion out, flour the pasta sheeter and pasta sheet, and roll into long sheets; cut sheets to the length of the baking dish by tracing with a knife, trim as needed.
3. Stack sheets between layers of parchment, cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying, and set aside.
4. Prepare the meat sauce: heat the stove to medium to medium-high and add a layer of olive oil to a pot.
5. Split open the sausages and remove the casings, add all sausage meat to the hot oil, spread it out, and leave it undisturbed for a few minutes to develop a crust; then flip, break up into smaller chunks, and if desired crank the heat to high to get a better crust.
6. Add the chopped onion over the sausage, sprinkle the onion with a quick pinch of salt, and let the onion soften for a couple of minutes.
7. Add the minced garlic, a few red pepper flakes, fresh cracked black pepper, and the crushed fennel seeds; let cook for a couple of minutes while continuing to break up the meat and scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
8. Stir in an entire tube of tomato paste and toast it, stirring, until the paste turns a deep red, almost lighter brown.
9. Add the whole tomatoes, crush them in the pot, scrape the bottom again to loosen browned bits, then add a bunch of basil leaves.
10. Let the sauce cook uncovered for about an hour while you prepare the remaining components.
11. Make the ricotta filling: in a bowl combine ricotta, a bit of parmesan, microplane several cloves of garlic into the bowl, fresh cracked black pepper, and a pinch of salt; optionally add a little fresh nutmeg; stir and taste, then crack in both eggs and mix until fully combined.
12. Grate the block of mozzarella lengthwise to produce long strands, transfer to a bowl, and reserve about half for the top of the lasagna.
13. Assemble the lasagna: spread a thin layer of red sauce across the bottom of the baking dish, pushing sauce to the edges to prevent pasta from sticking or burning.
14. Wipe off any excess flour from pasta sheets, place down two pasta sheets and press firmly.
15. Spread an even layer of the ricotta filling (use an offset spatula to help get it even).
16. Sprinkle a light coating of shredded mozzarella and a quick dusting of grated parmesan over the ricotta.
17. Repeat layers in the same order: red sauce, pasta sheets, ricotta filling, then both shredded cheeses, keeping the layers flat and level as you build.
18. On the final layer of pasta add streaks of red sauce and tuck sauce toward the edges, then cover with a thick layer of mozzarella (allow some to drape over the edges if desired) and finish with a good coating of parmesan especially along the edges.
19. Place the assembled baking dish on a sheet tray to catch spills and bake in the oven until golden brown on top, then remove from the oven.

crowdsource Community Insights

This sauce easily goes dry if you’re not careful: most people who made this saved some starchy pasta water and stirred it with butter and lots of grated Parmesan (Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano were both used) to keep the sauce silky instead of clumpy. If you want a clear garlic flavor, people usually minced three cloves, and some added roasted garlic for a deeper, mellow layer. A few cooks who wanted a creamier but not heavy result mixed heavy cream and milk to make a half-and-half substitute rather than using straight half-and-half, it’s an easy option.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Beginner Friendly: First-time cooks consistently pull this off without trouble.
• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 12 oz (340g) fettuccine
• Water
• 1/2-1 tsp sea salt
• 1 lb (454g) white mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1 onion, finely chopped, small
• 3 clove garlic, minced, large
• 2 lb (907g) chicken breasts, sliced into strips
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup parsley, freshly chopped

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Cook 12 ounces of fettuccine in a large pot of salted water according to the package instructions until the noodles are al dente or slightly firm to the bite; drain and set aside.
2. While the pasta cooks, prepare the rest of the ingredients: thickly slice 1 pound white mushrooms; finely chop 1 small onion; mince three large garlic cloves; slice two pounds of chicken breasts into strips (halve very large breasts horizontally first if desired).
3. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
4. Place a large, very deep pan (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or just until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
5. In the same pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter, then sauté the onion for about 3 minutes or until soft.
6. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are lightly browned.
7. Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
8. Add 3 1/2 cups of half-and-half, bring to a light boil, and cook for about 6 to 10 minutes or until it is barely beginning to thicken.
9. Add the cooked chicken back to the pan along with 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley; season to taste (the recipe typically uses between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper).
10. Add the cooked and drained pasta back to the pan and stir everything together.
11. Cover with the lid and let rest for at least ten minutes or until the sauce coats the noodles.
12. Uncover, give the pasta a quick toss, garnish with additional parsley if desired, and serve.

crowdsource Community Insights

This one lives or dies on how you handle the cheese and the pasta water. People who kept the pan too hot or mixed the cheese while it was still over heat got clumps, so most who nailed it took the pan off the heat and let the temperature come down a bit before adding the cheese. Also, people who avoided pre-grated cheese and grated fresh with a microplane got a much silkier sauce because the cheese melts more evenly. And people who cooked the pasta in less water kept their cooking water starchy, which helped the sauce come together smoothly.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated (or freshly grated pecorino romano from a specialty market that adds no anti-caking agents)
• 1 tsp Tellicherry black peppercorns, toasted, freshly ground (or pepper mill (to grind toasted peppercorns) instead of mortar and pestle)
• 4 oz (113g) Dried spaghetti
• 1/2 cup Pasta cooking water
• Salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup Olive oil

book_ribbon Instructions

Common prep

1. Choose real Pecorino Romano cut from a whole wheel; do not use pre-grated cheeses that contain anti-caking agents (cellulose, cornstarch).
2. Grate Pecorino Romano on the finest grater surface to a snow-like texture; if using freshly grated cheese that has formed clumps, push it through a fine-mesh sieve to break up clumps.
3. Toast whole Tellicherry black peppercorns in a dry pan: add about 1u20132 tablespoons whole peppercorns to a hot pan, swirl until fragrant but not burned, remove from heat and transfer to a mortar and pestle.
4. Grind toasted peppercorns in the mortar and pestle by grinding against the wall toward the center until you have a fine grind with some coarse texture (about 1 teaspoon ground toasted pepper). If you do not have a mortar and pestle, use a pepper mill to grind toasted peppercorns.

Method 1 u2014 Original (pan montecare)

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil; season with very little salt or no salt at all (the cheese is salty).
2. Cook dried spaghetti until al dente (package times cited in the video: about 11 minutes for the square spaghetti example); reserve pasta water.
3. Keep the pan that has the toasted pepper warm but not hot; add about 1 teaspoon of the ground toasted black pepper to the warm pan.
4. A few minutes before the pasta is al dente, add a little pasta water to the pan to warm it and prime it for the pasta.
5. When the pasta is al dente, add the pasta directly to the warm pan with the pepper and turn off the heat under the pan.
6. Add about a half a ladle (about 1/2 cup) of reserved pasta water to the pasta in the pan to provide a base for the cheese.
7. Add a very generous amount of Pecorino Romano (about two handfuls; ~1 cup) and vigorously stir (montecaring) until the cheese emulsifies with the pasta water into a creamy sauce (the video notes the sauce comes together in about 10 seconds).
8. Serve immediately on a warmed plate, twirling nests of pasta in the pooled sauce and topping with extra Pecorino and freshly cracked black pepper.

Method 2 u2014 Pecorino paste (tempered cream)

1. Cook pasta until al dente in very lightly salted or unsalted water (the video uses Monograno Felicetti with ~10 minutes cook time as an example); reserve pasta water.
2. Combine about two handfuls of Pecorino Romano (about 1 cup) with the teaspoon of ground toasted black pepper in a bowl.
3. Slowly add reserved pasta water to the cheese one tablespoon at a time, stirring, until it forms a smooth paste; do not let the cheese mixture exceed 180 degrees Fahrenheit while tempering.
4. Warm the pan by adding about a half ladle of reserved pasta water to the pan, then turn the heat off.
5. Add the al dente pasta to the warm, heat-off pan, then add the pecorino paste and vigorously montecare (mix/beat) the pasta and sauce together until emulsified; adjust with more cheese or a bit more pasta water if the sauce is too loose or too tight.
6. Plate immediately and top with extra Pecorino and more cracked black pepper.

Method 3 u2014 Bowl method (bain-marie)

1. Use a large heatproof bowl and a pot of boiling water as a bain-marie (gentle indirect heat).
2. Cook pasta until al dente (the video example gives 12 minutes for one artisanal square spaghetti); reserve pasta water.
3. About three minutes before the pasta is al dente, add about 1 teaspoon ground toasted black pepper and a ladle or two of reserved pasta water to the heatproof bowl to warm it.
4. When pasta is al dente, turn off the heat under the pot to lower the temperature, and transfer pasta or add reserved pasta water as needed to the bowl.
5. Add grated Pecorino Romano to the warmed bowl and vigorously mix/montecare, using the bowl over gentle heat as needed to keep the cheese from seizing; if the sauce tightens, add a little cooled pasta water to loosen it.
6. Plate immediately and finish with additional Pecorino and cracked black pepper.

Method 4 u2014 Luciano's blender rule-breaker

1. Start cooking pasta until al dente and reserve pasta water.
2. Into a blender add about 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, 1 teaspoon ground toasted black pepper, and about two hefty handfuls of Pecorino Romano (u22481 cup).
3. With the blender running, pour in roughly 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup olive oil (the video mentions both ~1/4 cup and possibly ~1/2 cup) and blend; if the sauce is too runny, add the rest of the cheese and blend again until thick and creamy (the video compares the texture to Caesar dressing).
4. Transfer the blended sauce to a pan; when the pasta is al dente add the pasta directly to the sauce on low flame and allow the sauce to coat the pasta, adding pasta water only if needed.
5. Plate immediately and finish with additional Pecorino and cracked black pepper.

Serving

1. Warm serving plates (the video suggests microwaving plates for a few minutes) so the sauce does not seize when plated.
2. Use tongs to lift and twirl strands in the pan's pooled sauce, place on the warmed plate, and pour excess sauce over the pasta.
3. Top with more Pecorino Romano and freshly cracked toasted black pepper and serve immediately; the sauce tightens quickly as it cools so eat without delay.

crowdsource Community Insights

Most people who've made this found the sauce comes together best without cream. Instead, they relied on butter, freshly grated cheese, and a splash of starchy pasta water to loosen the sauce, this gave a smoother, less heavy finish than adding cream. If you want a really cheesy result, the ones who used about 1.5 cups of freshly grated cheese were happiest; pre-grated worked fine when convenience mattered. And if you want to stretch it into a heartier meal, some people tossed in leftover turkey or shrimp at the end. Overall, people liked how this method produced a creamy, saucy result.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Fettuccine
• Salt, to taste
• 3 clove garlic, finely grated
• 7 tbsp butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• Parmesan, freshly grated
• 1/4-1/2 cup pasta cooking water (or cream cheese and butter)
• Parsley

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and heavily season it with salt.
2. Add the fettuccine to the boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the noodles do not stick; the pasta should still have a bit of bite because it will continue cooking in the sauce.
3. Meanwhile, grate 3 cloves of garlic very finely into a paste and freshly grate the Parmesan right before using.
4. Melt a little butter in a pan, add the grated garlic and about 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and toast briefly in the fat until fragrant.
5. Pour in 1 cup heavy cream and bring it up to a heavy simmer.
6. Add the rest of the butter (7 tablespoons) to the simmering cream, then reduce and simmer for a bit until the sauce thickens.
7. Add the freshly grated Parmesan to the sauce and stir until it melts into a cohesive, creamy sauce.
8. Transfer the cooked fettuccine directly from the pot to the pan with the sauce without draining completely, reserving some pasta water.
9. Add about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of reserved pasta cooking water and immediately fold it into the pasta and sauce until everything is luxuriously coated and cohesive; adjust amount within that range depending on desired thickness.
10. Remove from heat, garnish with a little parsley if desired, and serve.

crowdsource Community Insights

This recipe generally turns out well, but people who made it noticed three things that really change the result. First, brown the meat until it’s a deep brown before you add liquids, combining while the meat is still watery or steaming leaves the sauce weak. Second, using a homemade stock or broth instead of plain boiling water gives the sauce noticeably more body. And third, don’t skip seasoning while it cooks: people who omitted salt early found the finished dish flat, and many found seasoning earlier (rather than only at the end) preserved more aroma and flavor.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 onion (or brown onion)
• Red onion (or brown onion)
• 3 stick celery
• 3 carrot
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• 150g tomato paste
• 400g peeled tomato
• 1l Italian passata
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 glass red wine (or white wine)
• 1 mug full cream milk
• 500g pork mince
• 300g beef mince
• 200g veal mince
• Pappardelle, fresh, handmade (or penne, tagliatelle)
• 1l water
• Rock salt, to taste
• Parmigiano Reggiano

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Place a large pot on the stove and add a good amount of extra virgin olive oil; heat for a few minutes until the oil comes to temperature.
2. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes until it is a little bit golden.
3. Add the carrot and celery and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes to make the soffritto.
4. Add half a glass of red wine (you can use white wine instead) and let it cook off for a few minutes so the alcohol evaporates.
5. Add the pork (500 g), beef (300 g), and veal (200 g) mince; add a little bit of salt and a little bit of pepper, separate the meat pieces while cooking, and continue until the meat turns the classic gray color.
6. When the meat releases liquid and that liquid has mostly evaporated, add the second half of the glass of wine and let it cook off.
7. Add the tomato paste (150 g), the peeled tomato (400 g), and the Italian passata (1 L). Use a little water from the passata bottle to rinse the bottle into the pot and avoid waste, then crush the peeled tomato and mix everything together.
8. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then maintain on very low heat with small bubbles (do not run the fire too strong). Do not cover (optional to cover), allow some evaporation, and let the ragu00f9 cook for about 4 to 5 hours total, checking it periodically and adding hot water as needed to keep the meat moist.
9. Check and taste the ragu00f9 after about 1 hour; adjust with a little more salt or pepper as needed. If the ragu00f9 becomes too dry (as around 2 hours in), add hot water u2014 the cook suggests adding about 0.5 L and then checking again in about an hour u2014 and continue to simmer.
10. About half an hour before serving (when the sauce is nice and thick), add the full cream milk (add the stated milk amount) and return the ragu00f9 to the stove; stir and heat for another 4 or 5 minutes to smooth the milk into the sauce.
11. Meanwhile, boil 1 L of water for the pasta; when the water boils add a generous handful of rock salt, then add the fresh pappardelle and cook until done. Reserve some pasta cooking water, then strain the pasta.
12. Add some ragu00f9 to a frying pan, add the drained pasta to the pan with the sauce in the bottom, add a little reserved pasta cooking water to help combine, toss over heat so the pasta absorbs the sauce, and add more ragu00f9 on top as desired.
13. Serve the pasta with extra Parmigiano Reggiano grated on top if desired.

crowdsource Community Insights

This comes together fast, but people who made this discovered a couple of practical things that keep it from falling apart. If your pasta water doesn't seem starchy enough, a tiny splash of cornstarch mixed with some water helped the sauce come together instead of separating. Also, really stir while you're combining the cheese and liquid, that steady motion is what keeps the sauce smooth. And a heads-up: people who added rosemary usually regretted it, it clashes with the other flavors. Adding a knob of butter at the end is an optional tweak a few people liked.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1/4 lb (113g) spaghetti, dried
• 1 1/2 glass water
• 1/2 carton chicken stock, low-sodium
• 1 oz (28g) Pecorino Romano, grated (or Parmesan)
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Salt, to taste
• Rosemary
• Butter

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Place a 10-inch stainless steel frying pan on high heat.
2. Pour in just enough water to submerge the spaghetti u2014 a glass and a half of water.
3. If you add salt to the water, add only a teeny little pinch; you may also skip salt entirely.
4. Add the dried spaghetti (about a quarter pound). Gently press the tips into the water until the tips soften and you can bend the rest of the noodles into the pan.
5. Keep the pasta moving almost continuously and cook it like a risotto so it cooks evenly and doesn't stick; add minimal extra water as needed to prevent sticking.
6. If using chicken stock instead of water, use low-sodium chicken stock (the cook used half a carton for one big portion) and add more stock as needed in the same way you would water.
7. After about 10 minutes, taste the pasta to check doneness and continue cooking until it is almost soft.
8. When the pasta is almost done, turn the heat off and wait until the bubbling stops or slows significantly u2014 do not add cheese while the sauce is vigorously boiling, or the cheese will go grainy.
9. Do a preliminary grind of black pepper over the pasta.
10. Add Pecorino Romano (use at least about 1 ounce / 30 gram of cheese per portion) and stir aggressively to melt the cheese into a smooth, thick sauce, avoiding big cheese chunks.
11. If the sauce looks too thick or will be too sticky when it cools, mix in a little extra water to loosen it until you have a thick blanket of cheese over the pasta.
12. Optionally stir in a little butter at this point if desired.
13. Optionally add rosemary as a finishing flavor.
14. Transfer the pasta to a bowl and finish with additional freshly ground black pepper on top.

crowdsource Community Insights

People who made this usually ended up with a straightforward, satisfying sauce, but a few choices kept tripping people up. The cooks who added rosemary found it overpowered the dish, so most avoided it. Adding stock was another thing that tended to dilute the result, people who skipped stock liked the cleaner flavor. And a practical finishing move lots of people used was not rinsing the pasta and saving a cup of the cooking water; those who did that found the sauce clings and comes together much better. In short, keep it simple and save the pasta water.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Tagliatelle
• Minced veal, very finely minced
• Minced pork, coarsely minced
• 100g pancetta, sofrito, softened
• 1 carrot, sofrito, softened
• 1 onion, sofrito, softened
• 1 stalk celery, sofrito, softened
• Red wine
• Tomato concentrate, diluted with stock
• Stock (or chicken stock, vegetable stock)
• Pasta water
• Parmesan, grated

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Prepare a sofrito of celery, carrot, onion and pancetta and soften it slightly in a pan.
2. Add the minced veal and minced pork to the sofrito and break up the meat in the pan.
3. Seal the meat over heat so that excess water is driven off and the meat browns rather than boils.
4. Add a bit of red wine and stir after adding it.
5. Add tomato concentrate diluted with a little water or stock, and add the rest of the stock.
6. Cover the pan, turn the heat down, and simmer slowly for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
7. Cook the tagliatelle until ready and reserve some pasta cooking water.
8. Warm a small pan, add a little pasta water, then add the cooked tagliatelle to the pan with the ragu.
9. Toss the pasta and sauce together in the pan so the pasta grabs the flavors and the sauce sticks to the pasta.
10. Turn off the heat, add a little more pasta water if needed, grate Parmesan over the pasta, and serve.

crowdsource Community Insights

Most people who've made this say it hinges on three small things: temperature, water, and cheese. Letting the pan get too hot wrecked the sauce for lots of cooks, so keep the heat lowish and take the pan off the heat if things look too lively. Adding too much pasta water diluted the sauce, add liquid slowly and stop when the texture feels right. And finally, having enough cheese matters; people who skimmed on cheese either ended up with a thin sauce or stringy bits. If you mind those three, it comes together reliably and tastes great.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Beginner Friendly: First-time cooks consistently pull this off without trouble.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 125g Spaghettone quadrato, thick dry (or tagliolini, pici, fresh pasta made with water and flour, fresh pasta made with eggs and flour, fresh pasta made with eggs and semolina)
• 75g Pecorino Romano, grated
• Black pepper, freshly cracked
• 1 tbsp Rock salt
• 1 cup Pasta water

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and, once boiling, add 1 tablespoon rock salt.
2. Add the spaghettone to the boiling water and cook for two minutes less than the package's recommended time (the packet used in the video says 13 minutes, so remove at 11 minutes).
3. While the pasta is cooking, place a saucepan on the heat at a gentle temperature, cover the cooking surface with a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper and toast the pepper for approximately 2 minutes, then switch off the heat.
4. In a small bowl, combine some freshly cracked black pepper with the grated pecorino romano and mix.
5. When the pasta has cooked to the shortened time (11 minutes in the video), use tongs to transfer the pasta directly from the pot into the peppered saucepan, reserving plenty of pasta water.
6. Place the saucepan on top of the uncovered pot so steam keeps the pan warm, add about one cup of reserved pasta water (enough to cover most of the pasta), turn the heat back on, and continue cooking the pasta in the pan while stirring for 2 more minutes.
7. Scoop another mug (about 1 cup) of pasta water and add a little at a time into the pecorino mixture, stirring and gradually adding more water until the cheese becomes a thick paste (do not make it runny).
8. Add the pecorino paste to the pasta in the saucepan, add a little more reserved pasta water if needed, and toss the pasta repeatedly over the steam until the pecorino melts and forms a creamy sauce that coats the pasta; if the pasta will not toss, add small amounts of pasta water and continue tossing until creamy.
9. Serve immediately, topping each portion with any leftover cheese paste and extra freshly cracked black pepper.