Pasta

crowdsource Community Insights

Most people who made this found skipping heavy cream and relying on just butter and Parmigiano gives the creamiest, most reliable sauce. What trips people up is the cheese: adding it while the pan is still hot often makes the sauce break. People who took the pan off the heat, stirred the butter and cheese together, then loosened the mixture with a little starchy pasta water, added a splash at a time, had the best results, adding the water too early caused trouble. If you want a small variation, some cooks liked a tiny pinch of nutmeg, but it's totally optional.

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, dried (or fresh fettuccine)
• 2 stick butter
• Heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
• Garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, fresh cracked
• Basil leaves, fresh leaves
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• Grilled chicken, leftover
• Shrimp, sautéed

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Grate the Parmesan cheese.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it heavily ("like the ocean"), and start cooking the dried fettuccine; break the fettuccine if desired.
3. Before draining the pasta, remove and reserve about 1/2 cup of the hot pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
4. While the pasta cooks, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan, then add 2 sticks of butter and stir constantly until the butter melts into the cream.
5. Bring the cream-and-butter mixture up to a simmer and cook until it reduces slightly, thickens a little, and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Add a pinch of garlic powder to the cream mixture (or use fresh garlic steeped in the cream and removed before tossing, as an alternative).
7. Once the sauce has slightly thickened, stir in about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and about 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano; allow the cheese to melt and further thicken the sauce.
8. Add just a pinch of salt, reserving pepper for the top.
9. Add the drained fettuccine to the sauce and toss to coat; if the sauce becomes too thick or was made ahead, loosen it with some reserved hot pasta water as needed.
10. Plate the pasta and top with additional grated Parmesan, fresh cracked black pepper, and a few basil leaves.
11. Optionally, while the pasta and sauce are hot, toss in leftover grilled chicken or sautéed shrimp with a little reserved pasta water to combine and heat through.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• 350g spaghetti (or other pastas)
• 60-70 cracks black pepper, cracked and finely crushed
• 1 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, freshly grated (or Parmigiano Reggiano)
• Salt, to taste
• 2-2 1/2l pasta water, starchy

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Grate 120 g (about 1 1/2 cups) Pecorino Romano and set aside.
2. Crack or crush the black pepper (about 60–70 cracks, or roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons if using a mortar and pestle) and reserve; keep extra cracked pepper (about 15 cracks) for garnish if desired.
3. Bring a relatively small volume of water to a boil in a large pot; place a lid on to speed up boiling.
4. When the water boils, remove the lid carefully, season the water with salt to taste, then add 350 g (12.3 oz) spaghetti and stir.
5. Cook the spaghetti for 2 minutes less than the package instructions.
6. While the pasta cooks, place the cracked pepper into a dry pan over medium heat and toast for about 2 minutes, stirring and lowering heat if it begins to burn.
7. When the pasta is cooked (2 minutes under packet time), remove the pot from the heat and reserve starchy pasta water.
8. Turn the pepper pan down to low, then add about 2 to 2 1/2 liters of starchy pasta water to the pan with the toasted pepper, scraping any pepper from the sides.
9. Increase heat to medium–medium high and bring the pepper and starchy water to a simmer; simmer for about 2 minutes to develop aroma and starchiness.
10. Introduce the drained pasta into the pan with the starchy peppered water, bringing along a little extra starchy water if desired.
11. Turn the pan off and, working quickly, add all of the freshly grated Pecorino Romano to the pasta off the heat.
12. Using the residual heat of the pasta and the starchy water, vigorously mix to melt the cheese and create a creamy emulsion; if it does not fully combine, briefly return to low heat and stir until emulsified but not clumped.
13. Adjust the sauce consistency with additional starchy pasta water as needed until you reach a smooth, creamy coating.
14. Serve the pasta into bowls and garnish with additional Pecorino Romano and more cracked black pepper (about 15 cracks) as desired.

crowdsource Community Insights

This lasagna really benefits from parboiling the noodles, most people who skipped cooking the pasta ended up with undercooked layers, so parboiling the noodles before assembling helps everything finish properly. Ricotta can turn crumbly; people who stirred an egg with salt, dried parsley, garlic salt, shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan into the ricotta found it held together and felt creamier. One more heads-up: people who added celery usually regretted it, so leaving celery out is the safer call unless you really want that texture 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

• Cooking oil
• Pork country-style rib
• Spicy Italian sausage, removed from casing
• Onion
• 2 rib celery
• 2 carrot, small
• Garlic
• Dry white wine
• Basil, tied into bouquet
• Crushed peeled tomatoes, ground/skinless
• Water
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Red pepper flakes
• Pecorino, grated
• Parmesan, grated
• Mozzarella, low-moisture, shredded
• Ricotta, in dabs
• Lasagna noodles, dry

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Heat a pot over the stove and add some cooking oil.
2. Add the pork country-style ribs, season, spread in an even layer, and brown for 5 to 7 minutes until browned on several sides; leave it alone initially so it releases from the pot. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving the fat and fond in the pot.
3. Cut the sausage out of its casing with a paring knife, add the sausage meat to the pot, break it up, and brown; remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and place it on top of the browned pork in the bowl, leaving fat and juices in the pot.
4. Add the onions to the pot and add a little bit of salt.
5. When the pot is sounding like sizzling (not steaming), add about 2 ribs of celery and about 2 small carrots and cook until they start to soften.
6. Add the garlic last in this stage and cook until fragrant but not browned.
7. Add dry white wine and cook it down until the alcohol has cooked off and it has picked up the fond from the bottom of the pot.
8. Make a bouquet garni by folding and twisting basil, tie it with butcher twine, and add the bouquet garni to the pot.
9. Add the ground/ crushed peeled tomatoes (put all the tomatoes into the pot) and save the cans to rinse out; add some water from rinsing the cans or otherwise to lengthen the sauce's cooking time so it does not reduce too quickly.
10. Season with a grinding of fresh black pepper, a nice pinch of salt, and a little bit of red pepper flakes; stir and bring the sauce to a simmer.
11. Taste and adjust salt as needed (the recipe calls for adding another nice pinch if necessary).
12. Lower heat to medium, add all the meats back into the pot with their juices, stir, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer low and slow for about an hour and a half until everything comes together and the pork is tender.
13. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Take the pork out, shred or chop it, and return the shredded pork to the sauce.
14. Shred the basil and add it to the sauce toward the end to brighten the flavor.
15. Adjust the sauce consistency with some water so it remains a little liquidy for dry pasta to absorb.
16. Assemble the lasagna: spread sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, arrange a layer of dry lasagna noodles, spoon sauce onto the noodles, add grated pecorino and parmesan, sprinkle shredded low-moisture mozzarella, and dab ricotta in spots; repeat layers, pressing down slightly and making sure corners are covered.
17. Finish with a top layer of grated cheeses (do not put ricotta on the top layer).
18. Place the assembled lasagna on a sheet tray or cookie sheet, cover loosely with foil, and bake in a 350° oven for about 30 minutes covered.
19. Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes uncovered to brown and crisp the edges.
20. Let the lasagna rest for a minimum of 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.

grocery Ingredients

• Pasta, fresh (or tonnarelli (square-cut spaghetti), other pasta types, fresh pasta)
• Oil
• Pecorino cheese, grated
• Freshly ground pepper

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Begin by making the cheese paste from the grated Pecorino.
2. Roast the freshly ground pepper in a skillet.
3. Cook the pasta (traditionally tonnarelli; fresh pasta cooks more quickly) until done.
4. Use the pasta's starch to help bind the pasta and sauce.
5. Combine the hot cooked pasta with the cheese paste and the roasted pepper, and stir until the sauce is creamy and not lumpy, adjusting temperature and technique as needed.
6. Do not add butter.
7. Serve with grated Pecorino cheese.
8. The dish is ready in just five minutes.

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

• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 lb (454g) Roma tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 brown onion, large, diced
• 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 lb (907g) ground beef
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper
• Spaghetti
• Water

book_ribbon Instructions

Preparation

1. Peel and dice three carrots; place the diced carrots into a bowl and set aside.
2. Peel the skins from one pound of Roma tomatoes, thoroughly dice them, place into a bowl and set aside.
3. Dice three garlic cloves; place into a bowl and set aside.
4. Dice one large brown onion; place into a bowl and set aside.
5. Pick six fresh basil leaves and roll-and-chop them; place into a bowl and set aside.

Make the bolognese sauce

1. Place a large skillet on the cooktop and turn the heat to medium.
2. Add one teaspoon of olive oil to the pan and wait a couple minutes for it to heat.
3. Add the diced carrots and diced garlic to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes.
4. Add two pounds of ground beef to the pan and stir.
5. Cook until the meat is browned and the onions are soft.
6. Add the diced tomatoes and thoroughly stir; cook for approximately 5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices and are adequately broken down.
7. Add the chopped fresh basil, 1 teaspoon of sugar, salt, and pepper; thoroughly mix and bring to a simmer.
8. Simmer for at least three hours, stirring occasionally.

Cook the pasta

1. When the sauce is almost finished simmering, place a large pot on the stovetop, fill it with water, and turn the heat to high.
2. Bring the water to a boil, then carefully place the spaghetti into the boiling water and salt the water.
3. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, usually around 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes, drain the pasta immediately.

To serve

1. Place the cooked spaghetti on a plate.
2. Spoon several generous scoops of the bolognese sauce over the spaghetti.
3. Garnish with the fresh basil.
4. Remove from heat, serve, and enjoy.

crowdsource Community Insights

This comes together fast, but technique matters more than fancy ingredients, a few things tripped people up. Most people who overheated the sauce or added cheese while the pan was still hot ended up with a grainy, separated sauce; the ones who took the pan off the heat, added finely grated Pecorino slowly, and kept the mix under 160°F got the smooth, creamy result. People who added butter afterward usually felt it muddied the texture, so leaving it out is what worked best. Also, don’t use pre-grated or coarsely grated Pecorino if you want real creaminess.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• 4 quart water
• 5 tsp salt
• Bucatini (or spaghetti, macaroni)
• 1 cup pecorino romano, grated
• 1 tbsp black pepper, freshly cracked
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter (or omit butter (traditional cacio e pepe))

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Place 4 quarts of water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Add 5 teaspoons salt to the water.
3. Optional: add whole peppercorns to the boiling water to infuse it with pepper flavor.
4. While the water heats, grate about 1 cup (125 grams) pecorino romano; reserve additional grated cheese for topping as desired.
5. When the water boils, add bucatini and cook until almost al dente (bucatini typically cooks 9 to 11 minutes; begin checking at about 8 minutes).
6. Before draining, reserve about 2 cups of the pasta cooking water; do not discard it.
7. Drain the pasta in a colander.
8. In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter and brown the butter solids until they are an amber color but not burned.
9. Add 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper to the browned butter and stir to bloom the pepper.
10. Add 1.5 cups of the reserved pasta water to the skillet, then add the drained pasta and cook/toss until the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce, using tongs and avoiding any whole peppercorns.
11. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the grated pecorino romano into the pasta and toss until the cheese melts and forms a creamy sauce.
12. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining 1/2 cup of pecorino romano, tossing to combine.
13. Serve immediately with additional pecorino romano and a sprinkle of black pepper on top. If the pasta becomes dry, loosen it with more reserved pasta water.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• Cavatappi pasta
• Salt, to taste
• Olive oil
• Heavy cream
• Whole milk
• Garlic, peeled and smashed
• Thyme, fresh thyme leaves
• Dry mustard
• Smoked paprika
• Black pepper, fresh cracked
• Cheddar, shredded (or Gruyere, Monterey Jack, Havarti)
• Gouda, trimmed and shredded
• Mozzarella, shredded
• Goat cheese, crumbled
• Parmesan, grated

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Bring a large, salted pot of water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot.
2. Cook the cavatappi a few minutes under the package instructions; the package says 6 minutes, so cook the pasta for about 4 minutes, stirring once after adding to the water, until very al dente (chewier than al dente).
3. Drain the pasta and transfer it back to the same pot; do not save the pasta water.
4. Drizzle the pasta with a little olive oil and gently toss to coat so it doesn't stick; set the pasta aside.
5. Over very low heat in the pot, combine heavy cream and whole milk and add the peeled, smashed garlic and the thyme; add a sprinkle of dry mustard, a bit of smoked paprika, and fresh cracked black pepper.
6. Heat the milk and cream gently over super low heat without letting them boil to infuse the aromatics, then taste to judge the infusion of garlic and thyme.
7. Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic cloves and larger thyme bits (or strain the mixture) but allow some thyme leaves to remain if desired.
8. Add about half of the prepared shredded cheeses to the warm milk mixture and stir over low heat until the cheeses melt; crumble in the goat cheese and stir until it melts and the sauce becomes stringy.
9. Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir thoroughly until the pasta is evenly coated with the cheesy sauce.
10. Transfer about half of the macaroni into a broiler-safe baking/serving dish and gently pat it down for even coverage.
11. Spread a generous layer of the reserved shredded cheese across the center of the first layer, arranging cheese pieces lengthwise if desired to encourage long cheese pulls.
12. Top with the remaining macaroni to form a second layer and finish by covering the top with grated Parmesan.
13. Place a sheet or pan under the baking dish to catch any spills, then place the dish under a medium-high broil in a preheated oven and watch carefully; broil until the top is golden brown, the cheese melts through the center, and some pasta edges are crisped.
14. Remove from the broiler and serve immediately to preserve the gooey cheese pull.

crowdsource Community Insights

This lasagna uses oven-ready sheets, and people who made it kept tripping over one big thing: pre-soaking the noodles. Those who pre-soaked found the sheets stuck together and ruined their bake, so most people skip any pre-soak. Another common point was sauce texture, cooks found the pasta needs a slightly looser meat and béchamel so the noodles can absorb it while baking, but not so watery that the finished pan is soupy. And a small finishing note: tear basil by hand rather than cutting it with a knife; the ones who hand-tore it liked the result better.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

Meat Sauce

• 1/2 lb (227g) ground sirloin
• 1/2 lb (227g) pork sausage
• Prosciutto
• Olive oil
• Onion
• 2 tsp salt
• Garlic
• Thyme, fresh
• Oregano, fresh
• Red pepper flakes
• Fennel seeds, crushed
• Tomato paste
• Red wine (or beef stock, water)
• San Marzano tomatoes, whole
• Passata
• 1 carrot, whole
• Butter
• Basil leaves, hand-torn
• 1 tsp sugar

Bechamel

• Butter
• Flour
• Milk
• Salt, to taste
• Garlic powder
• Nutmeg
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Assembly & Cheese

• Oven-ready lasagna noodles (or regular store-bought lasagna noodles, homemade lasagna noodles)
• Olive oil
• Fontina cheese
• Mozzarella, fresh (or shredded mozzarella)
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
• 1 cup bechamel

book_ribbon Instructions

Meat sauce

1. Combine the ground sirloin, pork sausage, and prosciutto in a bowl and shape into five or six large shaggy meatballs.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the meatballs, about 1 minute on each side; do this in batches to avoid overcrowding. Set browned meatballs aside.
3. Reduce the heat, add onions and salt to the pot and cook until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Add garlic, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, red pepper flakes, and crushed fennel seeds; sauté just until fragrant.
5. Add tomato paste and stir frequently until the color turns a dark red, about 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Deglaze the pan with red wine (you can use beef stock or water instead) and cook until almost all the moisture is evaporated (au sec).
7. Add whole San Marzano tomatoes and passata to the pot.
8. Add a whole carrot and butter to the pot.
9. Return the meatballs to the pot and add two teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer and cook for about 1 1/2 to two hours.
10. Once the sauce has thickened, discard the carrot and use a potato masher to crush the meatballs into small pieces.
11. Season to taste and, if the sauce isn't sweet enough, add a teaspoon of sugar.
12. Stir in fresh basil leaves (hand tear the leaves before adding).

Bechamel

1. Melt butter in a saucepan until it starts to foam.
2. Add flour and cook, stirring, until there are no lumps but the roux has not browned, about 3 minutes.
3. Slowly add milk while whisking until evenly incorporated.
4. Add salt, garlic powder, and nutmeg and continue whisking.
5. Cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6. Turn off the heat and stir in grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Noodles and assembly

1. Soak oven-ready lasagna noodles in hot water and olive oil for about 5 to 10 minutes, or just until slightly softened and bendable.
2. Grease a baking dish at least three inches deep.
3. Spread a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the dish to prevent noodles sticking.
4. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce, then spread an even layer of bechamel over the noodles.
5. Add a second layer of meat sauce over the bechamel, then scatter fontina and mozzarella over that.
6. Add another layer of noodles perpendicular to the first layer to avoid gaps, then add another layer of bechamel.
7. Repeat to make four more layers, ending with a layer of noodles (the recipe uses at least four layers).
8. Top with one more cup of bechamel and dollop additional meat sauce on top.
9. Scatter the remaining fontina on top, then add fresh mozzarella (you may use shredded mozzarella instead if preferred).
10. Sprinkle grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top.
11. Cover the dish with foil coated with nonstick spray so the cheese does not stick to the foil.

Bake and rest

1. Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes just until the cheese is bubbling.
2. Let the lasagna cool for 20 minutes before serving.

crowdsource Community Insights

This comes together fast, but people who made it ran into two big things: lumpy cheese and flat pepper. The cooks who avoided clumps mixed a little hot pasta water with grated Pecorino Romano into a smooth slurry, then added the pasta into the oil-and-water emulsion and took the pan off the heat for about a minute before stirring the cheese in so it doesn’t melt into little chunks. Also, toast the peppercorns before you smash them. If you want extra-starchy pasta water, some people cooked the pasta in a shallow sauté pan with less water.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (227g) pasta (or linguine, bucatini, spaghetti)
• 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (or Parmigiano Reggiano)
• 2 tsp black pepper, coarsely crushed
• Pasta water
• Olive oil

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta; use less salt than you normally do and use very little water in the pot.
2. Crush whole black peppercorns coarsely (for example with a meat mallet or a coffee grinder).
3. Lightly toast the crushed peppercorns in a pan over low heat to bloom their flavor (this step is optional).
4. Grate the Pecorino Romano finely and keep it at room temperature so it is not cold.
5. Reserve some pasta cooking liquid as the pasta cooks (set aside a couple ounces or a ladleful before draining).
6. Cook the pasta (1/2 pound) until just less than firm (slightly under al dente).
7. Put about half of the grated Pecorino (about a cup) into a bowl, add a couple ounces of reserved pasta water and some of the toasted crushed pepper, and whisk/mix to form a paste.
8. Add more cheese and a little more pasta water to the bowl gradually as needed to loosen the paste and avoid clumping.
9. Transfer the drained pasta to the pan with the toasted pepper, pour in the cheese paste, shake the pan and use a wooden spoon or tongs to toss the pasta and paste together.
10. Add small amounts of reserved pasta water back to the pan as needed and toss to emulsify into a creamy sauce; add more Pecorino at the end if the sauce seems too loose.
11. Serve immediately with additional grated Pecorino and extra black pepper if desired.

grocery Ingredients

• Pasta shells (or radiatori, fusilli, cavatelli, elbow macaroni)
• Water
• Salt, to taste
• Butter
• Mustard powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Whole milk
• Heavy cream
• Egg
• American cheese, shredded (or Velveeta, mozzarella cheese)
• Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (or fontina, Gruyere, smoked Gouda, Havarti)
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Parmesan cheese, shredded
• Cornstarch

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Boil the pasta shells in well salted water for two minutes less than the package recommends, then drain.
2. Add butter to a pot and heat until it begins foaming.
3. Add mustard powder and cayenne to the foaming butter and toast for about 1 minute.
4. Stir in whole milk and heavy cream and bring the mixture to a simmer.
5. Temper the egg by adding a little of the warm milk mixture to the egg, then add the tempered egg to the simmering milk mixture.
6. Remove the pot from the heat and prepare the cheese mixture, adding cornstarch directly to the shredded cheeses (do not make a slurry).
7. Add the cheeses off the heat, handful by handful, stirring constantly until the cheeses melt smoothly and the sauce is slightly thickened.
8. Add the cooked shells to the cheese sauce and stir to coat.
9. Transfer the coated shells to a baking dish, top with additional cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
10. Bake the assembled mac and cheese, then finish it under the broiler to achieve a golden brown, crispy top (do not cover the dish with foil).
11. Let the baked mac and cheese rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.