Pasta

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This sauce is surprisingly sensitive to heat and water, and people who made it found three things made the difference. Melt the butter very slowly on low heat, the folks who did that got a smoother finish, and the ones who turned up the heat ran into trouble. Avoid American-style butter (it has higher water content), since that tended to make the sauce harder to get right. And save some pasta water and add it only as needed; people who did this could loosen the sauce gently, while accidentally dumping starchy pasta water into the skillet caused problems.

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

• 2-3 tsp salt
• Water
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
• 3 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 lb (454g) fettuccine
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (or salted butter, European-style butter)
• 1/4 cup pasta water

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of salt to a large pot, fill the pot with water, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, and cover.
2. Measure out 1 cup of heavy whipping cream.
3. Freshly grate 1 cup (113 g) of Parmesan.
4. Peel and press the garlic (the recipe calls for 3 cloves; the creator used 7).
5. When the water is boiling, add 1 pound of fettuccine; use tongs to move the fettuccine around at the beginning and a little bit afterwards to prevent sticking, and cook until al dente while keeping an eye on it.
6. Place a large pan over medium heat and add 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter; melt the butter.
7. Add the pressed garlic to the melted butter and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds or until fragrant; do not burn the garlic.
8. Stir in 1 cup of cream and cook for about a minute or until the cream is warm and bubbly.
9. Sprinkle in the grated Parmesan and stir until incorporated.
10. Save at least 1/4 cup of the pasta water before finishing.

grocery Ingredients

• Pici pasta
• Pecorino Romano, grated
• Black peppercorns, crushed (or pre-crushed black pepper)
• Salt, to taste
• Pasta water

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add salt.
2. Add the pici pasta to the boiling salted water and cook until al dente, about 8 and 1/2 to 9 minutes.
3. Crush the black peppercorns (or use pre-crushed pepper) and toast them in a dry skillet for about 20–30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add some hot pasta water to the toasted pepper in the skillet.
5. Grate the Pecorino Romano. Add some pasta water to the grated cheese to create a cheese paste.
6. When the pasta is al dente, add the pasta to the skillet with the pepper; add a little cooking water and stir to combine.
7. Switch off the heat, add the cheese paste, and mix the cheese and pasta together until the sauce comes together.
8. Plate the pasta and spoon any remaining sauce on top.

grocery Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, diced slightly larger than bite-size
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• Paprika
• Cajun seasoning, to taste
• Garlic, finely chopped
• Onion, finely chopped
• Fettuccine (or other types of pasta)
• Butter
• Milk (or half and half, heavy cream)
• White cheddar
• Parmesan
• Lemon pepper, to taste
• Cajun chili flakes
• Parsley, fresh

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Dice the two washed chicken breasts into pieces slightly larger than bite-size.
2. Season the diced chicken with a bit of salt, black pepper, paprika, and Cajun seasoning; mix and set aside.
3. Finely chop the garlic and onion.
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a bit of salt, and cook the fettuccine for about 6 to 7 minutes or according to package instructions.
5. While the pasta cooks, cook the seasoned chicken in the same pot for about 2 to 3 minutes until tender and cooked through; remove the chicken and set aside.
6. To the same pot, sauté the chopped garlic and onion in butter over very low heat until fragrant, taking care not to burn them.
7. Add the milk, then add white cheddar and Parmesan and simmer on the lowest heat for about 2 minutes (do not boil) until the sauce is thick and creamy.
8. Season the sauce with a bit of salt, black pepper, lemon pepper, Cajun chili flakes, and parsley; mix to combine.
9. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat thoroughly.
10. Add the cooked chicken, turn the stove off, mix everything together, and sprinkle with a bit of fresh parsley.
11. Serve.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• 7 oz (198g) Pecorino Romano, finely grated
• 2 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground, mixed coarse and fine
• 11 oz (312g) Spaghetti
• 2 cup Water
• Salt, to taste

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Grind the black pepper to a mix of medium-coarse and fine using a mortar and pestle or an adjustable pepper grinder.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil using about 2 cups of water for every 4 ounces of pasta; salt the water less than usual or not at all depending on the saltiness of the pecorino.
3. Start cooking the spaghetti in the boiling water and cook until it is halfway done.
4. While the pasta is boiling, toast the ground pepper in a skillet over very low heat until fragrant, about a minute; do not overheat or burn it.
5. When the pepper is toasted, add three ladles of pasta water to the skillet and simmer over very low heat to infuse the water with pepper while the pasta finishes the first phase.
6. Transfer the pasta from the pot to the pepper-infused skillet, add one to two ladles more pasta water, and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente; reserve the remaining pasta water.
7. Make the pecorino paste by combining 7 ounces (200 g) of freshly finely grated pecorino romano with 3.5 ounces (about one ladle) of warm (not hot) pasta water, mixing to form a thick paste with a ricotta-like consistency; if needed, let the pasta water cool in a cup for about a minute before adding.
8. When the pasta is cooked al dente, remove the skillet from the heat and wait about a minute to slightly cool.
9. Add the pecorino paste to the skillet and vigorously mix the cheese with the pasta using tongs until the sauce becomes a velvety, creamy crema and is no longer runny.
10. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh pecorino and additional freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.

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

Chicken & Breading

• 2 Chicken breasts, halved and pounded thin
• 4 clove Garlic, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• White wine
• Flour
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 2 cup Panko breadcrumbs, lightly crushed
• Pecorino cheese, grated (or Parmesan cheese)
• Mozzarella
• Olive oil

Tomato Sauce & Pasta

• 1 Shallot, chopped
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 can Crushed tomatoes, canned
• Basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 lb (227g) Spaghetti

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Cut each chicken breast in half through the thickness and pound each piece thin with a meat mallet until flattened and tenderized.
2. Season both sides of the chicken pieces with a heavy sprinkling of salt and pepper.
3. Put the seasoned chicken in a bowl with a portion of the chopped garlic and just enough white wine to coat; toss and refrigerate to marinate.
4. Make the tomato sauce: heat olive oil in a pan and fry the chopped shallot and the remaining chopped garlic until soft.
5. Add the tomato paste to the pan, fry briefly, then add the canned crushed tomatoes and a glug of white wine; reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and add torn basil right before serving.
7. Set up the breading station: put flour on one plate, the beaten egg in a bowl, and the panko on another plate; grate a large pile of pecorino (or Parmesan) onto the panko and toss to combine.
8. Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and dry the pieces on paper towels.
9. Dredge each chicken piece in flour, then dip in beaten egg, then press into the panko-and-cheese mixture until heavily coated.
10. Pour a heavy coating of olive oil into a wide pan over medium heat and heat to a gentle sizzle (reduce heat if oil is too hot).
11. Fry the chicken in batches (two pieces at a time) until golden on both sides and the internal temperature reads 160 Fahrenheit — about 6–8 minutes per piece; remove cooked chicken to a cooling rack and add more oil as needed for subsequent batches.
12. When you begin frying the second batch of chicken, put a pot of salted water on to boil and cook the spaghetti until done; drain the pasta.
13. Add some sauce to the drained spaghetti and toss, then divide the spaghetti among four plates and top with grated cheese.
14. Spoon a few dollops of sauce around the outside of each plate (leaving most of the chicken surface dry to stay crisp), place the fried chicken pieces on the plates, and serve (optionally add mozzarella to the chicken and melt under a broiler before plating).
15. If using a meat thermometer, pull the chicken at 160 Fahrenheit.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• Vegetable oil (or any oil)
• 500g beef mince
• Onion, diced
• 400g tomato
• 2 tbsp dehydrated beef stock (or dehydrated chicken stock powder)
• Water
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper, chopped (or green chili, red chili, other spicy chilies)
• Spaghetti
• Cheese
• Sweet corn
• Plantain
• Poutine

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Heat a bit of vegetable oil in a pan until hot.
2. Add 500 gram beef mince and cook, breaking it apart, until the meat changes color and is browned.
3. Remove the browned mince from the pan and set it aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
4. Add diced onions to the same pan and cook until the onions are soft.
5. Add the tomato (quantities mentioned: 400 gram and 300 milliliter) and a little oil; stir, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the tomatoes are cooked.
6. Dissolve 2 tablespoons dehydrated beef stock in some boiling water (not too much) and mix until combined.
7. Add the dissolved beef stock mixture to the tomato sauce gradually, stirring to incorporate and adding only as much as needed to reach the desired consistency.
8. Chop scotch bonnet pepper (the creator refers to adding one and also mentions chopping two) and add the chopped pepper to the sauce for heat.
9. Stir the sauce occasionally to prevent burning.
10. Cover the pan and cook on medium heat for ten to fifteen minutes, or until cooked properly.
11. Meanwhile, heat/cook the spaghetti in a separate pot until hot.
12. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as needed.
13. Serve the bolognese with spaghetti; optionally top with cheese and serve with accompaniments such as plantain and sweet corn or poutine if desired.

grocery Ingredients

• Spaghetti (or spaghettoni, bucatini)
• Salt, to taste
• Guanciale, skin removed (or pancetta, bacon)
• Egg, beaten
• Pecorino Romano
• Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Black pepper, freshly cracked
• Pasta cooking water

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt.
2. Add spaghetti to the boiling water without breaking the strands and do not add oil to the water.
3. Cook the spaghetti until al dente; pasta takes about 10 to 12 minutes depending on the brand.
4. While the pasta cooks, remove the skin from the guanciale with a fine knife.
5. Place the guanciale in a pan without adding oil and cook slowly over low heat until the fat renders, about a minute or two.
6. Crack and break the egg(s) and mix them with Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano to create the cheese-and-egg 'cream'; do not add salt to this mixture.
7. Add freshly cracked black pepper to the egg-and-cheese mixture.
8. When the guanciale fat has rendered and the pasta is cooked, reserve some salty pasta cooking water.
9. Add a little pasta cooking water to the pan with the rendered guanciale fat.
10. Transfer the cooked spaghetti directly from the pot to the pan (do not drain), and toss to coat with the fat.
11. Remove the pan from high heat or keep the heat very low, then add the egg-and-cheese mixture and toss quickly and continuously to form a creamy sauce, taking care not to scramble the eggs.
12. If needed, add a little more pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce and achieve a creamy texture.
13. Finish with extra Pecorino Romano on top and arrange a few pieces of cooked guanciale over the plated pasta.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• 200g Pecorino Romano
• 100g Grana Padano
• 4g Black pepper
• 1/2 spoon Hot water
• Cold water
• 50g Olive oil
• 3g Corn starch, mixed with cold water
• 100g Rigatoni, semolina dry pasta

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Combine 200 gram Pecorino Romano and 100 gram Grana Padano in a blender with 200 gram hot water and blend until smooth.
2. Add about 50 gram olive oil to the blender and blend again.
3. Mix 3 gram corn starch with some cold water to make a slurry, add it to the blender mixture and blend again.
4. Take hot water from the boiler and bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
5. Note: this kind of rigatoni has 8 minutes of cooking on the package. Put 100 gram rigatoni into the boiling water and cook; in the video they wait 10 minutes.
6. For 100 gram of pasta, add about half a spoon (0.5 spoon) of hot water while combining the pasta with the sauce.
7. Toss the cooked rigatoni with the prepared cheese sauce in a pan and flip until the sauce boils and emulsifies (the sauce can reach ~100°C but will not break because of the corn starch).
8. Stop the heat and leave the pasta in the pan for a few minutes.
9. Plate the pasta with the sauce and finish with additional Pecorino cheese and black pepper on top.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, finely grated (or pecorino romano, parmesan)
• 1 egg
• 3 egg yolk, separated
• 2 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 12 oz (340g) thick-cut bacon, diced small (or guanciale, pancetta)
• 12 oz (340g) spaghetti
• 1 cup pasta cooking water
• Water
• Parsley
• Flake sea salt, to taste

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Fill a big pot with water, place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; salt the pasta water well (it should taste like the ocean).
2. Grate 1 cup (about 84 g) Parmesan or Pecorino Romano using a finer grater and place into a medium bowl.
3. Add 1 whole egg and 3 egg yolks to the grated cheese.
4. Add 2 cloves garlic (minced or pressed), 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper to the egg and cheese.
5. Whisk the cheese, eggs, garlic, and seasonings together and set the mixture aside.
6. Dice 12 ounces (340 g) thick-cut bacon into small pieces.
7. Heat a large pan over medium heat, add the diced bacon and cook until the fat renders and the bacon is nice and crispy; transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
8. When the pasta water is boiling, add about 12 ounces spaghetti and cook for about 10 minutes until al dente.
9. Before draining, grab 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set it aside.
10. When the spaghetti is al dente, remove from heat and transfer the pasta to a big bowl.
11. While whisking, pour 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water into the egg and cheese mixture.
12. Add the egg-and-cheese mixture and the cooked bacon to the steaming hot pasta and toss until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is creamy and silky.
13. If the pasta is not creamy enough, add an additional 1/4 cup of pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, while mixing until the desired texture is reached; avoid making it watery or dry.
14. Serve the pasta carbonara immediately and garnish with a little parsley and flake sea salt if desired.

crowdsource Community Insights

This one works best when people skip the cream, using cream was a common misstep. What most cooks leaned on instead was pasta water plus careful butter/cheese handling: melt some butter with the cheese and a splash of pasta water, keep back the rest of the butter to glaze the noodles, and avoid stirring cheese into very hot liquid or it can coagulate. If you want a richer or more heat-stable finish, some people added extra cheese or a sturdier cheese like Pecorino, and others treated it as a platform for sautéed shrimp or chicken as a variation.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• 250g fresh egg fettuccine
• 200g Pecorino cheese, grated (or Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano))
• 80g butter
• 1 tbsp salt (or rock salt, sea salt)
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, hot

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon rock salt or sea salt.
2. Cook 250 g fresh egg fettuccine in the boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until al dente; quickly mix while cooking.
3. Reserve pasta water: transfer about 1/2 cup hot pasta water into a bowl.
4. Add 200 g grated Pecorino Romano to the bowl with the reserved pasta water and stir so the hot water melts the cheese and turns it into a runny cream; add a little more pasta water if needed and keep some extra reserved.
5. Melt 80 g butter in the (large) pot over low heat.
6. Add the drained al dente pasta to the melted butter with a little of the reserved pasta water and set the heat to low; toss so the pasta absorbs the butter.
7. Place the bowl with the cheese-and-pasta-water mixture on top of the hot pot so steam keeps it warm, then add the cheese mixture to the pasta and toss vigorously to combine into a creamy sauce; if the sauce is too thick add more reserved pasta water, and if it is too thin return to very low heat and cook briefly while stirring until it thickens.
8. Serve immediately; optionally top with additional cheese or freshly ground pepper if desired.