Pasta

crowdsource Community Insights

This sauce really benefits from time and a splash of red wine. People who let it simmer gently for two to three hours ended up with deeper, smoother flavor and fewer texture issues. Likewise, cooks who added red wine early said it brought real depth, so it's worth doing if you have some. One serving quirk to note: piling the sauce on top of the pasta tends to separate it from the noodles, while the ones who mixed the pasta into the sauce before serving got a more cohesive plate. Those three things made the biggest difference for people.

grocery Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Bacon
• Onion
• Carrot
• Celery
• Garlic
• Rosemary
• Minced beef
• Plum tomatoes, whole
• Oregano
• Basil
• Bay leaf
• Chili
• Tomato puree
• Stock cube, to taste
• Cherry tomatoes, whole
• Red wine, to taste
• Spaghetti
• Parmesan, grated
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add a bit of olive oil.
2. Add the bacon and fry until golden and crispy, about 10 minutes, reducing the heat slightly as it cooks.
3. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and rosemary and cook on a gentle heat, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes.
4. Increase the heat to medium-high and brown the minced beef, stirring until well browned.
5. Add the plum tomatoes, oregano, basil, bay leaf, chili (optional), tomato puree, stock cube, cherry tomatoes and red wine; crush the plum tomatoes with a spoon as you stir.
6. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and simmer for about 1 hour 15 minutes until the sauce is rich.
7. If the sauce is still watery after this time, uncover and vigorously simmer for about 15 minutes until thick.
8. While the Bolognese finishes, cook the spaghetti, drain it and return it to the pan.
9. Add the Bolognese sauce to the spaghetti, toss with tongs until evenly coated, and stir through the Parmesan.
10. Season with extra salt and pepper if desired.
11. Plate the spaghetti and garnish with grated Parmesan, basil and a little black pepper.

crowdsource Community Insights

This turns out rich and most people who've made this say it's high in fat, not something to eat three times a week. What trips people up is the chicken: the ones who overbrowned or overcooked it wished they'd stopped earlier, so watch the heat and timing. Also, people who sliced the chicken on paper ran into hygiene issues; using a cutting board kept things cleaner and easier to control. Overall, if you're mindful about the chicken and treat it as an occasional meal, people tend to be glad they made it.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• 1 onion
• 8 oz (227g) mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz (227g) dry fettuccine pasta
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley, chopped

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Slice the 2 chicken breasts into thin strips.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a hot skillet.
3. Add the chicken to the hot skillet.
4. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper.
5. Sear 4–6 minutes, until lightly golden and juicy inside.
6. Remove the chicken and set aside.
7. Add the onion to the same skillet.
8. Sauté 3–5 minutes until soft.
9. Add the 8 oz / 250 g mushrooms to the skillet.
10. Cook 5–7 minutes until tender and golden.
11. Add the 3 garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
12. Pour in 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream.
13. Simmer until creamy and smooth.
14. Add the 8 oz dry fettuccine pasta straight into the sauce.
15. Add 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth.
16. Cook 7 minutes until al dente.
17. Return the chicken to the skillet and let it warm through in the sauce.
18. Add Parmesan cheese.
19. Chop fresh parsley.

grocery Ingredients

• 12 oz (340g) pasta, bronze-cut
• 4 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, toasted and ground

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Toast whole peppercorns in a skillet until aromatic, then grind or mash them in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
2. Put 12 ounce pasta and 4 and 1/2 cups of water in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat.
3. During cooking add 2 tablespoons of cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; continue cooking until the pasta is very al dente with about 1 cup of cooking liquid remaining.
4. Add half of the cheese mixture and vigorously stir and toss the pasta so the starchy liquid emulsifies with the cheese and the cheese melts into a creamy sauce.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon ground pepper over the pasta, and let the pasta sit for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and stabilize.

crowdsource Community Insights

This batch of cooks found the dish works best when you keep the steps clear. People who cooked the onions first avoided burned garlic and undercooked onions that happen when everything goes in at once. The ones who added a can of tomatoes, often with a little tomato paste, and let the sauce cook longer got a deeper tomato flavor. And cooks who drained the pasta and added it to the sauce at the end ended up with a more cohesive plate, because the pasta picks up the sauce better. Everyone who tried it said they'd make it again.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• Spaghetti
• Salt, to taste
• Olive oil
• Garlic, minced
• Celery, finely minced
• Onion, minced
• Tomatoes, peeled by blanching
• Button mushrooms, finely minced (or cremini mushrooms, porcini mushrooms)
• Parsley, finely chopped
• Basil, fresh leaves
• Black peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 1 cup reserved pasta water

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Fill water and salt it until it is as salty as sea water.
2. Add the spaghetti without breaking it: start with half submerged and, as the submerged portion softens, slowly slide the rest into the vessel.
3. Blanch the spaghetti for 8 to 9 Minutes until a little underdone (al dente).
4. Reserve a cup full of the pasta cooking liquid, then strain the spaghetti.
5. Drizzle a little olive oil on the strained spaghetti to keep the strands separate and prevent sticking.
6. Add good quality olive oil to the cooking vessel, then add the minced garlic.
7. Add the finely minced celery, then the minced onion and cook until the onions have lightly started sweating.
8. Add the peeled/blanched tomatoes and some salt; cook until the tomatoes become like a stew.
9. Add the finely minced button mushrooms to the tomato stew.
10. Add the finely chopped parsley and the fresh basil and stir them in.
11. Add the lightly crushed black peppercorns.
12. Add a little of the reserved pasta water to the sauce to thicken it with the starch.
13. Add the blanched spaghetti to the sauce and toss to combine.
14. Plate the spaghetti by twirling it onto a pasta plate, spoon the sauce over it, drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top, and finish with basil leaves as garnish.

crowdsource Community Insights

A few things people actually making this stumbled on, so keep them in mind. People who put oil in the pasta water regretted it, so most cooks skipped adding oil. Those who pounded the chicken thin (and avoided thick cutlets) generally had the easiest time getting the chicken to cook through and come out agreeable. And plating-wise, people who served the chicken separate from the pasta tended to be happier with the result than the ones who put the chicken right on top of the pasta. Do those three and the evening runs a lot smoother.

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 breasts, butterflied and flattened
• Flour
• Eggs, beaten
• Breadcrumbs, seasoned
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• Smoked paprika
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Spaghetti
• Butter
• 1 tsp marinara sauce
• Mozzarella
• Broccoli rabe, young stems
• Red chili flakes
• Lemon juice
• Fresh parsley
• Basil leaves, torn

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Trim the chicken breasts by removing the tender and butterfly each breast: slice through the middle and open it out so the breast is thinner and larger.
2. Place chicken between two pieces of parchment paper and roll with a rolling pin to further flatten and turn into an escalope.
3. Dredge each breast in flour, lightly dusting and shaking off excess.
4. Submerge each breast in the egg wash so it is fully coated.
5. Mix the breadcrumbs with a touch of salt, a touch of pepper, a touch of smoked paprika, and grated Parmesan; transfer breadcrumb mixture to a work surface.
6. Coat the egg-washed chicken in the seasoned breadcrumbs, sprinkle extra crumbs over any exposed areas, then place the coated chicken between pieces of parchment, flip the paper, and gently roll with a rolling pin so the crumbs stick.
7. Let the crumbed chicken rest for 10 minutes before cooking.
8. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the spaghetti; add a touch of olive oil and salt, then add the spaghetti. After about 10 seconds, as the strands soften, twist them and push them fully into the water; cook for nine to 10 minutes with the lid on.
9. Heat rapeseed oil (1 tablespoon) in a pan until hot. Lay the crumbed chicken in the pan and cook 2.5 minutes on the first side until colored; start placing little bits of butter underneath the chicken to help brown the breadcrumbs.
10. Flip the chicken once (turn it once and once only) and cook 2.5 minutes on the second side. Remove chicken to a platter.
11. Spoon a portion of marinara sauce on top of each chicken cutlet, place mozzarella on top, season the mozzarella with salt and pepper, and transfer to the oven to finish (oven time/temperature not stated).
12. For the broccoli rabe: heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a pan, add the broccoli rabe, sauté quickly until you get some color, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, and finish with a touch of lemon juice.
13. Drain the spaghetti and lightly season with olive oil, salt and pepper, and a touch of fresh parsley. Add 1 teaspoon of marinara sauce to the pasta and toss in torn basil leaves.
14. To plate: place a portion of the sautéed broccoli rabe in the center of the plate and spoon a little sauce underneath it; place the chicken parm on top of the broccoli rabe. Twirl the spaghetti in a bowl to form a nest and place it on the plate beside the chicken.
15. Finish with a little extra marinara sauce and a grating of aged Parmesan over the dish.

grocery Ingredients

• 300g fettuccine
• Water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp garlic, large, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh cream
• 2 handfuls Parmesan, grated
• Black pepper, freshly crushed
• Parsley, freshly chopped

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Add enough water to a pot and bring it to a rolling boil.
2. When the water is boiling, add 1 teaspoon salt.
3. Gently drop in the fettuccine and use tongs to loosen it; cook until about 90% done.
4. Turn off the stove, drain the pasta, and reserve the cooked pasta water; set the pasta aside.
5. Take a wide pan and melt one stick (about 50 g) of unsalted butter over the stove.
6. Add about 2 tablespoons (about 10 large cloves) of finely chopped fresh garlic and sauté for just about 1 minute without browning it.
7. Keep the flame on low, pour in 1 cup of fresh cream, and gently mix; maintain low heat throughout.
8. Add about 100 g (about two handfuls) of grated Parmesan to the sauce; when the sauce becomes thick, dilute it with reserved pasta water as needed to reach a saucy consistency. At this point you may increase the flame to medium to help incorporation.
9. Add a pinch of salt and season with freshly crushed black pepper.
10. Gently add the cooked fettuccine to the sauce and toss until the pasta is completely coated.
11. Finish by adding a generous amount of grated Parmesan and a little freshly chopped parsley, then serve.

crowdsource Community Insights

This comes together pretty fast, but people who made it ran into a couple of predictable things. First, salt the pasta water, but not as much as the ocean. People who oversalted found the dish became too salty. Second, cheese can clump up if you don't bring it together the right way; the ones who rescued it stirred in a splash of hot pasta water to emulsify the sauce and smooth the cheese. If you want a lighter finish, some cooks used about half the butter instead of a whole stick and liked it.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

Fettuccine al burro (original)

• 14 oz (397g) fettuccine, dried
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cup parmigiano-reggiano, fresh grated (or nutritional yeast)
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Americanized Alfredo (cream-based)

• 14 oz (397g) fettuccine, dried
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cup parmigiano-reggiano, grated (or nutritional yeast)
• 2 tsp thyme, finely chopped
• 5 clove garlic, very finely chopped
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Healthy-ish herb fettuccine (caulifredo)

• 2 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 cup milk (or whole milk, nut milk)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 clove garlic
• 2 tsp thyme, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano, grated (or nutritional yeast)
• 14 oz (397g) fettuccine, dried
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

book_ribbon Instructions

Fettuccine al burro (original)

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and season very generously with salt.
2. Cook 14 ounces (400 grams) of dried fettuccine according to the package's instructions or until al dente, tasting as it cooks.
3. Reserve about three quarters of a cup (175 milliliters) of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
4. Place half a cup (115 grams) of softened unsalted butter into a large bowl that can easily fit the pasta.
5. Immediately add the hot drained pasta to the butter and toss vigorously.
6. When the butter is almost fully melted, add 2 cups (250 grams) of fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano and continue tossing vigorously.
7. Use the reserved pasta water as needed to melt the cheese and thin the sauce to a creamy white emulsion that coats the noodles.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Serve in a bowl and top with additional parmigiano-reggiano and black pepper to taste.

Americanized Alfredo (cream-based)

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook 14 ounces (400 grams) of dried fettuccine as directed on the package.
2. Separately, in a large pan combine 1 and a quarter cups (300 milliliters) heavy whipping cream and half a cup (115 grams) unsalted butter.
3. Turn the heat to medium and stir constantly until the butter is melted.
4. Increase the heat slightly above medium and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
5. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until it starts to lightly thicken.
6. Cut off the heat and add 2 cups (250 grams) parmigiano-reggiano, 2 teaspoons (4 grams) finely chopped thyme, and 5 cloves garlic that have been very finely chopped.
7. Vigorously stir until thoroughly combined and emulsified, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. When the pasta is done, reserve a half cup (120 milliliters) of pasta water and drain the pasta.
9. Immediately add the hot pasta to the alfredo sauce and toss, using the reserved pasta water as needed to emulsify the sauce further (you'll likely use about half of the reserved pasta water, i.e. a quarter cup or potentially more).
10. Use a carving fork and a ladle to twirl and plate the pasta into a plate or shallow bowl, and immediately top with a fresh grating of parmigiano-reggiano and a crack of black pepper.

Healthy-ish herb fettuccine (caulifredo)

1. Remove stems from a head of cauliflower and acquire about two and a half cups of cauliflower florets (about half of a medium head).
2. Put the florets into a medium-sized sauce pot with 1 cup (240 milliliters) of milk and 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter.
3. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer covered (with a lid or foil) for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is completely mushy.
4. Remove from the heat and pour the contents into a blender along with 3 cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh thyme, half a cup (62 grams) of grated parmigiano-reggiano, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Blend on high speed until the mixture is very smooth.
6. Boil the fettuccine as usual.
7. Place cooked pasta into a bowl that has been filled with some of the caulifredo sauce and toss until thoroughly coated.
8. Serve with more parmigiano-reggiano on top and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

grocery Ingredients

• 200g spaghetti (or tonnarelli)
• 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
• 100g Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
• Salt, to taste

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Bring the pasta water to a boil and add salt.
2. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water without breaking it and cook until almost done.
3. Grind 1 teaspoon of black pepper in a mortar and pestle into large pieces, exposing both the outer black skin and inner white pepper.
4. Finely grate 100g (3.5 oz) Pecorino Romano with a fine grater (microplane) so it is very fine.
5. Reserve a little of the hot pasta cooking water.
6. In a bowl or pan, add a small amount of the reserved pasta water to the grated Pecorino and mix to form the cremina (cheese and water).
7. Add the freshly ground black pepper to the cheese-and-water mixture.
8. Add the cooked spaghetti to the cheese mixture and toss to combine; if there is extra water, finish tossing in the pan.
9. Add a little more Pecorino as needed and toss until the cheese and pasta are blended (the "marriage").
10. Serve.

crowdsource Community Insights

This recipe comes together quickly but there are two things people kept running into. First, the cheese can go stringy and clump if the pan or the reserved pasta water is too hot, or if too much water is added at once. People who let the water cool a bit and added it slowly into the cheese ended up with a much smoother sauce. Second, watch the salt: a salty pot of pasta water can make the finished dish too salty, so people who tasted as they assembled it avoided over-salting.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Low Effort: Comes together with minimal time or effort.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Pasta
• Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
• Black pepper
• Pasta cooking water

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente; reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining.
2. Toast coarsely cracked black pepper in a dry pan until fragrant.
3. Finely grate Pecorino Romano.
4. Make a creamy sauce by combining grated Pecorino Romano with a small amount of the reserved hot pasta cooking water, stirring to create an emulsion.
5. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the toasted pepper (or add the pepper to the cheese emulsion) and toss, adding more reserved pasta water as needed to coat the pasta in a creamy sauce.
6. Serve immediately.

crowdsource Community Insights

This sauce can go from creamy to grainy fast, most people who made it ran into two big problems: too much cheese (the sauce became overly cheesy or clumped) and overheating, especially when microwaving, which made the sauce break. The ones who avoided that generally used noticeably less cheese and kept the sauce from getting too hot. Also, people tended to prefer real, aged grated cheeses over pre-grated or processed Parmesan for a smoother result. Those three choices are the quickest way to dodge a gluey, over-cheesy finish.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• 1 lb (454g) fettuccine, dry, boxed
• 3/4 lb (340g) Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
• 1 lb (454g) unsalted butter, high-fat (or Plugrá, Kerrygold, European-style unsalted butter)
• Salt, to taste
• Water, boiling

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Grate the Parmigiano Reggiano very finely with a microplane; if you don't have a microplane, grate on a box grater and sift or strain out large pieces.
2. Bring a smaller-than-usual pot of water to a boil and add a little bit of salt (use less water than typical so the cooking water is extra starchy).
3. Cook the dried fettuccine in the boiling, salted water until just past al dente.
4. Prepare a glass bowl and begin to melt the unsalted butter in it; use a glass bowl rather than metal so the bowl holds heat and does not disperse it.
5. Turn off the pot heat, lift the pasta out of the water, let it drain for about a second (do not fully drain or use a colander), and transfer the pasta directly into the melted butter so some pasta water remains clinging to the pasta.
6. Continuously stir the pasta, butter, and starchy pasta water to begin emulsifying them.
7. Gradually add the finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano while stirring constantly, adding more cheese as desired and more reserved pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce and make it look creamy.
8. Continue stirring until the butter, cheese, and pasta water emulsify into a tight, creamy sauce (do not overheat or use direct heat or a metal bowl, which can cause the sauce to break into oily fat and curdled solids).
9. Taste and, if desired, offer extra grated Parmigiano Reggiano at the table.
10. Plate and serve immediately in small portions.