Vegetarian

grocery Ingredients

• Tomatoes
• Mozzarella, hand-stretched, in brine
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Basil
• Sea salt, to taste
• Flour
• Dough

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Place a pizza stone on the bottom shelf of the oven and set the oven to 500 or 550 degrees; heat the stone until very hot.
2. Prepare pizza dough and allow it to rise so the crust has a chance to develop.
3. Select fresh, hand-stretched mozzarella stored in brine; it should be soft and supple and not overly rubbery.
4. Assemble the pizza by topping the dough with tomatoes, the fresh mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil, basil, and sea salt.
5. Use a wooden pizza peel to slide the assembled pie onto the preheated pizza stone.
6. Note: a home oven on a pizza stone will not cook the pie in 90 seconds the way a professional oven can, but the hot stone creates a hotter surface to approximate that result.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

Dough

• Flour
• Eggs

For dusting

• Semolina flour

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Combine the flour and eggs in a food processor and mix for about 15 to 20 seconds, or until the dough forms into a ball (you may see crumbly bits around the base at first).
2. Gather and smoosh the dough together with your hands, then cover with a bowl and rest for about five minutes to relax the gluten.
3. Knead the dough by hand for one to two minutes until smooth, soft, and supple, then cover and let rest for 30 minutes to one hour.
4. Flour your entire work surface and equipment (sheet pan, pasta machine, cutting board, etc.).
5. Cut the rested dough into four equal pieces and keep the pieces you're not using covered so they don't dry out.
6. Flatten one piece into a disc (use a rolling pin if desired) until it is thin enough to pass through your pasta machine.
7. Run the dough through your pasta machine on the widest setting; on a KitchenAid, roll the dough two times on each setting from #2 to #5.
8. If the dough becomes sticky or tacky in spots, sprinkle a little semolina flour on it to prevent sticking.
9. Continue guiding the dough through the machine until the pasta sheet is very thin, slightly translucent, and you can see your hand underneath.
10. Trim the ends of the pasta sheet and cut it to fit the dimensions of your baking pan (cut in half or into thirds depending on pan size).
11. Place the lasagna noodles in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan so they are not touching.
12. Sprinkle the tops of the noodles with semolina flour and cover with another layer of parchment paper so they do not dry out.

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 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.

crowdsource Community Insights

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.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

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

grocery Ingredients

• Crushed tomatoes
• Sugar, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Flour
• Pizza dough, dough balls
• Olive oil
• Basil leaves, fresh leaves

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Crush the tomatoes, add a pinch of sugar and some salt, stir, and set the mixture aside.
2. Flour the work surface.
3. Place a dough ball on the dusted work surface.
4. Stretch the dough by working around the circumference, lifting it to let gravity stretch it, slapping if desired, or placing both fists under the dough and gently stretching until it is an even round.
5. Put the prepared crushed tomato mixture and other desired toppings onto the stretched dough.
6. Sprinkle a little salt over the assembled pizza and drizzle with olive oil.
7. Preheat the oven until it is nice and hot.
8. Place the pizza onto a perforated peel (so excess flour falls through the holes) and, with a quick move of the peel, slide the pizza into the hot oven.
9. Monitor the pizza as it bakes, rotate the pizza gently while baking when the crust edge begins to bubble, and check the underside for doneness.
10. Remove the pizza from the oven when the crust is ready.
11. Top the baked pizza with a few fresh basil leaves and, if desired, another quick drizzle of olive oil.
12. Cut the pizza with a pizza cutter and serve.

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.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Processed cheese blend

• 4 oz (113g) sharp cheddar, grated
• 3 oz (85g) gruyère, grated
• 3 oz (85g) young gouda, grated
• 2 oz (57g) parmesan, grated
• 1 tbsp gelatin, hydrated
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

Sandwich bread (dough)

• 400ml water
• 1 packet instant yeast
• 650g all-purpose flour
• 50g sugar
• 5g salt
• 45g unsalted butter, room temperature (or butter mixed with mustard, full fat mayonnaise, light olive oil)

Assembly and other ingredients

• White sandwich bread
• Yellow American cheese, sliced
• 45g butter (or butter mixed with mustard, full fat mayonnaise, light olive oil)
• Mustard, to taste
• Full fat mayonnaise
• Light olive oil
• Olives

book_ribbon Instructions

Processed cheese product

1. Hydrate 1 tablespoon gelatin with 1 tablespoon water; set aside.
2. Grate and combine 4 ounces sharp cheddar, 3 ounces gruyère, 3 ounces young gouda, and 2 ounces parmesan; set the mixture aside.
3. Bring 1/2 cup evaporated milk to a boil, then remove from heat and whisk in the hydrated gelatin until fully melted into the milk.
4. Return the pan to low heat and add the grated cheese mixture while blending with an immersion blender to make the mixture as smooth and homogenous as possible.
5. Transfer the cheese mixture onto plastic wrap–lined surface: ideally spread thin on a lined baking sheet, or press into a plastic-wrapped lined ramekin and mold into a cylinder.
6. Refrigerate until solidified, about 4 hours.
7. Remove the molded cheese from the plastic wrap and slice into processed-cheese-style slices.

Sandwich bread

1. Combine 400 milliliters water, 1 packet instant yeast, 650 grams all-purpose flour, 50 grams sugar, 5 grams salt, and 45 grams unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Knead with the stand mixer for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Place the dough in a covered oiled bowl and let rise for 45 minutes.
4. Punch down the dough and place it into a loaf pan; loosely tent with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
5. Brush the loaf with melted butter and bake in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 25 to 35 minutes until deeply golden brown.
6. Remove the loaf from the pan and place on a cooling rack; verify the internal temperature is about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Let rest for 1.5 hours or until completely cooled, then trim and slice as needed for sandwiches.

Assembly and cooking

1. Assemble sandwiches with slices of white sandwich bread and the sliced processed cheese product (or use yellow American cheese for the control).
2. Optionally add olives on top of the cheese in the sandwich.
3. Butter the outside of the bread (or use butter mixed with a little mustard, full fat mayonnaise, or light olive oil as alternatives) and cook sandwiches one at a time in a nonstick skillet until the crust is a deep brown and the cheese is melty.