Entries tagged with 'pasta'
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[Flickr: Shot_by_Cam] Last week's Weekend Cook and Tell challenge was all about an Italian-American classic, and its favorite quaffable partner: Spaghetti, Meatballs, and Wine. We asked you to share your favorite spaghetti and meatballs recipe, and throw in the wine pairings. This challenge inspired some pretty varied responses, some included meatballs, some wine, but the common thread was pasta. Here are some favorites: To kick off this round up, here's a quote from dmcavanagh: "Meatballs are as personal as fingerprints, 100 different people could serve you theirs and no two would be the same." Growing up in an Italian-American family meant that EliEats was no stranger to the traditional Sunday ragu. Along with plenty of spaghetti, meatballs, sausage and...
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"I put the bottle of Belvedere—oh alright, it was Smirnoff—back in the liquor cabinet." [Photographs: Lucy Baker] I made vodka sauce once for a date. No, it wasn't Rachael Ray's "You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Sauce." I'm not that sappy. It was Sara Perry's recipe for linguine with bacon and vodka sauce from her book Everything Tastes Better with Bacon. It was a memorable night and while the gentleman and I have long since parted ways, from time to time I think fondly of the irresistible contrast of smoky bacon and fragrant basil, the kick of red pepper flakes, and the hint of spice that was so hard to name (dried fennel seeds). Gutsy and flavorful as...
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"What real chefs can do with red-sauce Italian." One could be forgiven for expecting very little from Basta Pasta. It sits on a traffic-heavy Cambridge street lined with bodegas and split-level homes. No waiters—just a walk-up counter whose chalkboard menu reads like the Olive Garden’s. There’s a refrigerator stocked with Pepsi and Gatorade; a flat-screen TV hangs overhead. The name’s a little corny. And the owners aren’t even Italian. But with one bite of homemade fusilli, none of this could matter less. MIT grad students, the Cambridge fire department, and Central Square denizens have been holding out on the rest of us—Basta Pasta is no ordinary red-sauce takeout. Order well, and the dishes handed over the counter will be phenomenal....
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Editor's note: On Thursdays, Babbo pastry chef Gina DePalma checks in with Seriously Italian. After a stint in Rome, she's back in the States, channeling her inner Italian spirit via recipes and intel on delicious Italian eats. Take it away, Gina! Photo from effe8 on Flickr I couldn’t help it. They were calling to me: black, shiny, bulgingly beautiful eggplants, piled high at the market. Magnifica! The skin was so smooth and glossy, I could have reapplied my lip gloss in its reflection. Sometimes a vegetable beckons in unexpected ways, compelling and beguiling. I lost my head and loaded up. Mom rolled her eyes when I got home. “That’s a lot of eggplant.” She was right; I went overboard, and...
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Editor's note: On Thursdays, Babbo pastry chef Gina DePalma checks in with Seriously Italian. After a stint in Rome, she's back in the States, channeling her inner Italian spirit via recipes and intel on delicious Italian eats. Take it away, Gina! Fregola is a unique, rolled semolina pasta from the Sardinian region of Cagliari. It is most often compared to the large, pearly Israeli couscous, but I see it as way more exciting. Made with coarse semolina, fregola—or fregula—lacks the polished finish of Israeli couscous; it is misshapen and has a nubby, rough texture that makes it perfect for sopping up and conducting the flavors of sauce and broth. Another key flavor element is the toasting. After the simple dough...
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Scott Collins of the Los Angeles Times braved a pasta tutorial with Gordon Ramsay. "Would he try to psych me out, the way he does contestants on the show? Would he tell me I'm worthless and have no self-respect?" Collins was admittedly a little nervous beforehand. And just as he expected, making tortellini with the Hell's Kitchen host—the show's fifth season wrapped up on Thursday—was an expletive-filled culinary experience. The video, after the jump....
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Carbophobes, stop reading. After a few months of testing the markets in Southern California, Domino’s has just rolled out its Bread Bowl Pastas nationwide—“So good,” the tagline goes, “you’ll devour the bowl.” Unlike Pizza Hut’s recently launched Tuscani Pastas, delivered in enormous family-sized tubs, Domino’s versions are individually sized: single-meal portions of chicken alfredo, primavera, mac and cheese, Italian sausage marinara, and chicken carbonara pastas, baked into edible bowls. And if none of these sound good, customers can build their own—starting with a penne base, you can top it with alfredo, three-cheese or marinara sauce, and add up to three meat or veggie toppings. Prices range from $4.99 to $6.99, and ordering online knocks off a dollar. If all...
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There's a nice guide to help you match pasta shapes to their best uses on Chow: The general rule is that delicate noodles are for delicate sauces while heartier noodles are for heartier sauces, but similar to wine pairing, it’s not always that simple. The pictures are as beautiful as the info is useful....
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This cream of tomato sauce from Christina, of Doesn't TaZte Like Chicken, is a supremely rich reduction inspired by Heston Blumenthal's bolognese recipe. Christina's two secrets here are cream and reduction, leading to a thick and intense flavor. The sauce is reduced twice, so it takes a bit of time. It's probably best to save this recipe for a lazy afternoon. The color of the gorgeous sauce practically screams, "Eat me, it's freezing outside!" Paired with a copious amount of red wine, you'll be thanking me....
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Photograph from notinponce on Flickr Salted Water for Boiling is easily Epicurious' most commented-on recipe, with 801 responses at last count. The thread has become a treasure trove of sarcastic comments: I am frustrated with these "advanced" recipes. Does everyone think we're ALL professional chefs?? I can't tell at what point to add the salt, and what kind of salt? Kosher? Fleur de Sal? Iodized? And then what kind of water? Tap? Distilled? Artesian? How long do I boil it? I am so confused. Please, Epicurious, screen your recipes better. Don't waste your time on this one. I substituted leftover hot dogs for the salt, and used a combination of maple syrup and salsa instead of water, and it didn't...
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