If I am being 100% honest, if I could run away to Italy and eat pasta for the rest of my life, I would. I would simply drop everything I own, love, and desire and go live in the valleys of Northern Italy twirling my fork into a plate full of deliciousness. I’ll admit I have become quite the foodie within the past few months and I’ve experimented with about every pasta that I can get my hands on. Whether it be a red sauce or white sauce or fettuccine or gnocchi, I’ll eat it and there is an even greater probability that I will love it. So, here are my two-cents on my favorite pasta recipes.
- Penne Allá Vodka
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This is a gem that I mastered during my time in quarantine. Side note: before quarantine, my pasta education went as far as spaghetti and meatballs. Everything about this just makes my mouth water while writing this. It’s the perfect blend between creamy and spicy. There typically are red pepper flakes within the sauce and the chef can add as many or as little as desired (I prefer more than the recommended amounts). Also, there is vodka within the sauce (don’t worry, it gets reduced and all that is left is the flavor, no alcohol) and if that is something that you can’t buy, just skip it! The consistency will turn out the same, it will just be missing the slight sharp bite that it creates to mellow out the sweetness of the tomatoes used.
Here is one of my favorite recipes (Note: This recipe uses rigatoni but I prefer penne. Both work!):
https://scheckeats.com/spicy-rigatoni-with-vodka/
- Fettuccine Alfredo
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The Holy Grail of pasta sauces. Easy to make and oh, so good. With 3 simple ingredients (fettuccine, butter, and parmesan cheese), you can whip up the coziest, creamiest dish. This was one of the first pasta dishes that I ever made. Simply because it was so easy to make. Most of the time, I will whip this dish up on a rainy day outside, put on some Frank Sinatra, and dance in the kitchen. I believe the energy around the food impacts how good the food will taste. Alfredo is quick, easy, and just all around yummy.
Here is a recipe:
https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/authentic-fettuccine-alfredo/
- Gnocchi with a Sage, Butter, and Parmesan Sauce
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Gnocchi has to be my favorite pasta shape of all time. What makes it even better is that it is so easy to make! Gnocchi is a potato, flour, and egg dumpling that is rolled into perfection; adding this simple and traditional sage, butter, and parmesan sauce just makes it all the better. It almost reminds me of an amplified Alfredo sauce. Personally, I love sage more than any other herb, so the more the merrier!
Here is an easy recipe:
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/gnocchi-sage-butter-parmesan
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
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The only thing I can say about this dish is, classic. When you hear that it’s pasta night at your house, there’s likely a 90% chance it’s gonna be this dish. A little backstory, I never liked spaghetti and meatballs until I made the sauce from scratch. Trust me, it is a long process but the payoff is so worth it! This tops as one of the yummiest dinner dishes to make. Doing it right and doing it homemade make this once jarred sauce become this mouthwatering, flavor-filled sauce that everyone wants the recipe to.
Here is a recipe:
https://www.askchefdennis.com/spaghetti-and-meatballs/ - Cacio e Pepe
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This dish literally translates to “cheese and pepper” and that screams delicious to me. Simple and effective seems to be a common occurrence throughout Italian pasta dishes and I love it. With only a few ingredients, you can make this creamy, kind of spicy dish that elevates your Kraft Mac N’ Cheese experience. I recommend making this dish when you want to impress someone by your cooking skills. Mainly because it looks so complex to make but in reality, it is one of the easiest. Add a few leaves of parsley and you have a $200-award winning dish.
Here is a recipe:
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cacio-e-pepe
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I love pasta. The versatility, the creativity, and the deliciousness of it make it one of the most appetizing foods to make. Fit for almost every occasion, pasta is a no brainer, always pleasing dish that practically anyone can make. A few tips: please, for the love of Pete, save your pasta water. You don’t need much (maybe ¼ to ½ cups) but it makes all the difference. It is practically liquid gold. Also, don’t be afraid to make it from scratch. Homemade pasta sauces can seem like a scary task to take on but they really are quite simple. With enough practice and patience, you’ll become a master chef in no time. As for me, I still have quite a bit of learning to do. So, as Julia Child (one of my favorite chefs) always says, bon appétite!