Tomato-Garlic Pan Sauce
Ingredients - Serves 1
4 - 6 Oz Pasta of your Choice
1 Large Tomato or 12 Cherry Tomatoes
3-4 Large Cloves Garlic
4 Oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Stick Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon Chopped Herbs - Basil works great, however feel free to use any herb you like. Parsley, Rosemary, Oregano, or Thyme would all work well here
1 Ladle Spoonful Pasta Water
2-3 Tablespoons salt(to be added to the water in which you'll cook the pasta)
-
Step 1 - Place a large stock pot, or any large pot with 3 - 6 qts of water over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add salt to the water. Taste water after salt has dissoved, once the water tastes horribly salty, you know its salty enough. Don't worry, that's the only salt you'll add to this dish.
-
Step 2 - While waiting for the water to come to a boil. Halve, and then slice your tomato into about 1/2 inch thick slices. If using Cherry tomatoes, simply slice in half. Mince your garlic, Chop your herbs, and measure out your EVOO, as well as your butter.
-
Step 3 - Place a saute pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add your EVOO, and than add your tomato. Allow the tomato to release its juices into the pan(3-5 min). Your pasta water should be close to boiling now. If so, go ahead and add the pasta to your water. Cook the pasta until a bit more al dente than you would normally cook.
-
Step 4 - Once your pasta is about 1 Min from being cooked, add your garlic, and butter to the saute pan, and cook the garlic until aromatic. This should take about 30 - 60 seconds.
-
Step 5 - Remove your pasta from the cooking water, and go straight to the saute pan. You may reduce the heat while you do this step. Once you have got all the pasta out of the water, and into the pan, go ahead and add you ladle full of water, and return your pan to medium - high heat.
-
Step 6 - The Marriage - For this step, you'll want to gently swirl the pasta in the pan for a few minutes, to keep it from frying, and becoming crunchy. The starch the pasta releases, as well as the starch from the pasta water you added will begin to tighten up the sauce you have created. This should take about 2 - 3 minutes depending upon how much heat you are applying,
-
Step 7 - After the few minutes form the previous step, and once you can see your sauce start to tighten(thicken) up, go ahead and add your herbs, and give the pasta a couple good tosses in the pan, and your all set! Simple, easy, and ready in about 20 min.
Pasta Carbonara
Ingredients
1 lb Any pasta of your choice
2 Large Eggs (Serves 3 - 4)
1 Tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
4 Oz Guanciale, Pancetta or Bacon
2 Tbls Olive Oil
4 Tbls Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese
​
In a large 8 qt stock pot, bring 6 qts water with 3 Tbls kosher salt to a boil. While, waiting for the water to boil, dice the Guanciale into small square 1/2 in cubes. In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, then the Guanciale, allowing to render out the fat and become crisp. About 8 - 10 min.
​
take your eggs and crack them into a bowl, add 2 Tbls of the parmesan cheese and wisk together until a smooth paste forms, to this I usually add 1 TBLSP cold water.
​
When your water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Al Dente means that the pasta is still firm when you take a bite of it, but not crunchy.
Remove your pan with the guanciale from the heat or simply turn the burner off. You don't want a hot pan for the finishing process. Now drain some of the fat from the pan if you like, not all if you do, I personally prefer not to drain any of the fat.
​
When ready, take your pasta straight from the water and into the pan with the Guanciale, add the black pepper, and stir the pasta for a minute or two to incorporate, as well you want the pasta to cool off just a bit.
​​
The pan should be warm, not hot at this point. Now, add the egg mixture all at one time, and keep the pasta moving constantly. The warmth of the pan as well as the heat from the pasta will slowly thicken the sauce and temper the eggs. I can not stress enough to not do this in a hot pan. You will not end up with scrambled eggs if you do! Be patient this one takes a few minutes.
​
By the end, pasta and sauce should be one.
​
Plate, and finish with the rest of the parmesan cheese.
Sauce Pomodoro
Ingredients
1 - 28 Ounce can whole peeled tomato's
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
2-3 Garlic Cloves
1 Large Shallot or 2 Tbsp White Onion
2 - 3 Tbsp Fresh Herb (Basil or Oregano)
2 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, allow the pan to get hot before adding the oil, add oil, and allow to heat up.
​
Add the diced onions to the pan, cook until golden, about 10 min. Add the diced garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 min.
​
Put the tomato's into a blender, blend until smooth. Add to the pan with 2 tsp freshly cracked pepper, 2 tsp kosher salt, and the chopped herbs.
​
Allow all the ingredients to simmer for 30 min.
Pasta Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
'Cheese and Pepper'
8 Oz Pasta of Your Choosing (serves 2)
Kosher Salt
2 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
​
Bring 4 Qts of water to boil in a 6 qt pot that has been seasoned with 2 Tbls of salt.
​​
Once the pasta is cooked(about 10min) drain the pasta, but be sure to save 3/4 - 1 cup of pasta water. You'll need this to create the sauce.
​​
Now, place a medium size sauce pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot add the butter and pepper. Toast the pepper for no more than 90 seconds, add 3/4 cup water to the pan, then the pasta.
​​Now, a little technique comes into play here. Place all the cheese into pan with pasta and water. Sprinkle it in as well rather than tossing it all in in one big clump. Make sure to keep the pasta constantly moving at this point. You need to use a combination of swirling the pasta in the pan and mixing with a pair of tongs. Or if you are brave enough, tossing the pasta with the pan itself. If you forgo this part of the process the cheese with lump up. You do not want that. You are after a nice creamy, thick consistency that will only be achieved by keeping the pasta moving while mixing.
​
This takes a couple of minutes to complete. The excess water needs to be absorbed by the pasta while simultaneously melting the cheese. The pasta will not absorb every bit of the water, so if the sauce gets to thick, take the remaining 1/4 cup of pasta water you saved earlier and use that to thin out the sauce.
Side Note, if you want to make authentic Fettuccine Alfredo, omit the black pepper. The Alfredo sauce we know here in the states is not the original design of the dish. If you would like, add 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream, and you will now have the American adaptation of Alfredo.