Preheat oven to 400°F. Place cherry tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven.
Roast the tomatoes until they’ve burst (20-30 mins), are wrinkled and release their juices. Remove from the oven.
About halfway into the roasting of the tomatoes, boil pasta water, salt it, and cook the pappardelle to al dente. Reserve half cup of pasta water.
Place pasta in a bowl and add ¾ of the cherry tomatoes along with the accumulated juices, parmesan, and fresh basil. Mix well. Add pasta water only if needed.
Add pasta to individual serving bowls and top with remaining cherry tomatoes, burrata, more parmesan, more basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 large egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine beef with bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, egg, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes. Mix until just combined then form into 16 balls.
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a plate.
Add onion to pot and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Return meatballs to pot and cover. Simmer until sauce has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
Serve pasta with a healthy scoop of meatballs and sauce. Top with Parmesan before serving.
Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.
Ingredients
2 medium zucchini
½ lb rigatoni
1 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp heavy cream
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
8 large basil leaves, torn
garnishes: freshly cracked black pepper, flaky sea salt, more parmesan
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a heaping pinch of salt. Meanwhile, trim the ends off each zucchini and cut them in half lengthwise. Use a mandolin to shave the zucchini thinly (use a knife to thinly slice the zucchini if you don’t have a mandolin).
Drop the rigatoni in the boiling water, stir well, and cook for 1 minute less than the package’s instructions.
Meanwhile, heat a 12” stainless steel pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the zucchini. Quickly sauté for a few minutes until caramelized and tender, stirring often. Season with a pinch of salt.
Stir in the butter and let melt. Add the heavy cream. Retrieve a ½ cup of starchy pasta water from the pot and add to the pan. Stir well and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer for a minute or so until starting to thicken.
Drain the rigatoni and immediately add it to the sauce. Stir continuously as you sprinkle in the parmesan cheese. Stir in the lemon juice. Continue to stir until the parmesan has melted and the sauce clings to the pasta.
Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl. Dollop the ricotta cheese over top. Garnish with the torn basil, freshly cracked black pepper, flakey sea salt, and more parmesan.
When you’re in the mood for salmon and pasta, this is the dish that will satisfy.
Ingredients
(for the salmon)
2-3 salmon fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
5 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable broth
5 ounces (150g) jarred sun-dried tomato in oil, drained of oil
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
(for the pasta)
8 Ounces Angel Hair Pasta
4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 Medium Garlic Cloves, (minced, or six ((6)) teaspoons of minced)
1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, (or to taste)
1/8 Cup Italian Parsley, (fresh, finely chopped)
1/4 Cup Pasta Water, (reserved)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
To make the Tuscan salmon recipe: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the salmon filets on both sides with salt and pepper, and sear in the hot pan, flesh-side down first, for 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking. Once salmon filets are cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, melt the butter in the remaining cooking juices leftover. Add in the garlic and fry until fragrant (about one minute). Add onion and stir fry until translucent. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and fry for 1-2 minutes so they release their flavors. Finally, pour in the vegetable broth, and allow the sauce to reduce down slightly.
Reduce heat to low, add the heavy cream, and bring to a gentle simmer while stirring occasionally. Season the cream sauce with salt and pepper to your taste.
Add in the baby spinach and allow to wilt in the sauce, and add in the parmesan cheese. Allow the cream sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through.
Add the grilled salmon filets back into the pan.
To make the pasta: Cook the angel hair in salted water according to the package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water, and set aside the drained pasta.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over low-medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Take care not to let the garlic turn brown. Add the red pepper and parsley, then remove from heat.
Add the drained pasta to the garlic and olive oil mixture, then return to low-medium heat. Toss the noodles with the oil to coat. Pour in splashes of pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
Add salmon to plate, sprinkle with the parsley, and spoon the sauce over each filet.
1 teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces bucatini
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon pepper
2½ ounces mild provolone cheese, shredded (⅔ cup)
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Crushed pistachios
Directions
1. In large bowl, stir together zucchini, ¼ cup water, and salt. Cover and microwave until zucchini is softened (some slices will curl at edges) and liquid is released, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving. Drain zucchini in colander and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add zucchini (do not wash colander) and spread into even layer. Cook, stirring every 4 minutes and then reflattening into even layer, until zucchini is very tender and about half of slices have browned, 10 to 12 minutes. (Zucchini can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1½ cups cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
4. Add 1 cup reserved cooking water, zucchini, butter, basil, and pepper to pasta. Set pot over low heat and cook, stirring and tossing pasta constantly, until ingredients are evenly distributed and butter is melted, about 1 minute. Off heat, add provolone and Parmesan. Stir vigorously until cheeses are melted and pasta is coated in creamy, lightly thickened sauce, about 1 minute, adjusting consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed.
5. Transfer pasta to platter and serve immediately and top with crushed pistachios, lemon squeeze and sprinkled Parmesan cheese.
This one you’ll want to make sure your noodles are covered rather than “sauce on top”…a cardinal sin.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings
1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp, tails on
2 large red bell peppers, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
One 12-ounce package dried bucatini
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup dry rose wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with a good pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Add the shrimp to the hot skillet in an even layer and cook until pink and opaque throughout, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir in the bell peppers, onion, garlic, 2 teaspoons of the oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and cream, then scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a steady simmer, then continue to simmer until the alcohol has cooked off and the sauce has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour back into the skillet and keep warm on medium-low heat.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente according to package directions; drain well. Add the pasta to the sauce along with the shrimp and 1 teaspoon of the oregano. Continue tossing until everything is well coated and warmed through.
Transfer the pasta to a large shallow serving bowl and top with the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano.
When blending hot liquid, first let it cool for five minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling only halfway. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth.
Whisk together ricotta cheese and milk; set aside. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes; saute 1 minute. Add next 7 ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
Add cheese mixture to fettuccine; top with vegetables. Toss to coat. Serve immediately.
This is a milder flavored dish with a spicy kick. To punch up the flavor use fresh herbs in place of dried. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.
