Here are the top 5 classic Italian pasta dishes and how to make them:
1. Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
- 400 g of spaghetti
- 150 g pancetta or guanciale, sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced, optional
- Olive oil
Instructions:
- Cook pasta in loads of salted water just shy of al dente.
- Pan fry pancetta or guanciale in a small olive oil till crispy. Remove the garlic if using.
- Whisk together eggs and grated Pecorino Romano in a bowl. Drain the cooked pasta. Put it all together in the same pan that you cook the pasta in. Add pancetta. As you take it off the heat Put it in all together.
- Do not over scramble the eggs. The cheese mixture can be dumped right into the pan with the pasta and then cooked in to a creamy sauce by Pasta heat.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.
2. Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients:
- Servings: 400 g fettuccine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions:
- Cook the pasta in rapidly boiling salted water until it is just al dente.
- Over low heat melt butter. Add heavy cream
- Simmer over low heat until lightly thickened
- Add grated Parmesan cheese Stir over the melted cheese and smooth sauce
- Drain pasta. Add to skillet. Toss pasta with sauce.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.
3. Penne alla Vodka
Ingredients:
- 400g penne pasta
- 1 cup tomato sauce preferably homemade
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and red pepper flakes to taste
- Chopped fresh basil, to taste
Instructions:
- Boil salted water, cook penne till al dente.
- Heat chopped onion and garlic in olive oil in a pan until they soften.
- Add vodka, and let it cook until the volume becomes half
- Add tomato sauce, boil, and then reduce the flame and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- It is done once the sauce has thickened, after which it cooks for the next five minutes .
- Pasta cooked al dente is mixed with sauce, salt, and crushed red pepper for flavor
- Served garnished with fresh basil
4. Lasagna alla Bolognese
Ingredients:
- 12 lasagna sheets
- 500g ground beef and pork
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic - peeled and minced
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 stalk celery, peeled and grated
- 2 cups tomato passata
- 1 whole milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
- 1 cup of shopbought or homemade béchamel sauce
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lasagna sheets are prepared according to the packet instructions.
- Pour some olive oil in a large pan. Fry onion, garlic, carrot, and celery in medium heat until those softened.
- Add ground meat. It will brown in the pan. In the pan add tomato passata, milk and simmer during 30-40 minutes until thicker. Season it by salting and pepper.
- Add all ingredients into the baking dish. A very thin layer of meat sauce is ready, then alternates its layers with the layers between the meat sauce, béchamel sauce, then Parmesan on top.
- Repeat the layers. Top layer with béchamel and Parmesan.
- Bake at 400°F. Toss in a baking pan layered with pesto at the bottom to bechamel. Add layer lasagna sheets on bechamel. Bake until golden bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. Let rest before serving.
5. Pesto Genovese with Trofie
Ingredients:
- Trofie pasta 400g / or short pasta
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup Pine nuts
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
Drop into salted boiling water with pasta just until al dente. Drain it. Chop basil, pine nuts, garlic and salt together in food processor with on/off turns, process until smooth. Continuing to mix, add a thin stream of olive oil. Add grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheese; toss with cooked pasta. Serve hot, with plenty of cheese.
