In this chapter I have gathered recipes that combine pasta with milk, cream, cheese, and/or eggs. Although recipes in other sections of this book also call for dairy products, the selection here contains an abundance of these ingredients and takes its character from them.
As we know from macaroni and cheese, Parmesan-topped spaghetti, and ricotta-rich lasagne, the match between noodles and cheese is magical and enduring. It is one of the great food marriages, and few combinations taste quite as natural, or as good and as right.
And yet here we are, cooks of the 1990s, torn between craving the rich good taste of cheese and knowing better. Too much cheese doesn’t lead to heart healthiness.
What’s the solution? I am unwilling to live completely without cheese. I continue to eat cheese with pasta, so that I don’t miss out on the wonderful taste, but I’m more conservative in how often I serve fettuccine with cream and Parmesan.
Hard tangy cheeses are the ones to grate over pasta. Their sharp bite goes a long way in flavoring noodles.
Pass the cheese grater at the table. That way, each person can add just the amount he or she wants.
Parmesan: This cheese is thought of as the “generic” pasta cheese. Most of us tend to add grated Parmesan (a hard cow’s-milk cheese) to our pasta dishes. And why not? It is truly wonderful, and its sharp nutty flavor is superb with noodles.
The best Parmesan, imported from Parma, Italy, is known as Parmigiano-Reggiano and is quite expensive. Its flavor is exquisite, and the cheese is moist enough for eating straight as well as grating. There are, however, less expensive grating cheeses from Italy, labeled Grana.
If you can’t get these cheeses in chunk form, then look for their freshly grated versions, which will be stored in the refrigerator case. Failing that, consider “Parmesan” cheese imported from Argentina. This does not have the same flavor as the real Italian stuff, but it is much cheaper. It is also somewhat more readily available, and it is definitely superior to any type of dry grated Parmesan “topping.” Stay away from the boxed stuff—it’s better to substitute any other fresh hard cheese you can get your hands on. Even sharp Cheddar is better than the boxed Parmesan.
As good as Parmesan is, though, it is not the only hard cheese that is delicious over pasta.
Asiago: Another sharp, nutty cow’s-milk cheese, aged Asiago is quite wonderful grated over pasta dishes. It is saltier than Parmesan, and I like it with pasta dishes that have an American flavor, such as ones with hot peppers, corn, chiles, tomatoes, and ground beef. I often use domestic Asiago (it’s made in Michigan and Wisconsin) because it is delicious and is less expensive than the imported kind.
Aged Gouda: Gouda (also a cow’s-milk cheese) is a favorite of mine because it is such a fine eating cheese. I’ve discovered that aged Gouda is hard enough for grating (at least with a rotary grater) and is a welcome addition to a dish of plain noodles or a vegetable-and-pasta combination.
Aged Monterey Jack: The cheese most people know in its popular semisoft form also has a drier aged version. A cow’s-milk cheese that comes from California, aged Monterey Jack is especially good over pasta dishes with Southwestern accents such as green chiles, tomato sauce, chili powder, and cumin.
Aged Mountain Gorgonzola: I love this salty, aromatic cheese grated over plain linguine or spaghetti. For a slightly more elaborate dish, I’ll add it to pasta coated with a tomato sauce. Aged Gorgonzola is also wonderful on its own, maybe with sliced tomatoes or with ripe pears, plums, or figs. It tastes quite different from the soft young Gorgonzola, which is delectable as an ingredient in pasta dishes.
Aged provolone: Like any other cheese, when aged long enough, provolone becomes hard enough to grate. Even though I find it rather bland, I buy provolone occasionally to serve to children, who enjoy its mild flavor.
Pecorino Romano: This is a sharp, salty, pungent grating cheese made from sheep’s milk. It is good with plain noodles, with pasta and greens, and with pasta dishes that have a Middle Eastern or Indian flavor.
Easy-to-crumble cheeses taste best in pasta dishes when they are sprinkled over the top.
Blue cheeses: Stilton from England, Gorgonzola from Italy, and American Maytag blue are delicious when crumbled over pasta dishes. I like these blue cheeses in dishes that are simple enough to let their flavor shine through: vegetables with pasta, grain and bean pasta dishes, and plain pasta.
Goat’s-milk cheeses: Mild semifirm goat cheeses, domestic and imported, work well with plain pasta dishes as well as those flavored with chopped fresh tomatoes or lots of herbs. I also happen to love a dry chèvre crumbled over a chicken and pasta dish.
Sharper goat’s- and sheep’s-milk cheeses: These include Brindza (U.S.), feta (Greece), Kashkaval (from the Balkans), and ricotta salata and Pecorino Romano (Italy). They are a lot saltier and tangier than the soft chévres, but they, too, are wonderful with an array of noodle dishes. Feta is the most commonly available of these, and I think it’s especially lovely in cold pasta salads that are packed with vegetables such as peppers, zucchini, spinach, and tomatoes. I also enjoy bits of these sharp cheeses in warm pasta dishes that contain vegetables, lamb, or beef.
These are the cheeses that give pasta a certain richness, and that make good stuffings for baked dishes such as lasagne. Often bland by themselves, they are a pleasure when flavored with fresh herbs, scallions, and garlic. Many are available in low-fat versions; these are especially good to have on hand if you are on a diet because they add a deliciously creamy texture without adding the unwanted calories and fat.
Cottage or pot cheese: I always have cottage cheese (also called pot cheese) in the house because I enjoy eating it with fruit. It is also a great alternative to ricotta, which is slightly richer. If you have purchased cottage cheese and you find the texture too dry to mix into pasta, just add a few tablespoons of milk, chicken broth, or plain yogurt.
Farmer’s cheese: This moist cheese is firmer than cottage cheese, which is why I use it in baked pasta puddings and sweet noodle dishes.
Ricotta cheese: More than cottage cheese, ricotta brings a real creaminess to pasta dishes, especially baked ones. Although I find part-skim ricotta an acceptable substitute for the whole-milk variety, the low-fat all-skim version is just too watery for my taste.
Fresh goat’s-milk cheese: Fresh chévre has a soft texture and a milder flavor than aged goat’s-milk cheeses. I use it less often than I do cottage or ricotta cheese because of its assertive taste and its higher fat content.
Fontina: This satiny smooth cheese has a nutty flavor and a wonderful texture for melting. Just cut the thinnest of slices, arrange them on top of a pasta dish, and cook until the cheese melts.
Emmental, Gruyére, and Jarlsberg: These well-known cheeses are commonly known as “Swiss cheese.” Emmental is the real “Swiss” cheese because it comes from Switzerland; Gruyére, with its nuttier and sharper taste, comes from France; and Jarlsberg, the silkiest and mildest of them all, comes from Norway. All of these are good when diced or shredded over pasta dishes, or when used in baked pasta recipes, because they melt quite nicely. I also like these cheeses cubed and added to vegetable-and-pasta salads.
Mozzarella: This is perhaps the ideal melting cheese; its long strings are the “goo” in “gooey” cheese. You can still find real water buffalo mozzarella, but the usual fresh type now (including Italian mozzarella) is made from cow’s milk. Fresh mozzarella, packed in water, is a wonderful eating cheese and excellent in pasta salads, but is not a good choice for baked pasta dishes because it doesn’t melt as well as ordinary supermarket mozzarella.
Caerphilly: This is a crumbly, gently tangy white cheese originally from Wales and now made in Somerset, England. I love its flavor and I find it as great for crumbling over pasta as for eating. I especially like it in pasta salads or with pasta dishes that contain vegetables or ham.
Cheddar: A good sharp Vermont Cheddar is perfect with noodle dishes that include peas, ham, smoked turkey, and/or tomatoes.
Smoked cheeses: A smoked fontina or mozzarella, finely diced, is delicious in pasta salads that contain tomatoes, cucumbers, and other summer or early fall vegetables.
Even if I don’t eat eggs on a daily basis, I can’t imagine a Monday-to-Friday kitchen without a dozen on hand. Eggs offer the perfect way to get a quick and nutritious dinner on the table.
Eggs and pasta make a great match. Most often, I make a savory omelet out of leftover noodles scrambled with eggs and seasoned with onions and peppers. Sometimes I toss some freshly boiled noodles with eggs and heat them gently over very low heat until the eggs barely curdle. Or I create a baked noodle dish, either sweet or savory, by mixing cooked pasta with eggs and a variety of seasonings.
Here are some tips for buying, storing, and using eggs.
• The best eggs are graded AA. All eggs should be kept refrigerated; they deteriorate rapidly when stored at room temperature.
• If you have some eggs in the fridge and can’t remember when you bought them, here’s how you can tell if they’re fresh: Crack an egg open onto a plate. If the white hugs the yolk and the yolk is round and plump, it is fresh. If the white spreads out over the plate and the yolk looks flat, it isn’t.
• Make sure the eggs you use in a dish are well cooked. Heat destroys any salmonella bacteria, a cause of food poisoning.
PASTA: Thin strands or ribbons
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 30 minutes
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True-blue spaghetti carbonara is made with pancetta, Italian unsmoked bacon. Pancetta is delicious, but unfortunately it’s not readily available in the U.S., so I substitute good old American bacon.
I have, however, kept the other authentic aspect of this Italian dish: the technique of warming the eggs in the heat of the cooked pasta so they form an unctuous coating for the spaghetti.
I realize that some cooks are wary of not cooking eggs enough, so I’ve included other ways of making this dish. Note, however, that when you cook the eggs through, they will curdle, and the dish won’t look nearly as glamorous.
Since this has all the elements of a hearty breakfast, keep it in mind for a late Sunday morning brunch. It’s also a favorite with the younger set at any time of the day.
Salt
¼ pound bacon or pancetta, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
4 large eggs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or half Romano, half Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spaghettini, linguine fine, or spaghetti
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. While the water is heating, cut the bacon crosswise into ¼-inch pieces. Peel and mince the garlic. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the pasta to the water and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over high heat. Add the bacon and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it has rendered its fat and is beginning to turn crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds, until you get a whiff of its aroma. Remove the skillet from the heat, cover it, and set it aside, until the pasta is done.
5. Drain the pasta well and return it to the pot, off the heat. Thoroughly stir in the bacon and garlic with the oil and bacon fat. Stirring the pasta continuously, preferably with a long wooden pasta fork, slowly pour in the egg mixture. Toss well again, taste for seasoning, and serve immediately.
Cautious Carbonara: Divide the carbonara among four dinner plates, and then zap each plateful in the microwave for 1 minute; this will cook the eggs thoroughly.
Or, in step 5, return the pot to low heat, then add the eggs. As you stir, you will see soft curds forming around the noodles, a sign that the eggs are cooked through.
PASTA: Ribbons or strands
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 20 to 25 minutes
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This is the perfect way to turn leftover cooked pasta into a nutritious and intriguing meal. Simply cook the noodles with lots of spices and some eggs over low, low heat until the mixture shapes itself into a crispy pancake. Serve it with plain yogurt, and dinner is done!
I like to season the eggs with this combination of Middle Eastern spices, but let your imagination lead you to other possibilities.
If you want to add some cheese to the mix, cook the pancake in a nonstick skillet; the cheese will cause the pancake to stick.
This is another dish to remember when you are wondering what to serve for a Sunday brunch.
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon anise seeds or caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon sugar
4 cups cooked tagliatelle, fettuccine, spaghettini, or linguine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, spices, and sugar. Add the cooked pasta and combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter begins to turn golden or the oil simmers, add the pasta mixture and immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover the skillet and cook the mixture very gently until the bottom is crisp, 15 minutes. To serve the pancake, invert the skillet over a platter. Cut the pancake into wedges, and pass the yogurt or sour cream alongside.
ESPECIALLY GOOD FOR CHILDREN
Reduce the amount of spices if you are going to serve this to kids. A tiny bit of cinnamon or allspice will please most younger children.
PASTA: Thin ribbons or strands, or fresh egg noodles
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 30 to 35 minutes
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Sensational ingredients come together so harmoniously in this pasta dish that it’s hard to identify the individual flavors of goat cheese, basil, onion, garlic, and peppers.
If you are cooking for two, you’ll have time to wash some spinach or arugula for a salad. But if you are cooking for more and don’t have time to wash a pound of gritty greens, serve a cucumber salad as a starter.
Keep this recipe in mind for leisurely weekend entertaining. It’s also a wonderful side dish to serve with roast leg of lamb.
Salt
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (packed) basil leaves
¼ pound (½ cup crumbled) creamy mild chévre
1 tablespoon olivada (black olive paste; optional)
¾ pound fresh tagliatelle or fettuccine, or dry linguine fine or fedelini
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. Peel and quarter the onion. Core, seed, and quarter the red pepper. Peel the garlic cloves. Finely chop all the vegetables together in a food processor (or, of course, by hand).
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté for a few seconds, until you smell a whiff of the garlic. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat, and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, wipe out the bowl of the food processor, and add the chévre and basil (and olivada if you’re using it), and purée until smooth. Transfer the purée to a bowl and set it aside.
5. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, 4 to 8 minutes depending on the pasta you are using. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot, off the heat. Add the chévre purée and the cooked vegetables, and toss thoroughly. Adjust the seasoning and serve immediately.
• Feta cheese version: Substitute ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese and ¼ cup sour cream for the chévre.
• Sun-dried tomato version: Add ¼ cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil and drained) to the chévre and basil purée.
PASTA: Ribbons or fresh egg noodles
MAKES: 4 to 6 servings
TIME: 20 to 25 minutes
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Here is my take on Fettuccine Alfredo. Although still incredibly rich, this version is a lot lighter and fresher tasting than the “Alfredos” you may have sampled in restaurants. The cream makes a special occasion out of a midweek meal. The parsley adds pretty flecks of color, and its fresh taste helps balance the richness.
If you serve this as a main course, precede it with a salad of slightly bitter escarole and tomatoes or even with gazpacho. Any light fruit dessert would be fitting after this rich dish.
1 clove garlic
½ cup fresh parsley leaves
1 pound fettuccine or medium-wide egg noodles
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
½ to ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons butter
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, smash the garlic clove with the broad side of a chefs knife and peel it, leaving it whole. Rinse, pat dry, and mince the parsley.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta, or 2 to 3 minutes for fresh.
4. About 5 minutes before the pasta is done, combine the broth, cream, and garlic clove in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Simmer until slightly thickened, 1 or 2 minutes.
5. Drain the pasta and return it to the cooking pot, off the heat.
6. Remove the garlic clove from the cream mixture, and stir in the cheese. Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in the parsley and butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the pasta, toss well to combine, and serve immediately.
Instead of flavoring the cream sauce with garlic, mince a small bunch of fresh chives and add it to the sauce with the parsley.
SECOND TIME AROUND
Add a fresh dose of herbs the second time around to perk up the flavor. Reheat the leftovers in a microwave oven or a double boiler, or spoon them into a baking dish, top with bread crumbs, and bake at 350°F until hot, about 20 minutes.
PASTA: Thin ribbons or strands
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 25 minutes
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An old stand-by, this recipe is richer than its first incarnation, Capellini with Herbed Cottage Cheese, which appeared in the Monday-to-Friday Cookbook—and the variations are even richer. Capellini (angel-hair pasta) is really too delicate for such a thick sauce; a slightly thicker strand holds up better.
This works as a first course any time of the year. And it makes an especially welcome main course during the summer because there is no cooking to do other than boiling the pasta. I usually serve a salad of some sort either with the pasta or before it.
Salt
¾ pound linguine spaghettini, or fedelini
2 shallots or 4 scallions (green onions)
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup ricotta cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, 7 to 10 minutes.
2. While the pasta is cooking, peel and halve the shallots (or trim the scallions and cut them into 2-inch pieces) and drop them into a food processor. Rinse and pat dry the parsley, and add it to the shallots along with the butter, tarragon, lemon zest, lemon juice, and ricotta. Purée the mixture until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking water, and return it to the pot, off the heat. Add the cheese mixture and the reserved cooking water, and toss thoroughly. Serve immediately.
• Cottage cheese version: In place of the butter, use 1 cup cottage cheese mixed with ¼ cup olive oil.
• Decadent ricotta version: Add ¼ cup heavy cream or mascarpone to the mixture before puréeing.
• Goat cheese version: Substitute ½ cup crumbled chévre for the ricotta.
PASTA: “Instant” lasagne sheets or cooked noodles
MAKES: 4 to 6 servings
TIME: 15 minutes preparation plus 30 minutes no-work cooking time
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Lasagne made from scratch doesn’t cut it, Monday-to-Friday. It isn’t that the work is so onerous, it’s that the total preparation and cooking time runs close to 2 hours.
You can make lasagne during the week in about 45 minutes, however, if you can find the new Italian precooked lasagne squares or if you have enough leftover noodles (of any variety).
The “instant” lasagne sheets don’t look anything like traditional lasagne noodles. They are very thin squares of dried pasta that look like corrugated cardboard. Although the package directions say to use a 9-inch-square baking pan, I recommend using an 8-inch pan.
At first I was skeptical about the taste and texture of this pasta. I anticipated a soft, gluey texture. To my delight these sheets, made from 100% semolina, are not at all rubbery or gummy. Take care, however, to cover the noodles completely with moist ingredients—cheese or sauce—or they’ll remain brittle and uncooked.
If you are going to make lasagne with leftover noodles, make sure they have been boiled but not sauced. If they are clumped together, just chop them and layer them between the ricotta and the spaghetti sauce.
For a traditional lasagne recipe—along with some ideas on ways to vary the flavor and what to serve with it—turn to Sunday’s-Best Lasagne (see Index).
5 or 6 “instant” lasagne sheets (Delverde brand), or 4 cups cooked noodles
½ pound ground lean beef
2 jars (14 ounces each) spaghetti sauce Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. If you are using instant lasagne sheets, soak them in a bowl of hot water. As they soften, remove them from the bowl and pat them dry (if you leave them in the water for too long, they will stick to each other).
2. In a medium-size skillet over medium heat, sauté the beef, breaking up the clumps with a spoon. Sauté until there are no more traces of pink in the meat, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the spaghetti sauce into a bowl, and mix in the meat and its juices. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon ½ cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch-square baking pan, and top with a sheet of “instant” lasagne or 2 cups of cooked noodles. Spread the pasta with dabs of ricotta and some of the sauce. Be sure to spread the cheese and sauce all over the sheet of lasagne or noodles. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layering until you have used all the ingredients, ending with a sheet of lasagne, completely covered with the sauce (even the corners). If using cooked noodles, make only 2 layers of noodles. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the lasagne set for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tex-Mex Instant Lasagne: In step 2, season the sautéed meat with 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Then, in step 3, add ¼ cup salsa and 1 can (4 ounces) green chiles, chopped, to the spaghetti sauce. Arrange the layers as described, substituting grated sharp Cheddar or Monterey Jack for the Parmesan cheese.
Vegetarian Instant Lasagne: Omit the meat. Instead, chop up 1 can (16 or 19 ounces) chick-peas, drained, and mix them into the spaghetti sauce. Proceed with the recipe.
PASTA: Strands
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 25 minutes
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I included a slightly different version of this recipe in the Monday-to-Friday Cookbook, and it proved to be a great hit—with children because of the taste and with adults because of the ease of preparation.
I appreciate a good lasagne but hate the work and time involved—precooking the noodles, layering the dish, and baking it for an hour. So I came up with this uncomplicated spaghetti recipe which combines all the elements of a good lasagne without the trouble. Adults with more sophisticated tastes should take a look at some of the variations below.
Salt
2 cups tomato or spaghetti sauce, homemade (see page 245) or commercially prepared
¾ to 1 pound spaghetti, spaghettini, perciatelli, or bucatini
¼ cup olive oil
½ pound (1 cup) ricotta cheese (whole or part-skim)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Heat the tomato sauce in a small saucepan. (Or do this at the last minute in a microwave for 1 minute.)
2. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, ricotta, and Parmesan in a small mixing bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. When the pasta is done, drain it and return it to the pot, off the heat. Add the spaghetti sauce and toss well.
5. Ladle the pasta and sauce into deep bowls, and top each portion with a dollop of the ricotta mixture.
Spaghetti à la Lasagne with Meat: Crumble ½ pound ground veal or beef in a large skillet and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Stir into the spaghetti sauce, bring the sauce to a simmer, and proceed as directed.
Spaghetti à la Lasagne with Beans: Heat 1 can (16 ounces) red, black, or white beans, drained, in the sauce in step 1 and proceed as directed.
ESPECIALLY GOOD FOR CHILDREN
In step 3, once you have combined the cheeses and olive oil, add:
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or basil, 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon or sage, or 1½ teaspoons crumbled dried tarragon, marjoram, sage, or rosemary.
• Or 2 tablespoons of a more aromatic cheese, such as Maytag blue.
• Or 1 tablespoon olive paste, anchovy or sun-dried tomato paste, tapenade, or pesto.
PASTA: Thin strands, ribbons, or small shapes
MAKES: 2 servings
TIME: 10 to 15 minutes
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While working on this book, I often ended the week with bits and pieces of leftover cheese in the refrigerator—so I decided to find a way to use them up in a quick pasta sauce.
Because I was using what I had on hand that day, the sauce, although scrumptious, turned out stringier than I would have liked because it contained too much mozzarella. You can use mozzarella, of course, but you’ll have a smoother sauce if you don’t. And the sauce will be creamier if you include at least one soft cheese such as ricotta, cottage, or a mild chévre.
Salt
1 cup mixed cheeses, such as Gruyére, mozzarella, ricotta, and chévre
1 tablespoon dry white wine
2 cups fine egg noodles, vermicelli, or small pasta shapes
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a medium-size pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. Dice the Gruyére and mozzarella into ¼-inch cubes. Combine the cheeses with the white wine in the top of a double boiler, or in a microwave-proof dish that’s large enough to accommodate the cooked pasta. Cover the microwaveable dish and set it aside. If you are using a double boiler, melt the cheese in the top pot over simmering water while the noodles are cooking.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water, and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, 3 to 8 minutes (depending on the pasta you are using).
4. When the pasta is done, toss it with the melted cheese. Or if you are using a microwave oven, heat the cheese for 1 minute. Whisk it vigorously and return it to the microwave for 20 seconds. Add the drained pasta to the melted cheese, right in the microwave dish, and toss. Season with lots of freshly ground pepper.
• Other cheese combinations to try: Cottage cheese with Cheddar; ricotta with Parmesan; Gorgonzola with cottage or ricotta; Brie with cottage or ricotta; Parmesan, Gruyére, and cottage; feta with ricotta.
• Other ingredients to add while you are tossing the melted cheese and pasta: 1 small tomato, diced, and/or ¼ cup minced fresh herbs, such as parsley or basil.
PASTA: Thin ribbons
MAKES: 4 to 6 servings
TIME: 25 minutes
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Emilio Rossi, a friend from Assisi, is a wonderful pasta cook, and this recipe is based on one he prepares often. Emilio’s recipe calls for heating half a pound of sweet Gorgonzola, along with some whole garlic cloves, in the top of a double boiler and serving it over short pasta. That’s it. Nothing could be easier or more delicious—ideal when you have weekday dinner guests!
Unfortunately not everyone can get sweet (dolce) Gorgonzola, and the type generally available in this country is too salty to be used plain. To soften and sweeten the regular Gorgonzola, I add cream, broth, and sometimes Madeira or butter. The addition of a liquid makes the sauce thinner than Emilio’s version, so I serve it over long pasta instead of short shapes.
To complete the meal, follow this with a salad, which might include a few leaves of sharp-flavored greens such as escarole or watercress. The linguine is wonderful as an appetizer before veal roast, sautéed chicken breasts, or poached salmon.
This sauce looks especially pretty over spinach or beet noodles. But don’t go out of your way to hunt them down—they contribute to the color but not to the flavor of the dish.
Salt
1 pound linguine fine, or spinach or beet fettuccine
½ pound Gorgonzola, Roquefort, or another good-quality blue
½ cheese cup chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
½ 1 clove garlic, peeled
1 cup shelled walnuts Freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, crumble the cheese in the top of a double boiler. Add the broth, heavy cream, and garlic clove. Set the double boiler over medium-high heat, cover, and cook, until the cheese has melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Keep the sauce warm in the double boiler over low heat. While the sauce is heating and the pasta is boiling, chop the walnuts.
3. Drain the pasta and return it to the cooking pot. Discard the clove of garlic, and toss the Gorgonzola sauce with the pasta. Season to taste with lots of black pepper. Sprinkle walnuts over each portion and serve immediately.
There are so many ways you can vary this recipe that just listing a few should point you in the right direction toward creating your own.
Rossi Porcini: Emilio softens dried porcini mushrooms (see Variations, page 83), then chops them and adds them to the double boiler as the cheese is melting.
Melted Gorgonzola with Currants: Add ¼ cup currants to the cheese in the double boiler.
Melted Gorgonzola with Spirits: Substitute ½ cup Madeira for the broth, or use ¼ cup each of broth, Madeira, cream, and butter.
Melted Gorgonzola with Herbs: In step 3, toss the pasta and sauce with ¼ cup minced parsley or snipped chives.
SECOND TIME AROUND
Reheat the pasta and sauce in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Or if you have enough leftovers, place them in a baking dish, sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, ground pecans, or ground walnuts, and bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 30 minutes.
PASTA: Small or medium-size tubes and fancy shapes
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 25 minutes
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This is a repeat of a recipe I included in the Monday-to-Friday Cookbook. If I don’t have a batch of frozen white sauce on hand when I crave macaroni and cheese during the week, I make it this way. Melting cheese into a cornstarch-thickened milk mixture cuts the preparation time in half. Choose the larger amount of cheese if you prefer a heady cheese flavor over a subtle one.
For a more authentic old-fashioned macaroni and cheese, turn to Super Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese (see Index). Kids love both versions,
Salt
pound elbow macaroni, penne, gemelli, or gnocchi pasta
¼ to ½ pound sharp Cheddar cheese, or half Cheddar and half Parmesan
2 cups milk, preferably low-fat
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce Cayenne pepper
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, 7 to 8 minutes.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, grate the cheese, or cut it into ¼-inch cubes.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water, and then begin the sauce: Whisk the milk and cornstarch together in a nonreactive medium-size saucepan. Slowly bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly, over medium heat. As the milk comes to a simmer, it will thicken.
4. Stir three-quarters of the cheese into the sauce and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Add the remaining cheese, remove the pan from the heat, and let that cheese melt by the heat of the sauce. Add the Worcestershire sauce, and season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper.
5. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot, off the heat. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve immediately.
Quick Macaroni and Cheese with Ham: In step 4, fold 1 cup diced lean ham into the macaroni and sauce.
Peas and Macaroni and Cheese: In step 3, add 1 package (10 ounces) frozen petite peas, thawed, to the thickened milk and simmer for a minute just to heat through.
PASTA: Strands or stuffed pasta
MAKES: 4 to 6 servings
TIME: 25 minutes
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Here’s a delightfully different sauce to pair with pasta. As with all of the recipes in this book, it is a blueprint for myriad variations. Take a look below to see how this sauce also accommodates vegetables and ground meat.
For a dessert after a pasta dish with an exotic sauce like this one, try a combination of mango, banana, and pineapple slices topped with chopped fresh mint.
Salt
1 pound perciatelli, spaghettini, or meat-filled ravioli
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
1 quarter-size slice fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder or ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup plain yogurt, preferably nonfat
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. (If you are using fresh ravioli, wait until after the sauce is done because fresh ravioli takes only 3 or 4 minutes to cook.)
2. Meanwhile peel the garlic, onion, and ginger, and then finely chop them in a food processor. Measure out the spices and combine them in a little cup.
3. Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger and sauté until slightly tender, about 3 minutes.
4. Stir the mixed spices into the onions. Add the tomatoes, cover, and simmer over low heat until the onions are very soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the yogurt and simmer, uncovered, over low heat just until it has warmed. Do not let it boil or the yogurt will separate and curdle (don’t worry if it does, the sauce will still taste good). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat and keep warm, covered, off the heat.
5. Drain the pasta and portion it out. Ladle some sauce over each portion and serve immediately.
• With meat: In step 4, right after you add the spices, stir in ½ pound ground beef or lamb; cook until the meat is no longer pink. Then add the tomatoes and proceed with the recipe.
• With vegetables: In step 4, after you have simmered the onions with the tomatoes, add 1 package (10 ounces) frozen petite peas or lima beans, thawed, or chopped fresh spinach. Simmer, covered, just until heated through, 3 or 4 minutes, then add the yogurt.
• With herbs: In step 4, after you have added the yogurt, stir in ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or mint.
PASTA: Stuffed pasta
MAKES: 4 to 6 servings
TIME: 20 to 25 minutes
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If you are among the lucky few who don’t count calories, then go ahead and make this any day of the week. The rest of us will indulge in this luxurious pasta only on special nights. It is great to serve to guests during the workweek because the flavor is grand but the work is undemanding.
With this opulent dish, the only other course you might serve would be a green salad tossed with strips of fresh fennel or a plate of steamed vegetables. If you think you’ll have room for dessert, make sure it is light and fruit-based.
1 pound stuffed pasta, such as tortellini or ravioli filled with pesto, meat, or porcini mushrooms
2 ounces Gorgonzola dolce, Roquefort, or other blue cheese
2 ounces fresh soft chévre or feta cheese
2 ounces fontina or Gouda cheese 1 cup heavy cream
½ cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, crumble the Gorgonzola and chévre (you’ll have about ⅓ cup of each) and dice the fontina into tiny bits.
3. About 5 minutes before the pasta is done, bring the cream to a simmer in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When it is bubbling, add the fontina, Gorgonzola, and chévre. Whisk continuously over low heat until the cheeses are melted, about 2 minutes. Add the Parmesan and simmer until it has melted into the cream, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with fresh pepper.
4. Drain the pasta and portion it out. Spoon some cheese sauce over each portion and serve immediately.
• Lighter version: Substitute low-fat mozzarella for the fontina and nonfat ricotta for the chévre. Use only 1 ounce of Gorgonzola and omit the Parmesan. Simmer the cheese in 1 cup chicken broth or evaporated skimmed milk instead of the heavy cream, and stir in 1 cup thinly sliced scallions.
• With herbs: In step 3, when all the cheese has melted into the cream, add ¼ cup minced fresh basil, chives, or Italian parsley, or 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage. Or you could simmer the heavy cream with ½ teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary or thyme.
• With mushrooms: Soften ½ ounce dried mushrooms in ¼ cup of hot water, and then chop them. In step 3, before adding the cheeses, simmer the mushrooms in the heavy cream for 3 minutes. Or sauté ½ pound sliced fresh mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter until soft, add them to the heavy cream, and continue.
SECOND TIME AROUND
Reheat leftovers in a microwave oven or in a double boiler. Or top the leftovers with bread crumbs and bake them at 300°F until hot, about 20 minutes.
PASTA: Small tubes or cut ribbons
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 20 minutes preparation, plus 20 minutes no-work cooking time
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During the week, it makes sense to serve this for dinner if you already have cooked pasta on hand. It is also a good bet on a night when you have more time than usual to prepare dinner or when guests are coming over. The dish looks special, yet many of the steps can be prepared the day ahead. If you are going to serve this to guests, use a colorful mix of pasta like “tricolor” fusilli. Also keep it in mind for a night when you are eating “seriatimly” because it tastes as good at room temperature as it does hot from the oven.
Serve this with a salad on the side and follow it with a luscious dessert. If you are entertaining, you might want to start with a vegetable soup to stretch the number of courses.
4 cups cooked medium-sire pasta, such as elbow macaroni, or cut-up noodles, such as fettuccine
¼ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2½ tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (whole or skim)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto or smoked ham
4 large eggs, separated
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Place the cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Set aside. Use ½ tablespoon of the butter to lightly butter a shallow glass or ceramic baking dish that will hold a generous quart.
3. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook just until the two are well combined. Add the milk in fourths, beating vigorously after each addition to create a smooth paste and avoid lumps. When all the milk is in, bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking constantly, and simmer to cook out the raw taste of the flour, 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and let the sauce cool while you move on to the next step.
4. Cut the prosciutto into thin shreds and mix them into the milk sauce. Whisk the egg yolks, one at a time, into the sauce and beat thoroughly after each addition. Work fast so that the eggs don’t have a chance to curdle from the heat of the sauce. Mix the sauce into the pasta and cheese.
5. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry. With a rubber spatula, fold them quickly into the pasta mixture. Turn it into the prepared baking dish and bake until the eggs have set, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
• The luxurious version: In step 3, add to the sauce ½ cup heavy cream and ¼ pound wild mushrooms that have been cooked in 2 tablespoons butter.
• The low-fat version: Use a vegetable cooking spray to grease the baking dish. In step 2, make the sauce with oil instead of butter and with chicken broth instead of milk. In step 3, substitute sautéed turkey bacon for the prosciutto and omit the egg yolks. Beat 6 egg whites instead of 4 whole eggs.
• With vegetables: In 2 tablespoons butter sauté either 1 cup sliced mushroom caps or 1 bell pepper (cored, seeded, and sliced) until soft. Add to the sauce in step 3.
SECOND TIME AROUND
Cut up leftovers and toss them with spaghetti sauce. Reheat them in a microwave or a toaster oven.
PASTA: Small tubes or cut strands or ribbons
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 30 minutes
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This creamy scrambled egg and macaroni mélange convinced my daughter that eggs were not “yucky.”
Onions and peppers, the flavors in a Spanish omelet, camouflage the eggy taste—as do the tomato sauce and chili powder, which also give the dish its yellow-orange hue.
A light broth would be a good choice for a first course, if you really need one, but this is filling enough to serve as dinner.
1 onion
1 green or red bell pepper
¼ cup olive oil
4 or 5 large eggs
¼ cup spaghetti or tomato sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ to 2 cups cooked elbow macaroni or cut-up strands, such as fettuccine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Peel and finely chop the onion. Core, seed, and finely chop the pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers, and stir to coat them with the oil. Cover, and cook over low heat until tender, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the eggs with the spaghetti sauce and chili powder.
3. When the onions and peppers are tender, stir the pasta into them and mix well. Add the beaten egg mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until the eggs are evenly distributed throughout the other ingredients. Cover, and cook over low heat until the eggs have completely set, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir the eggs every now and then so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and scorch. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
• Instead of cooking the onions with peppers, combine them with 2 chopped carrots or ½ cup chopped celery, fresh fennel, or leftover cooked vegetables.
• Stir ¼ cup grated cheese, such as Parmesan or Cheddar, into the eggs during the last minute of cooking. Heat the mixture just enough to melt the cheese.
• After the eggs have set, layer very thin slices of mozzarella over them, cover the skillet, and continue to cook just until the cheese has melted.