1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 good-sized cloves)
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¾ teaspoon salt
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
½ cup water
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
A generous handful or two of chopped flat-leaf parsley
1. Place a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, herbs, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, and black pepper. Use a spoon to break up the tomatoes if they are in rather large chunks. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
3. Add the parsley, stir, and serve.
marinara
Makes about 5 cups
This recipe is vegan.
1 medium stalk celery, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
½ pound mushrooms, finely diced
1 medium zucchini (about 6 inches long), finely diced
2 medium tomatoes, finely diced
¼ cup minced fresh basil
Add the celery, mushrooms, and zucchini to the pan when you add the onion and bell pepper. Add the diced tomatoes when you add the crushed tomatoes. Stir in the basil when you add the parsley.
bolognese
Makes 5 to 6 cups
To make a Bolognese-style meat sauce, cook the meat ahead of time. Here’s what to do.
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound ground beef or turkey
1. Place a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan.
2. Add the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it is no longer pink and the outside edges are starting to brown. While it is cooking, use a thin-bladed metal spatula to break up the meat into bite-sized pieces. Then transfer it to a bowl (use a slotted spoon), and set aside. Use paper towels to wipe out any fat left in the pan.
3. Proceed with the recipe for plain or marinara sauce, stirring the cooked meat back into the pot when you add the tomatoes.
spaghetti and meatballs
Serves 4 to 6
Here’s a basic standby you can fall back on for years to come. This is really a recipe for meatballs, which aren’t at all hard to make, and a method for simmering them quickly in store-bought sauce (to keep things simple for now), piling it all onto freshly cooked pasta, topping with cheese and pepper, and sitting down to a perfect meal. Start making the meatballs about an hour before you want to eat, to allow time for shaping and browning them and then simmering them in the sauce while the pasta cooks. Or, even better, make the meatballs and cook them in the sauce a day or two ahead and then reheat them (slowly, over low heat, stirring gently from time to time) while the pasta cooks. The flavors will become deeper this way.
One 24-ounce jar prepared tomato sauce, or about 3 cups
Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce (Chapter 3: Pastas)
Meatballs (recipe follows)
Salt for the pasta water
1 pound spaghetti
3 tablespoons olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes
A handful or two of chopped flat-leaf parsley
1. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs in the pot they cooked in. Turn the heat to low, and simmer gently while you cook the pasta.
2. Put a large pot of cold water to boil over high heat, and add a tablespoon of salt. Place a large colander in the sink. When the water boils, add the spaghetti, keeping the heat high. Cook for the amount of time recommended on the package, tasting a strand toward the end of the suggested time to be sure it is not getting overcooked. When it is just tender enough to bite into comfortably but not yet mushy, dump the water-plus-pasta into the colander. Shake to mostly drain (it’s okay to leave some water clinging), then transfer the spaghetti to a large bowl and immediately drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat.
3. You can serve this in one of two ways: Dump all the sauce-plus-meatballs into the bowlful of pasta, shake and toss to mix, top with Parmesan, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and parsley, and serve right away. Or make individual servings, using tongs to place some spaghetti onto each plate and then ladling on a generous amount of the meatballs and sauce. Serve hot, passing around the Parmesan, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and parsley so people can customize their spaghetti-and-meatball experience.
GET CREATIVE
Don’t forget the joys of a meatball sandwich. Just split a sandwich roll (toast it under the broiler or, buttered, in a skillet, if you like), ladle on meatballs and sauce, and sprinkle some grated Parmesan on top.
You can also add these meatballs to a soup, or make them smaller and serve them, sauceless, on toothpicks for a great party snack.
Add a teaspoon of dried oregano (or 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano) to the meatball mixture.
meatballs
Makes about 24 medium-sized meatballs
Of course meatballs go superbly with spaghetti, but they’re also great as a main dish on their own, with or without the tomato sauce. If you’re going the classic spaghetti-and-meatballs route, brown the meatballs in a soup pot or a Dutch oven so you can add the sauce to the same pot. If your meatballs have a different destiny that does not involve a sauce, you can cook them in a skillet instead.
1/3 cup toasted whole wheat breadcrumbs (see Chapter 3: Pastas)
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
A handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ cup very finely minced yellow onion
¾ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground chuck
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1. In a medium-large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and milk. Let sit for a minute or two.
2. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl. Add the egg, cheese, parsley, onion, salt, and about 5 grinds of black pepper to the breadcrumb mixture, mixing well with your fingers.
3. Crumble in the ground beef, and use your hands to mix everything gently until it’s just combined.
4. Set out a tray or a couple of dinner plates to hold the formed meatballs. Wet your hands with cold water and gently roll the meat mixture into 1½-inch balls, placing them on the tray or plate as you go. You should end up with about 24 meatballs. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the raw meat.
5. Place a soup pot, Dutch oven, or large (10-to 12-inch) heavy skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and swirl to coat the pot. Add just enough meatballs to fit comfortably, and cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes, or until the surface touching the pot is deeply browned.
6. Turn the meatballs carefully with tongs to brown them all over. They are done when no longer pink in the middle (you can peek with the tip of a sharp knife). Total cooking time should be 10 to 12 minutes. If you have more raw meatballs to cook, take the cooked ones out of the pot, set them on a clean plate, and cover them loosely with foil. Brown the remaining ones, adding more olive oil to the pot for each batch.
7. Once all the meatballs are fully cooked, return them to the pot to reheat briefly. They’re now ready to be eaten as is, or simmered gently in your favorite tomato sauce and tossed with pasta.
quick and easy spinach lasagna
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Nothing (not even the noodles!) needs to be precooked in this easy vegetarian lasagna (unless you make your own sauce, which you can do a week or more ahead of time). So it’s more like a DIY project, quickly assembled by stacking uncooked lasagna noodles, store-bought sauce, ricotta,
mozzarella, and fresh baby spinach. Magically, all this raw stuff bakes itself into a good, honest lasagna. And by the way, there’s no need to buy official “no boil” noodles. The liquid in the spinach and the sauce, plus a little water, will perfectly cook regular lasagna noodles (the kind with the curly edges that you usually have to pre-boil).
2 jars (about 6 cups) prepared tomato sauce, or 1 recipe Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce (Chapter 3: Pastas)
¾ pound lasagna noodles (about 12 noodles)
1 pound ricotta cheese
6 ounces (a few good-sized handfuls) fresh baby spinach
1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated (about 4 cups)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375°F (350°F if you’ll be using a glass pan). Have ready a 9-by 13-inch baking pan or its equivalent.
2. Spoon a generous cup of the tomato sauce into the baking pan and spread it around. It won’t completely cover the bottom, but that’s okay. Cover the sauce with a single layer of noodles, edges touching (you can break some, if necessary, to make a single layer that covers the whole pan).
3. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta cheese here and there over the noodles, using half the ricotta. You don’t need to cover the noodles completely with the cheese. Spoon, and lightly spread, another cup or so of the tomato sauce over the ricotta. Don’t worry if there are chunks in the sauce and it spreads somewhat unevenly. Layer on half of the spinach leaves, pressing them into the sauce. (Don’t be alarmed if this looks like a lot of spinach. It cooks down during baking.) Then sprinkle the spinach with about half of the mozzarella.
4. Place another single layer of noodles on top of the mozzarella, and drop spoonfuls of the remaining ricotta on top, using up all the ricotta.
5. Spoon on half of the remaining sauce, spreading it around. Layer on the rest of the spinach, pressing it down, and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the spinach.
6. Make a final layer of noodles on top of the spinach, and spoon the remaining sauce on top of the noodles.
7. Cover the pan very tightly with aluminum foil and bake, undisturbed, for 1 hour.
8. Remove and save the foil, sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the Parmesan, and return the pan to the oven. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is golden.
9. Remove the pan from the oven and cover it with the foil again. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. (This step helps ensure that the noodles are completely cooked and that the lasagna has solidified, so it will come out in neat squares or rectangles.)
* * *
GET CREATIVE
If you use store-bought sauce instead of making your own, your selection will greatly influence the final flavor of your lasagna. So experiment with various brands and flavors (mushroom, basil, roasted garlic, etc.) to find your favorite.
Stir 1 tablespoon minced garlic and/or ¼ cup (packed) minced basil into the ricotta.
Use fresh ricotta—the kind sold in bulk at the cheese counter of some markets. It’s a splurge, but it tastes extra-creamy and rich.
Add up to 2 cups of chopped cooked vegetables, such as mushrooms, broccoli, or cauliflower, to the sauce.
* * *
genuine homemade mac & cheese
Makes 4 to 5 servings
Yes, the stuff in the blue box is cheap and fast. But it is no match for this real MacCoy—with its crunchy, chewy crust on top and the soft, creamy pasta underneath. This version is made with a classic cheese sauce that comes together in about the time it takes to cook the pasta. The rest happens in the oven, so it’s really not that much trouble for a huge payoff. You can use packaged grated Cheddar or your own mix of good-quality cheeses. The tastier the cheese, of course, the better the dish will be.
Vegetable oil spray for the pan
Salt for the pasta water
½ pound elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1½ tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dry mustard
A big dash of cayenne pepper (up to 1/8 teaspoon)
2 cups milk
1 cup (packed) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted and crumbled (see “Toasted Breadcrumbs,” Chapter 3: Pastas)
1. Spray a 1-quart gratin dish or an 8-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil spray, and set aside.
2. Set the oven rack on the highest rung that will fit your baking pan (this will help the top brown nicely) and preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Put a medium-sized pot of cold water to boil over high heat, and add a tablespoon of salt. Place a large colander in the sink. When the water boils, add the macaroni, keeping the heat high. Cook for the amount of time recommended on the package, tasting the macaroni toward the end of the suggested time to be sure it is not getting overcooked. When it is just tender enough to bite into comfortably but not yet mushy, dump the pasta-and-water into the colander. Run cold water over the pasta to bring it to room temperature so that it stops cooking. Shake to mostly drain (it’s okay to leave some water clinging). Leave it in place—you’ll need it in just a few minutes.
4. To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter over low heat, in the same pot you used to cook the macaroni. When the butter is melted, use a whisk to beat in the flour, salt, mustard, and cayenne. Keep whisking for a few seconds, until the mixture forms a thick paste. Then slowly drizzle in the milk, still vigorously whisking, so the sauce becomes smooth as the milk is incorporated. Keep cooking and stirring (switching from the whisk to a wooden spoon) for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is velvety, thick, and smooth. Sprinkle in about two-thirds each of the Cheddar and the Parmesan, and stir until the cheeses are fully blended in. Remove the pot from the heat.
5. Add the cooked macaroni and the remaining Cheddar to the cheese sauce. Stir until all the pasta is well coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan, and top with the breadcrumbs and the remaining Parmesan. Set the pan on a foil-lined baking tray to catch any drips, and bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and crisp and golden on top. Serve hot.
GET CREATIVE
Use whole wheat macaroni instead of white.
Mince a medium-sized clove of garlic and add it when melting the butter.
Stir up to 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish and/or prepared mustard (in addition to the dry mustard) into the cheese sauce before adding the pasta.
If you have cooked broccoli or cauliflower on hand, add up to 2 cups (chopped) when mixing the pasta with the sauce; or add up to 2 cups chopped raw broccoli or cauliflower to the macaroni during the last minute of cooking.
Mix a handful of chopped walnuts with the breadcrumbs before sprinkling them over the mac and cheese.
You might want to make this cheese sauce separately, to serve on top of cooked vegetables or potatoes. It’s multipurpose!
linguine with clam sauce
Makes 2 to 3 servings
Fresh clams, cooked with a little white wine, garlic, and onion, create a classic pasta sauce that will wow you with its complex flavor. Don’t be put off by the idea of buying and cooking fresh clams. It’s really quite foolproof and actually kind of fun. A note on timing: Ideally, you want the hot pasta and just-opened clams to be done at about the same time, so check the pasta package for its suggested cooking time and calculate accordingly. It’s fine if the pasta is done a few minutes before the clams, because you can reheat it a bit when you add it to the clams and sauce.
Get Cooking Page 10