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Pasta

J

Jay59

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My wife is Italian, so pasta is a staple. We might as well have a thread on the subject.

Vodka sauce is not one of her accomplishments. In theory, it should be simple. Soften onions in rendered fat and add pepper flakes, garlic, and herbs. Heat through. Add vodka, and reduce. To the reduction add tomatoes and eventually cream.

Simple, except I have not found a recipe I like. Have any of you tried this staple of the jarred pasta brigade? What makes it work? Is it the ingredients, the technique, or something else?
.
 

I dont cook it because I try to avoid sauces with cream and I love spicing up tomato marinara sauces with a variety of spices, herbs, and meats instead. Or, a traditional carbonara which just uses egg and cheese to achieve creaminess.
 
Tomatoes and cream? New to me.
 

Vodka sauce should have cheese as well.


I do a variation of the first recipe. He uses parmesan, I use pecorino
 
Jarred sauce? Get thee behind me Satan!

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the vodka sauce. Make Amatriciana instead. Sweat diced onions in butter. Add Pancetta and get it halfway crispy. Add diced tomato, crushed red pepper, S, P &G. Serve over Bucattini with a lot of Peccorino Romano.
 
Lutherf said:
Make Amatriciana instead. Sweat diced onions in butter. Add Pancetta and get it halfway crispy. Add diced tomato, crushed red pepper, S, P &G. Serve over Bucattini with a lot of Peccorino Romano.
Click to expand...

If going the amatriciana route i would render the pancetta until fully crisp, remove from pan, sweat onion and garlic in the fat and bloom the red pepper in the fat as well.

Use san marzano or some other good quality whole tomato that you crush yourself (by hand or blender depending on how chunky you like it) cook for like 10ish minutes while boiling pasta.

cook pasta til mostly done, drain while reserving a cup of pasta water

add pasta to sauce and cook until pasta is done, stirring vigorously and adding 1/4 cup pasta water at a time to achieve a nice texture

top with cheese and torn basil as desired
 
instagramsci said:
Vodka sauce should have cheese as well.


I do a variation of the first recipe. He uses parmesan, I use pecorino
Click to expand...
That's very different from the ones that I have investigated. For example, one of the easy ones.

Vodka Sauce​
​
2 Tbsp olive oil​
1 onion, finely chopped​
3 garlic cloves, minced ​
½ tsp pepper flakes​
1 tsp oregano​
½ cup vodka​
1 (28oz) can of tomatoes, crushed ​
S&P​
¼-½ cup cream​
2 tbsp fresh basil​
​
In a large, deep pan set over medium heat, saute the onion in the olive oil until soft and fragrant for 2-3 minutes.​
Add the garlic, pepper flakes, and oregano and cook for another 30 seconds.​
Pour in the vodka. Allow to reduce by 1/3, about 5 minutes.​
Pour in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.​
Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.​
Add the fresh basil and ¼ cup of cream. Stir in and add more cream as desired. ​
Simmer for another 5 minutes then serve. ​

I am not thrilled with this recipe, but the others have rendered fat, meat, more herbs, more vodka, etc. In short, nothing really different.

Yours is much more tomato-centered and has no reduction. The vodka is an afterthought that serves no purpose. Ouzo or sambuca would at least add a spice element.
 
Rumpel said:
Swabians think so.
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They would be correct.

But now my problem is that I have a craving that I cannot satisfy, because my Oma never taught me how to make it, and there are no German restaurants near me. So, of course, I would donate a kidney for a plate of hot Spätzle, a bowl of sour cream, and some salt and pepper.
 
Take one jar of marinara sauce and mix with one jar of alfredo sauce.

Take a shot of vodka after every bite of pasta.
 
i hope there are lots of recipes on the Internet.
From watching my sister making Spätzle, it seems easy.
 
Rumpel said:
i hope there are lots of recipes on the Internet.
From watching my sister making Spätzle, it seems easy.
Click to expand...

I'm terrified of dough. There are plenty of recipes, sure, but they all involve some element of "you'll know it's ready when it feels..", and then some seemingly arbitrary / sorcery-inspired metric that my brain simply cannot grasp.

I am pretty competent in every other common form of cooking, a master of meat, but anything involving dough is my weakness. Probably a good thing, tbh...lol... My daily exercise accomplishments would not accomodate more pasta and bread.
 
in the end there are two ways….

you cut the dough by some machine, or by hand.

by hand is better
 
samiam5211 said:
Take one jar of marinara sauce and mix with one jar of alfredo sauce.

Take a shot of vodka after every bite of pasta.
Click to expand...


Italy would like to have a word with you.
 
Same here. The "no fail dough" YouTube videos are my favorite. I always get an F-
 



Not like Oma’s but tolerable.
 
Allan said:
Same here. The "no fail dough" YouTube videos are my favorite. I always get an F-
Click to expand...

Using the words "no fail" in connection with a dough recipe is emotional violence.
 
Rumpel said:
do German Spätzle also count as pasta?
Click to expand...
If it's dried, why not?

Gran's method was a thick batter poured through wide holes. They were more like dumplings.

Allan said:
Same here. The "no fail dough" YouTube videos are my favorite. I always get an F-
Click to expand...

Cook's Illustrated's Foolproof Pie Dough Recipe

A sprinkle of vodka and a good food processor are key to this foolproof pie dough.
www.seriouseats.com
 
One of the fall specials is lasagna with roasted pumpkin.

Pumpkin Lasagna​
​
500 g / 1 lb pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed​
2 large zucchinis, cut into chunks​
2 onions, cut into wedges​
2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips​
2 Tbsp olive oil​
Salt and pepper​
​
250 g / 8 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained​
500 g / 1 lb ricotta or cottage cheese​
1/2 cup / 50 g grated parmesan ​
1 egg​
2-3 cloves garlic, minced​
1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional)​
S&P​
​
2 cups basic red sauce​
​
375 g / 13 oz fresh lasagne sheets ​
300 g / 3 cups shredded mozzarella ​
​
Toss veggies in oil and season​
Roast in a hot oven (200°C / 390°F) for about 25 minutes​
Turn and roast another 15 minutes​
Loosen from pan and set aside​
Reduce oven to medium-low (160°C / 320°F )​
Beat egg and add cheeses, spinach, and garlic. Season.​
Layer in a prepared pan--sauce, noodles, ricotta mix, roasted veggies, shredded cheese, repeat. ​
Bake for 30 minutes​

Always let lasagna set for at least five minutes. The noodles need to absorb the excess moisture.

This is a clean-out-the-fridge recipe. Almost any leftover vegetable can be added. Disliking spinach, I use 1/4 cup of chopped parsley. Judith likes to use cottage cheese and plain yogurt instead of ricotta. It's creamier and the yogurt adds a tang. Eggplant or nuts can add a meatlike flavor.
 
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