Serves 4 as a main course or 6 to 8 as a side dish
If you’re in a hurry or prefer to sprinkle the dish with crumbled common crackers (saltines aren’t bad either), you can skip the bread crumb step.
- TOASTED BREAD CRUMBS:
- unsalted butter
- fresh bread crumbs
- salt
- CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE:
- large eggs
- hot red pepper sauce
- salt
- ground black pepper
- elbow macaroni
- unsalted butter
Serves 6 to 8, or 10 to 12 as a side
It’s crucial to cook the pasta until tender—just past the “al dente” stage. In fact, overcooking is better than undercooking the pasta. Whole, low-fat, and skim milk all work well in this recipe. The recipe can be halved and baked in an 8-inch-square, broilersafe baking dish. If desired, offer celery salt or hot sauce (such as Tabasco) for sprinkling at the table.
- BREAD CRUMB TOPPING
- PASTA AND CHEESE:
- elbow macaroni
- table salt
- unsalted butter
- all-purpose flour
- powdered mustard
- table salt
Serves 4 to 6
Look for salt pork that is roughly 70 percent fat and 30 percent lean meat; leaner salt pork may not render enough fat. If it is difficult to slice, put the salt pork in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up. Use high-quality imported Pecorino Romano—not the bland domestic cheese labeled “Romano.”
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To create an authentic-tasting version of Pasta All’Amatriciana we needed an alternative to hard-to-find guanciale, or cured pork jowl. Humble salt pork, though an unlikely solution, provided the rich, clean meatiness we were after. To ensure tender bites of pork throughout, we first simmered it in water to gently cook it and render fat, a step that allowed the meat to quickly turn golden once the water evaporated. Finally, to ensure the grated Pecorino Romano didn’t clump in the hot sauce, we first mixed it with a little cooled rendered pork fat. Now the flavor of pork, tomato, chili flake, and Pecorino shine through in each bite.
- water
- red pepper flakes
- tomato paste
- red wine
- spaghetti
- salt
big hamburger book pg. 49
- ground beef
- water
- grated Paremsan cheese
- parsley flakes
- uncooked lasagna noodles
- shredded mozzarella cheese
I use Velveeta but any pasteurized prepared cheese product can be used.
This can be made ahead; after pouring into baking dishes refrigerate up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. top with panko and chives. Bake as directed.
- pkg. Velveeta
- shredded Colby Jack cheese
Serves 12
One cup of plain yogurt thinned with ½ cup milk can be substituted for the buttermilk. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater. The ingredients in this recipe can be reduced by two-thirds to serve 4. For instructions on how to cook the pasta in less water, see Lots of Pasta, Less Water (related).
- Meatballs:
- percent lean ground beef
- ground pork
- minced fresh parsley leaves
- Table salt and ground black pepper
- Sauce:
- extra-virgin olive oil
- red pepper flakes
- dried oregano
- dry white wine
- Table salt and ground black pepper
- spaghetti
- minced fresh basil leaves
- minced fresh parsley leaves
- Granulated sugar
- uncooked rigatoni
- olive oil
- onion
- salt
- pepper
- shredded mozzarella cheese
Double when using for a baked pasta dish.
- onion powder
- balsamic vinegar
- sugar
- dried basil
- tomato paste
- dried italian seasoning
- black pepper
- white fish
- diced kale
- heavy cream
- large onion
- ears of corn
Double when using for a baked pasta dish.
- onion powder
- balsamic vinegar
- sugar
- dried basil
- tomato paste
- dried italian seasoning
- black pepper