pasta

For reasons that are beyond my control, the other day I found myself faced with a pile of colorful vegetables that were too beautiful and flavorful to go unused. Not wanting to be wasteful (it is Eco Month, after all), I decided to keep things straightforward and cook everything together with some white wine and fresh herbs, and mix it with some penne pasta.


The flavor of the bell peppers is pretty overpowering, which is a good thing if you're a fan. If not, use fewer peppers and throw in another of your favorite vegetables. An addition of onion or zucchini would go very well in this recipe. There's no heavy sauce in this dish, just one grated tomato, so it's important not to overcook your pasta.

In less than 30 minutes you will have a colorful dish that is satisfying, but doesn't leave you feeling weighed down. Serve it warm, topped with some Parmesan shavings, or cold as a side dish. It's even better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to come together. For this fast and easy recipe, keep reading.

Just because you're short on time doesn't mean you shouldn't make your own pasta sauce! This quick and spicy bacon-tomato pasta sauce is chock-full of flavor and takes only about a half hour to make. I had applewood smoked bacon on hand, but next time, I will use pepper bacon to add a little more complexity to the dish. To really heat things up, I used two jalapenos with no seeds — feel free to adjust it depending on your palate. Ready to simmer your own spicy pasta sauce? Keep reading for the recipe.

After a very late night the evening before, we were kicking ourselves for signing up for a Bertolli demo with Fabio Viviani at 9 a.m. the next day. But he greeted us with coffee (scratch that — cappuccinos!), and gave us a warm Italian welcome (you'd have never known that he'd gone to bed at 4:30 a.m.). "I'm not famous enough to have my own party in South Beach, but I do like to cook," Fabio said, as he introduced himself humorously before making fresh pasta. After that, we knew we'd be OK.

In fact, we were more than just OK — we were in stitches with the former Top Cheffer's zingers. To see a few of his best quotables from the morning, keep reading.

While in Miami, we had the chance to nurse our hangovers, Italian style. Chef Fabio Viviani's Bertolli demo was filled with laughs, mispronunciations, and homemade, fresh fettuccine. All in all, it was great fun, and we were surprised to learn that making pasta at home doesn't have to be the headache that it's made out to be. With a food processor, a pasta press, and a few staple ingredients, you can have fresh pasta in a matter of minutes.

A few helpful tips that Fabio made sure to stress: an "Italian tablespoon" is not the same thing as an American tablespoon (see above photo), quality products and ingredients shouldn't be messed with, and that extra-virgin olive oil shouldn't be used in high-heat situations.

If you're up for a pasta challenge, find the recipe when you keep reading.

There are some commonplace Italian pasta recipes that are so simple yet stunning that I'll find myself on a streak of making them two, three, six times a month.
Spaghetti cacio e pepe falls under this category. So do pasta carbonara and spaghetti aglio e olio. But after years of making these dishes, I didn't think there were many more minimalist pasta combinations to discover.

Then I stumbled upon my latest obsession while out on a dinner date at the Campania-centric Italian restaurant A 16, where I enjoyed a plate of linguine tossed with torn cavolo nero and dressed in a pungent elixir of Italian anchovy sauce, barely-cooked garlic, and spicy red pepper flakes. By the end of that weekend, I'd already come up with a version myself, using some of my latest pantry fixations.

Keep reading for a new favorite rustic pasta recipe.

Nothing warms the soul more than a comforting bowl of pasta, especially when it is covered in a creamy brie sauce and topped with mushrooms, onions, and spinach. Already, this dish is a fast and easy dinner, and I shaved off even more time by using the quick-cooking angel hair pasta, but any pasta variety will do; just pick your favorite. Quickly dice the mushrooms and onions to get them sautéeing in a bit of olive oil. Once they begin to purge their juices, add a bit of white wine and cook down.
Bring your pasta water to boil, and once the pasta is finished, be sure to set aside some of the starchy water to use in the brie sauce. Melt the brie with a little pasta water in the mushrooms and onion mixture. Toss in the pasta and evenly coat with easy creamy sauce. Voilà — dinner!Of course, covering anything in brie will result in an indulgent and delicious dish. If you want to indulge a little less, I have also used half brie and half low-fat cream cheese to re-create a lighter cream sauce. This fast and easy pasta should be in everybody's cooking repertoire, so keep reading for this quick recipe.

Sea urchin is often a polarizing ingredient. Yoo Eatz encourages us to muster some courage and embrace this culinary adventure in the form of pasta.

What's so gross about sea urchin? Even some of the most adventurous eaters I know will make the most horrific faces when the topic comes up.

I asked my husband about this — he generally recoils when I suggest that we share a pair of nigiri at the sushi bar — and he offered that it's a textural thing. Some people say it resembles phlegm (or worse), and I heard one person characterize the briny bits as "little orange tongues" (although, let's face it: the truth of what uni is may actually be harder to stomach!). But a lot of these same people will tell me that the flavor doesn't bother them; in fact, they find it quite pleasant.

For more, plus a recipe, keep reading!

Winter's prime time for comfort foods, and what could be more reassuring on a bleak day than truffle mac and cheese? Cooking in Pajamas expounds.

You could go to a restaurant and pay $15 for a bowl of this decadent pasta, or simply make it at home for a fraction of the price. That's right. You can make this at home for a surprisingly reasonable price. The secret is truffle oil.

The use of truffle oil has become controversial in culinary circles. Ask any chef what they think of truffle oil, and they will most likely turn up their noses and declare it to be an unacceptable substitute to the real thing. One of the biggest reasons for this is that many truffle oils on the market do not contain any actual truffles. They use a synthetic ingredient to duplicate the aroma of the truffle, but their are a few brands that contain natural truffle to infuse the oil.

Keep reading for her truffle macaroni and cheese secrets.

Translated: spaghetti with garlic, oil, and chili pepper flakes.

This is the kind of meal that makes you stop and think that the simplest foods are often the most wonderful. With only a few ingredients that are staples in most pantries, you can create a beautiful, flavorful, heartwarming meal from scratch.

Spaghetti aglio, olio, e peperoncino is a traditional Italian pasta dish. It's well loved by many because it's so easy and inexpensive to make. This is a perfect solution whenever you're in a bind. For example, if guests come over and you've got nothing to serve, they are certain to be wowed when you present them with this meal.

It packs quite a kick from the minced garlic and chili pepper flakes, and I highly suggest enjoying this dish with fellow garlic lovers. Keep on going for more.