Pasta Basics
I would argue that pasta takes top spot for the most popular pantry staple - inimitable. And for good reason because, well, what DOESN’T go with pasta? That said, since the internet offers us a wealth of pretty incredible pasta recipes, I am not going to dive in too much here. Instead, I’ve given you a place to start: some key pointers on making great pasta, basic sauces to start with as well as some of my favorite sources for #PastaInspo.
Use the highest quality ingredients. This seems like a given, but too many people skimp on the basics: good quality sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground pepper from a pepper grinder and real parmigiano-reggiano. These basic building basic blocks are just as important as whatever else you’re putting into or on top of your pasta. Of course, make do with what you can afford and have on hand, but know that investing in these high quality staples is an investment in your home cooking.
Salt your water properly. As our hero Samin Nosrat so accurately describes, salting your pasta water seasons pasta “from the inside out”. And I guarantee you need more salt than you think. You want the water to taste salty, like a mouth full of ocean water, so after you add your salt, taste and adjust accordingly.
Pasta shape matters. Sauces cling to different pasta shapes differently: keep that in mind as you make a selection. For delicate, oil based sauces use long, thin pastas like angel hair, spaghetti and linguine. For more hearty, creamy sauces, use penne, rigatoni or cavatappi, which hold sauce in their many nooks and crannies. For sauces with chunky ingredients, grab your shapes — farfalle, fusilli, and orecchiette.
Get creative and look around online! Chances are you have a few things in your fridge right now that have incredible pasta potential, and the internet is a fantastic place to get inspired. A few of my favorite places to look when I want a great pasta recipe: of course, I stan Bon Appétit. Nate Appleman always inspires me on Instagram with surprising combinations. And, admittedly, I have a pretty dense pasta Pinterest board, which you can peek through here.
Basic Pantry Sugo
Growing up, our go to dinner was pasta with my moms homemade sauce: we never put anything jarred near our pasta - ever. Although she usually riffed on the sauce a little each time she made it, she always started with the same base, and it’s a great tool everyone should have in their cooking arsenal. The best part about it is you can make it with pretty basic pantry items.
Finely dice fresh garlic cloves, or if you like larger pieces, cut into thin slices. Chop up onions or shallots if you have. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Start by sweating your onions and/or shallots. When they are starting to get translucent, add garlic, sea salt and red pepper flakes.
When garlic is golden brown, add tomato paste if you have it. Stir to mix and cook a few minutes, letting tomato paste deepen in color. If you have cooking wine, add a splash here. Let it reduce and alcohol cook off. Add capers with a little juice, if you have. Otherwise, add liquid from canned, whole peeled tomatoes (these are ideal but you can use other kinds of canned tomatoes, like pureed).
Stir sauce and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a bowl use your hands to crush the whole tomatoes remaining in the can. Add to the sauce, mix and bring to a simmer again. Turn down the heat, adjust seasoning as needed. If you want to add any other salty elements, like very finely chopped anchovies, keep in mind to add less salt to the sauce.
Serve with al dente pasta and lots of freshly grated parmigiano.
Even-Simpler Pantry Pasta
In the event that you don’t have canned tomatoes on hand, don’t worry. You can still make really delicious pasta. Go for an “aglio e olio”, or garlic and oil, approach. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente.
In the meantime, in a pan add lots of good olive oil and finely sliced garlic. Cook until garlic is light golden brown. Turn heat to low, add sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
If you have anchovies, mince very finely and mix into the oil to add lots of salt and flavor. When pasta is done, toss in the pan with a few splashes of the starchy pasta water and mix well with the garlicky oil and seasoning.
If you have goat cheese or ricotta cheese on hand, you can mix that in at the end to coat pasta.
If you have fresh greens on hand to use up, you can include those too. For spinach, add right at the end with the hot pasta, to wilt the leaves. For kale, add to the pan just before adding your garlic. This gives hardy kale time to soften up. For arugula, add to the bowl right before eating. Either way, you won’t forget to top with fresh parmigiano.