Classic Spaghetti Recipes

CLASSIC SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, peel the onion, slice in half through the root and trim off the top. Place the onion, cut-side down, on a chopping board. With your knife parallel to the board, cut 3 slices through the onion, keeping the root intact. With knife point at root end, cut down through the onion, from top to bottom 4 times. Holding the root end, finely slice across the onion (see pic above), to give you small diced pieces.
• Set a large frying pan over medium heat and when hot, tip in the oil then onion. Cook for 5 mins until starting to soften, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, cook 2 mins more until the onions start to turn golden. When the onion has softened, tip in the tomatoes and half the basil. Leave to gently bubble for 15 mins until the sauce has thickened and looks pulpy. Stir occasionally and break up any large clumps of tomato with the back of your spoon.
• Pour water ¾ of the way up your largest pan. Heat over a high heat and add plenty of salt. When water has reached a rolling boil, place the spaghetti into the pan. As it softens, use your hands to push all of it into the water. Give it a stir to separate the pasta, then cook according to pack instructions, about 10 mins. Taste a strand of pasta. It should be just soft, but not mushy. Scoop out a cup of water before draining in a colander (this will help to loosen your sauce).
• Finishing touches: Tip the drained pasta back into its cooking pan, then pour over the tomato sauce. Give everything a good stir. The sauce should just coat the pasta, if it is thick and looks dry, stir in a few spoons of the pasta water. If it is watery, cook over a low heat until evaporated, stirring often. Use your hands to break the mozzarella into chunky pieces and stir through the pasta along with the remaining basil leaves. Serve straight away.

CLASSIC TOMATO SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Pick the basil leaves onto a chopping board (reserving a few baby leaves to garnish), then roughly chop the remaining leaves and finely chop the stalks.
• Peel and finely slice the onion and garlic. If using fresh, cut the tomatoes in half, then roughly chop them or carefully open the tins of tomatoes.
• Put a saucepan on a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the onion, then cook for around 7 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden.
• Stir in the garlic and basil stalks for a few minutes, then add the fresh or tinned tomatoes and the vinegar.
• Season with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper, then continue cooking for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the chopped basil leaves, then reduce to low and leave to tick away. Meanwhile...
• Carefully fill a large pot three-quarters of the way up with boiling water, add a tiny pinch of salt and bring back to the boil.
• Add the spaghetti and cook according to packet instructions - you want to cook your pasta until it is al dente. This translates as 'to the tooth' and means that it should be soft enough to eat, but still have a bit of a bite and firmness to it. Use the timings on the packet instructions as a guide, but try some just before the time is up to make sure it's perfectly cooked.
• Once the pasta is done, ladle out and reserve a cup of the cooking water and keep it to one side, then drain in a colander over the sink and tip the spaghetti back into the pot.
• Stir the spaghetti into the sauce, adding a splash of the pasta water to loosen, if needed.
• Serve with the reserved basil leaves sprinkled over the top and use a microplane to finely grate the Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle over.

SIMPLE SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• On medium heat melt the butter and sautee the onion and bell peppers.
• Add the hamburger meat and cook until meat is well done.
• Add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Salt, pepper and garlic powder can be adjusted to your own tastes.
• Cook noodles as directed.
• Mix the sauce and noodles if you like, I keep them separated.

CLASSIC SPAGHETTI PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add spaghetti and cook until a little less than al dente, about 3 minutes. When done, drain, dry and return to the pot. Meanwhile bring another large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, and green beans. Cook for 3 minutes. Add peas and cook for one minute more. Drain vegetables and refresh in a bowl of cold water and set aside. In a skillet heat oil and add mushrooms and cook until firm, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, including their liquid, and garlic and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Now stir in parsley and basil, and then add cooked spaghetti. Toss to combine. Then add the cooked green vegetables and toss gently until just heated through. Add some chicken broth if the mixture is too dry. Meanwhile, make your cream sauce. In a saucepan melt butter and add cream and heat until hot. Add Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Add the cream sauce to the spaghetti mixture and gently to coat the spaghetti. Transfer to a serving dish and top with pine nuts, freshly ground black pepper and Parmesan cheese.

CLASSIC SPAGHETTI PUTTANESCA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add grape tomatoes, capers, anchovies, olives, and garlic; cook until fragrant and tomatoes soften, about 5 minutes. Add tomato puree and season with salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes (sauce will be separated).
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and add to sauce, tossing to combine and adding enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

CLASSIC SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Tomato Sauce:
• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until a few pieces are golden brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add basil sprigs and stir to wilt. Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, and their juices; season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high; bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and flavors have concentrated, 60-75 minutes.
• Meatballs and assembly:
• Run bread under cold running water until completely soaked. Firmly wring out to expel as much water as possible. Finely chop, then mix in a large bowl with eggs, garlic, ricotta, prosciutto, parsley, and 1/3 cup Parmesan.
• Finely grind fennel seeds in spice mill or with mortar and pestle; add to bread mixture along with oregano, nutmeg, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and 1 1/4 tsp. salt. Mix well (it should resemble a coarse, wet paste). Add beef and break up into small pieces (a couple of forks work well). Mix gently with your hands until smooth and ingredients are evenly incorporated; be careful not to overmix.
• Lightly oil your hands. Working one at a time, scoop out portions of meat mixture with a 1/4-cup measuring cup; roll gently between your hands into balls. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet.
• This is the point where you should get the sauce reheating, if needed, so it's warm by the time you add the meatballs.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning and rolling occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Add meatballs to warm sauce. Repeat with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and remaining meatballs.
• Cook meatballs in sauce (they should be mostly submerged) at a gentle simmer, carefully scraping bottom of pot and adding a splash of water if sauce begins to stick, until meatballs are cooked through and tender and sauce tastes rich and meaty, 40-50 minutes.
• Transfer meatballs to a clean baking sheet; cover with foil to keep warm. Pluck out and discard basil from sauce. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to break up any large pieces of tomato and smooth out sauce. Transfer 2 cups sauce to a small bowl; set aside for serving.
• Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Using tongs, transfer to pot with sauce. Gently stir, adding pasta cooking liquid by the tablespoonful as needed, until sauce coats pasta. Transfer spaghetti to a serving dish and top with meatballs and 1 cup reserved sauce. Sprinkle with more Parmesan and serve with some basil (if using) and remaining sauce alongside for topping.
• Do Ahead:
• Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Meatballs can be formed 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Meatballs can be cooked in sauce 3 days ahead; let cool, then cover and chill.