Pasta Alla Giovanni Recipes

PASTA DEL MAGNIFICO ALLA GARGA

Steps:

• In a skillet over medium low heat, heat cream. Add cognac or dry sherry, lemon and orange zest and salt. Simmer sauce 7 to 10 minutes. Add mint and basil to the sauce. Toss hot, drained pasta with sauce and grated cheese. Transfer to serving dish or dinner plates.

PASTA ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Combine eggplant and 2 tablespoons salt in a large bowl with water to cover. Place a plate on top of the eggplant to weigh it down and keep it covered in water for about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse eggplant in cool water. Pat dry and cut into cubes.
• Combine tomato puree, 1 teaspoon rock salt, garlic, and basil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce flavors combine, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute eggplant until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and toss with the tomato-basil sauce; divide into 4 serving bowls. Top with eggplant. Sprinkle 1/4 the ricotta and 1/4 the diced pepper over each bowl.

PASTA ALLA GRICIA

Steps:

• Add the bacon to a large skillet. Place over medium heat and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 20 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. Stir in the pepper and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season it generously with salt. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup of the pasta water to the pan with the bacon, return the pan to medium-high heat and cook, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.
• Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and add it directly to the pan with the sauce. Sprinkle the pasta with the cheese and begin to toss the pasta with the sauce. Continue to stir over low heat and toss until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta and the pasta is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. (Through this process, you may need to add more pasta water to help cook the pasta and maintain a sauce. This could take up to a cup more pasta water.) Serve topped with more cheese if desired.

PASTA ALLA GIOVANNI

Steps:

• Cook the pasta 'al dente'.
• Fry the mushrooms with a pinch of salt.
• After a minute add a pinch of cayenne peper and the thyme, and give it a serious toss.
• After a minute or so add the garlic.
• Saute the onion and a chopped clove of garlic.
• When it's translucent, add the tomato puree.
• After a minute add the V8; the red wine; and the herbs.
• Let it simmer. If the saus becomes too thick, add some cooking water from the pasta.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain it and toss it in a bowl with a wee bit of the sauce. Coat the pasta well.
• Plate the pasta up, put the slice of cheese on it. Ladle the sauce on top of that; scatter the mushrooms across the plate and top it off with Parmesan.

PASTA ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Toss the aubergines with the salt, then tip into a colander set over a bowl for 30 mins, to extract any moisture.
• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a casserole dish or saucepan. Tip in the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook over a low heat for 10 mins. Add the garlic and chilli, and cook for 1 min. Tip in the tomatoes and sugar, and bring to the simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
• Pat the aubergine dry with kitchen paper, then toss with the remaining oil. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 mins until softened and golden around the edges. Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions, reserving 100ml of the cooking water.
• Stir the aubergine into the sauce with the basil and capers. Season to taste, then toss the spaghetti in the pan with the sauce and a splash of the pasta water. Divide between four bowls and top with the ricotta and extra basil, if using.

PASTA ALLA IGOR

Steps:

• Heat 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook chicken in the melted butter until no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Set aside to cool; chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook seashell pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and return pasta to pot.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add asparagus and peas, cover, and steam until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove vegetables from heat and keep covered.
• Heat 1 teaspoon butter in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion in the melted butter until translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir cream into onion; add vegetables and chicken. Simmer until cream reduced slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold Parmesan cheese into mixture. Remove from heat and cover saucepan until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Toss pasta in the cream sauce.