14 best pasta recipes

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Learn how to make traditional pasta dishes, just like the nonne

Franco and Alessandra's Corzetti with Fresh Marjoram Dressing

Meet Nonne Maria

Maria and her husband are farmers, growing a mixture of vines and wheat. Learn how to make her Raschiatelli with Red Peppers

Meet Nonne Giuseppa

Now 97 years old, Giuseppa won our hearts the instant she opened the front door to the home she has lived in all her life.

Meet Noone Rosa

Rosa makes 'Straw' and 'Hay' Tagliatelle with Peas

Meet Nonne Lucia

Eighty-nine year old Lucia has worked at her family's bakery for over 60 years. She shares her recipes for Raschiatelli with Salami and Horseradish.

Make pasta by hand

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Roll Raschiatelli

Maccheroni with Seafood

Heart-warming photographs of Italy throughout

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FROM THE BOOK:

Busiati (also known as busiate) are a traditional hand-shaped pasta from the Sicilian town of Trapani. Like other shapes commonly found in Southern Italy, such as Fusilli Avellinisi (page 68), this one is made using a knitting needle. Busiati are usually longer than fusilli. I learned how to make busiati in the Sicilian town of San Vito Lo Capo, where a local old lady taught me the art of rolling busiati by hand. The name of this pasta comes from the word buso, which is the name of a wooden stick from a plant that grows in abundance locally. The buso is what was traditionally used to shape busiati instead of the knitting needle.

To make the pasta

1. Dust the baking sheets with durum wheat flour.

2. Break the dough into about 2-inch balls and roll them into ½-inch-thick ropes using your fingertips.

3. Cut these ropes into 5-inch-long pieces.

4. Keep the cut ropes horizontal and place the middle part of the knitting needle at a 45-degree angle on the right end of the piece of dough and press it slightly with the palm of your hand, so that the knitting needle sticks to the dough.

5. Roll the knitting needle away from you at an angle with your hands, until the dough gets fully wrapped around the needle.

6. Gently roll it back and forth with your hand to make the pasta longer and thinner.

7. Carefully slide the pasta off of the knitting needle with your hand, while preserving the shape.

8. Put the shaped pasta on the prepared baking sheets.

9. Repeat the above steps until you have no dough left.

To cook the pasta

1. Set a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil (see page 40). Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes, or until al dente. To test this, remove a piece of pasta from the pot and take a bite. It should be cooked but still slightly firm in the center.

2. When the pasta is ready, drain it through a colander and shake out the excess water.

3. Serve immediately with the sauce of your choice.

Serving Suggestion

Busiati are traditionally served with Pesto alla Trapanese (page 185) or with a simple Tomato and Basil Sauce (page 182). Both sauces are a staple in the area of Trapani, where busiati were created. Treat your taste buds to a complete Sicilian experience by serving busiati with slices of fried eggplant and grated Pecorino Romano on the top.

Tip

When shaping busiati, make sure to lightly dust the ropes of dough with durum wheat flour before rolling them. If the dough sticks to the knitting needle, you will not be able to slide out the busiato without ruining its shape.

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Pasta tutorials

Get step-by-step instructions for mixing pasta dough by hand and with a machine, rolling out and shaping dough, and storing or cooking the finished results.

The science of pasta

Learn the alchemy of flour, water, and eggs, the role of oil and salt, and the importance of kneading and resting.

Essential equipment

Find a helpful list of key tools for making and shaping pasta, plus a few equipment upgrades that will help you take your creations to the next level.

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SAMPLE RECIPE: Creamy Gorgonzola Fettuccine with Broccoli

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large nonstick pot or Dutch oven, combine the broccoli, fettuccine, water, chicken stock, garlic, shallot, rosemary, and salt.

2. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.

3. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and Gorgonzola cheese.

4. Taste and season with black pepper and additional salt as needed.

TIME-SAVING TIP: Frozen broccoli florets can be substituted for fresh broccoli. Do not defrost them before adding them to the pot.

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Arancini (Sicilian Rice Balls)

Pizza with Burrata Cheese and Fresh Tomatoes

Tiramisu

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Basic Egg Pasta Dough Using A Food Processor

When using a food processor to make dough, the easiest way is to start with the dry ingredients (the flour) and start adding the liquid (eggs and water) until the dough absorbs enough liquid to form a mass. Stay by the machine while it is processing as you do not want to burn out the motor by letting the fully formed dough mass continue to beat.

1 Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor. In a small bowl or measuring cup, lightly beat together the eggs and water.

2 Start adding the liquid to the flour through the pouring spout with the machine running. The dough will start to form small moist clumps (A).

B

3 Continue adding liquid and processing until the mixture comes together to form a rough mass (B). Stop the machine at this point because you might burn out the motor if you continue.

C

4 Remove the dough from the processor and transfer to a work surface, preferably wood (C).

D

5 Dust the board lightly with flour and knead the dough until it is cohesive and moderately smooth, about 5 minutes (D). Running the dough through the pasta sheeter will develop the gluten further, making it smooth and elastic.

E

6 Cover the dough with a bowl, a damp towel, or plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to relax the dough before proceeding with rolling (E).