ONE-POT PASTA
This week on Basics, I'm showing you how to make one-pot pasta!
Ingredients
Skillet Lasagna Ingredients
10 lasagna noodles, broken into bite-size pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb mild or spicy italian sausage, casings removed
½ large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
28 oz can san marzano tomatoes, crushed
½ cup hot water
8 oz tomato sauce
2-3 oz fresh parmesan cheese, grated
8 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
Ricotta cheese, to taste
Fresh basil, chopped
Chicken & Fennel Pasta Ingredients
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Lemon
Red pepper flakes, to taste
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ large onion, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
8 oz whole wheat pasta
2-3 oz romano cheese
Handful fresh basil, chopped
Parsley, for garnish
Beef Stroganoff Pasta Ingredients
2 pieces skirt steak (or beef of choice)
8 oz pasta
8 oz cremini mushrooms, rinsed and chopped
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1-2 Tbsp butter
½ large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup sour cream
Worcestershire sauce
Parsley, chopped, for garnish
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Method
Skillet Lasagna Method:
Start by breaking 10 sheets of lasagna strips into bite-size pieces.
In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering and add 1lb of mild or spicy Italian sausage (with the casing removed). Brown the meat and mash-up until every piece have a nice color and the centers are slightly pink.
Remove the sausage from the pan and allow it to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Then using the leftover sausage fat, saute ½ large chopped onion for 3-5 minutes until softened and the edges begin to turn translucent. Add 2 crushed cloves of garlic, an optional teaspoon of red pepper flakes and toast together for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Pour in a 28 ounce can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes and add the Italian sausage back into the pot along with ½ cup of hot water.
Bring to a simmer and add in the 10 sheets of broken lasagna noodles. Fold each noodle into the tomato sauce so every noodle gets coated. Top with an additional 8 ounce can of tomato sauce. Mix everything together.
Bring back up to a simmer and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Slowly cook the pasta for 20 minutes or until the noodles are fully cooked. Stir every five minutes to make sure the noodles aren’t sticking to the pan or each other.
Once the noodles are cooked, generously grate 2-3 ounces of fresh parmesan cheese on top and add 8 ounces of full fat, low-moisture cubed mozzarella. Stir so that the cheese is evenly distributed.
After everything is mixed together and evenly spread out, dot the surface of the pasta with mounds of ricotta cheese.
Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the heat of the pasta melt the cheese until ready to serve. Once it’s finished, garnish with finely chopped basil.
Chicken & Fennel Pasta Method:
Chop the stems off a whole bulb of fresh fennel, cut in half, and remove the core by placing two triangular cuts at the base of the bulb. Remove the core and slice into thin slices.
Finely chop the leaves from two sprigs of rosemary. Place into a small bowl with 2 or 3 cloves of crushed garlic, the zest of 1 lemon, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Top that with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix to combine. Set aside.
Rinse and pat dry 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs before seasoning with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
In a cold stainless steel pan, pour in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil then place each chicken thigh into the pan. Make sure each piece is thoroughly coated in the oil.
Crank the heat up to medium-high, season the other side of the chicken with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, and let the chicken sit undisturbed for about 3-6 minutes.
After 3-6 minutes, flip the chicken thighs over and cook for 1 minute on the bottom side before removing from heat and setting aside.
Drain off about half of the fat from the pan and use what remains to saute ½ large chopped onion and the sliced fennel. Saute over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until softened and slightly brown.
Make a small well in the center of the pan then add in the herb and spice paste. Saute on the direct heat of the pan for about 1 minute before mixing into the surrounding vegetables.
Saute for 1-2 minutes before deglazing with 1 cup dry white wine, 2 cups of chicken stock and the juice of the previously zested lemon.
Scrape up all the fond off the bottom of the pot and bring to a bare simmer at which point return the chicken thighs to the pot, skin side up. Make sure the skin is not submerged below the liquid.
Place the pan into a preheated 350°F oven for anywhere from 35-45 minutes. Let the chicken braise until the liquid has reduced by about a third and the thighs have cooked through.
After removing from the oven, set the thighs aside and heat braising liquid over medium-high heat on the stove. Once simmering, add in 8 ounces of whole wheat pasta. Lower the heat to keep it at a simmer. Stir every few minutes and cook until the pasta is cooked to your desired texture.
Add 2-3 ounces of grated romano cheese and stir to combine. Add in a handful of chopped basil and stir again.
Return the chicken thighs to the pot to warm up if they have cooled down. Once warm, garnish with some parsley before serving.
Beef Stroganoff Pasta Method:
Generously season 2 pieces of skirt steak (any kind of steak will work) with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside to rest at room temperature for a few minutes while preparing the mushrooms.
Rinse 8 ounces of cremini mushrooms and pat dry with paper towels before chopping into pieces.
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a stainless steel pan to become smoking hot. Place the two pieces of skirt steak in and sear for 2 minutes on each side. You want your beef to be a little underdone, as it will cook more later in the recipe. Put the steak on a plate and cover with aluminum foil while preparing the pasta.
Into the pot goes 1-2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, dump the mushrooms in and season with a pinch of kosher salt. Once the mushrooms develop some crispy brownness to the outside, lower the heat a bit and add ½ large chopped onion.
Saute these together for 2-3 minutes until the onions are softened and the mushrooms are nicely browned. Add in 2 tablespoons of paprika along with 1 tablespoon of freshly picked thyme leaves.
Saute these together over medium heat for about 30 seconds until the paprika is toasted and the thyme leaves are fragrant.
Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of dry white wine and 2 cups of chicken stock and bring to a rolling simmer and add in 8 ounces of small shaped pasta.
Once the liquid has returned to a simmer, grab ½ cup of the liquid and slowly stream it into a cup of sour cream while constantly stirring. This will prevent the sour cream from breaking when added to hot pasta.
By the time the pasta is done, 90% of the liquid should be absorbed. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce as well as the tempered sour cream mixture. Mix together over very low heat until the sauce is nice and creamy and everything is evenly incorporated.
Finish with finely chopped parsley, a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
At this point, it is time to add the steak back in. Slice into 2-3 inch pieces going against the grain and then slice into thin slices across the grain.
Place on top of the pasta, cover and let rest for 5-10 minutes until the beef is cooked through and ready to serve.