Comments on: More than just tomato sauce?

Question: More than just tomato sauce?

rev- — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:14:55 -0800

What are your favorite things to put on pasta (besides tomato sauce)?

I'm getting a little bored at the homestead with your basic tomato sauces (with meat, without, with cream, with vodka, with red wine, etc).

Does anyone have some favorite pasta serving suggestions? For either standard pasta or filled (I can get decent tortillini if that helps)?

Just trying to expand my culinary repetoire...

By: googly

googly — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:19:40 -0800

Pesto! And its good on lots of other things as well.

By: sunshinesky

sunshinesky — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:19:45 -0800

toss it with bruschetta and romano cheese.

By: sunshinesky

sunshinesky — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:20:32 -0800

pesto is also REALLY good added to a whipping cream-based sauce.

By: katrielalex

katrielalex — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:21:25 -0800

Second pesto, just mix some into the pasta before serving.

Olive oil is also good for a filled pasta, though it's a bit too minimal otherwise. Drizzle and serve cold.

By: LN

LN — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:22:14 -0800

The cream sauces are nice too, just not for every day - alredo, primavera, etc.

By: disaster77

disaster77 — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:22:52 -0800

I like white clam sauce. I buy it in a can, but there's lots of recipes on the web too.

By: hurdy gurdy girl

hurdy gurdy girl — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:23:09 -0800

I like to steam chopped broccoli and blend it with a little lemon juice, pepper, and garlic, put it on freshly cooked and drained hot pasta (usually rotini), then put in a few 1 cm cubes of Gorgonzola and stir until the cheese is melted.

It makes an attractive green sauce that is tasty, healthy (depending on how much cheese you put in) and different from the usual tomato sauce.

You can substitute steamed spinach for the broccoli and it works just as well.

By: rmless

rmless — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:23:43 -0800

Blue cheese and pecans (which I prefer to the more traditional walnuts).

Pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, parmesan.

Pear and pecorino chunks.

Italian dressing and veggies (like a hot pasta salad).

By: mamessner

mamessner — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:24:12 -0800

Pasta alla carbonara - Parmesan, heavy cream, pancetta (bacon), egg yolks, or some combination thereof. Mmmm...

By: leesh

leesh — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:24:48 -0800

Flavored olive oil (I like lemon) with some feta cheese and toasted pine nuts. Yum yum!

By: liquidindian

liquidindian — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:26:05 -0800

Goats cheese and some sliced sun-dried tomatoes.

By: bl1nk

bl1nk — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:26:10 -0800

my girlfriend and I are fairly fond of using spinach and ricotta as an alternative to tomato sauce. saute a half pound of spinach while pasta is cooking. chop roughly then transfer to a bowl with a cup of ricotta cheese. Toss with pasta.

Also, pesto.

By: mudpuppie

mudpuppie — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:26:30 -0800

Typed up and lifted from a previous thread:

Slice a head of cauliflower into slices about 1 inch thick. Brown well in olive oil, in a large skillet, on one side. When the first side is brown, flip them over. Then toss in a diced onion, a few cloves of minced garlic, and about 1/2 teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil. Also, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes to taste.

Continue to brown on the second side, and let the onions brown too.

When cauliflower is browned on both sides, add about 1 cup of stock (chicken or veggie). You want to just cover the cauliflower. Let the stock come to a simmer. As the cauliflower gets tender, mash it with a fork. You want break up the cauliflower slices, reduce the stock, and end up with a chunky sauce. Cook until you achieve this. (About 10 - 15 minutes.) Add more stock if it starts to get too dry.

When you get there, turn the heat off. Add 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest and a dollop of cream or half & half. Stir well.

Toss with penne pasta and top with buttloads of parmesan cheese.

This is penne with cauliflower sauce, adapted from an old Mark Bittman recipe, and it will kick your ass.

By: kuujjuarapik

kuujjuarapik — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:27:13 -0800

Pesto is the best, but there's also 4 cheese sauce. Here's one recipe I haven't tried yet. Maybe someone has a better one.

By: dersins

dersins — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:28:42 -0800

Take whatever vegetable is in season where you live, and cut it into pieces.

Sautee in olive oil with onion and garlic.

Toss with cooked pasta.

Finish with salt, pepper, Parmigiano-Reggiano, a drizzle of good olive oil and either a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of balsamic vinegar.

This works with everything.

If you desperately need some meat-like product, start things off by frying some chopped bacon or pancetta and sautee everything else in what renders from that.

Or, as you are beginning, run two or three good quality anchovies through a garlic press and sautee until they've disappeared into the olive oil. It won't taste like anchovies, it'll taste like you've pressed the "delicious" button, and nobody will believe you when you tell them why.

By: aspo

aspo — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:33:09 -0800

(Good) Olive oil, crushed raw garlic, pepper flakes, and fresh corn cut off the cob.

Carbonara. Chop and fry some bacon. Put in a bowl. Mix in raw egg or two and too much parmesan cheese. Put small pastas directly in the bowl when still steaming hot. Mix well. When done right the egg is almost but not quite cooked, so if you are a non-runny egg eater you may not like it. Also it's way fatty.

Melt some butter. in some sage and keep on a low heat till the sage gets all crispy and black. Remove sage. Pour butter over pasta with a fresh grating of parmesan.

Cook up some chopped greens (kale, broccoli rabe, beet geens, chard, whatever) in some fat (try bacon or purchutio (however you spell it)) and sauteed onions. Add crushed pepper if you want. Mix with pasta and more olive oil.

Tuna fish, chopped good green olives, and olive oil. Once again a bit of crushed pepper goes a long way.

Lemon juice, garlic, and greens and oil.

Roast some beets. Chop. Sautee a lot of garlic. Mix with beets and some oil.

By: hurdy gurdy girl

hurdy gurdy girl — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:33:29 -0800

Just remembered another one: Cook a 450 g package of bowtie pasta until al dente. While it's cooking, mince the leafy part of a good-sized bunch of fresh parsley (discard stems). Combine the parsley with two tins of that premium tuna in oil (flake it if it isn't already). Drain pasta and combine with parsley and tuna. Mix in a 1/4 cup of lemon juice (or more, to taste). Add freshly ground pepper and salt to taste. Serve immediately. This is also good with some capers mixed in if you have them.

By: breaks the guidelines?

breaks the guidelines? — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:35:53 -0800

I like farfalle tossed with wilted spinach, sautéed carrots, onions, and tempeh, dressed with tahini.

By: ml98tu

ml98tu — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:43:54 -0800

Real Simple has a BLT pasta recipe that is fun to make and eat. I usually use spinach instead of arugala and it's fun to eat bacon in your pasta since it's so unexpected.

I tried a recipe recently that was basically olive oil and hot pepper flakes on pasta, which was pretty good.

Last night I mixed chopped tomatoes, chicken soup, mozzarella, basil and olive oil and put it with the pasta. Sounds kind of weird but the chicken soup helped make the tomatoes and oil into a light sauce. Pretty good.

By: DrGirlfriend

DrGirlfriend — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:46:50 -0800

I like to roast a red pepper or two (depending on how much pasta I've got), and, with a stick blender, mix it into a sauce. You can use some cream, or olive oil, to emulsify. Or for a lighter sauce, I have added broth and thickened it with a little bit of cornstarch or even just flour. I season with salt & pepper, and also with some oregano. But a lot of tdifferent kinds of herbs will work, if you don't have oregano handy.

By: DrGirlfriend

DrGirlfriend — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:48:18 -0800

I also second dersin's suggestion of using anchovies. The flavor they add is amazing.

By: Polychrome

Polychrome — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:49:23 -0800

nthing pesto.

If you're feeling minimalistic or just don't have much, sauteeing garlic in olive oil or butter is delicious and simple. Onions are a good addition to that. If you have mushrooms, even better (if you use mushrooms, saute them first, then add onion, then garlic). If I have cream or evaporated milk onhand I'll add a little to that whole mess with a little garlic salt, pepper, and basil.

mmm

By: hecho de la basura

hecho de la basura — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:54:29 -0800

Peanut sauce. Hot or cold. Delicious!

By: meeshell

meeshell — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:59:23 -0800

cold pasta, zesty italian dressing, bacon bits, onion, tomato, mmmmm.

By: O9scar

O9scar — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:00:36 -0800

Puttanesca. It is tomato-based, but so good. If you're anchovy-phobic you should seriously reconsider.

By: junkbox

junkbox — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:00:52 -0800

Brown 10 (chopped) cloves of garlic in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add 9TB of this yummy garlic oil to 12oz of cooked linguine or other pasta. Stir fry some meat and veggies (I like red peppers and broccoli) in the remaining 1TB of garlic oil with a little bit of soy sauce.

Add the meat & veggies to your pasta, along with 2-3 TB of soy sauce, juice from 1 fresh lime, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. More of an Asian dish than Italian, YMMV.

By: TryTheTilapia

TryTheTilapia — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:03:46 -0800

Peas, prosciutto and sauteed onions with butter and a bit of cream over spaghetti, with an egg yolk mixed in at the last for extra richness.

Kale, cannelini beans, shallots, and hot sausage with large shells, fettucini or bucatini, topped with grated parmesan.

Arugula, garlic, fresh asiago and sundried tomatoes with angel hair. Also nice with grilled chicken breast or turkey breast cutlets.

Feta, black olives, olive oil, roasted red peppers, pine nuts, scallions and parsley, topped with lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest. Works with everything from orzo to spaghetti.

Broccoli rabe, currants, orange juice and zest, olive oil and sauteed shallots with linguini.

Smooth peanut butter, soy, ginger, garlic and green onions with a little sesame and/or olive oil over linguini or fettucini.

Chopped grilled chicken thigh meat, teriyaki sauce, carrot, shitake mushrooms, peanuts, ginger and grilled scallions over fettucini, linguini or angel hair.

Asian BBQ pork, sauteed green onions and bok choy over angel hair with sesame oil, cilantro and crushed peanuts.

Braised short ribs or pork shoulder, chopped apple, sauteed onion and parsley with a bit of sour cream and pan juices over bowtie pasta.

By: hazyjane

hazyjane — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:03:52 -0800

Just butter and grated gruyère cheese. It's delicious!

By: wuzandfuzz

wuzandfuzz — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:05:20 -0800

One of my childhood favorites, with a simplicity that can't be beat: Olive oil and Cavender's Greek Seasoning. Mmmmmm. I've had luck finding Cavender's in some grocery stores, but you're likeliest to find it in a Greek market.

By: bitdamaged

bitdamaged — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:06:07 -0800

I make a pesto with sundried tomatoes instead of basil leaves.

Sundried tomatoes, garlic paremsan spin it in a blender with some herbage if you like and drizzle in some olive oil until you have a nice paste (remember pesto shouldn't be a sauce it should be thick and a heaping tablespoon should be plenty)

By: JohnnyGunn

JohnnyGunn — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:06:11 -0800

As a kid, butter and Ketchup.

Now, Tabasco sauce.

By: artifarce

artifarce — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:08:52 -0800

Similar to pesto, you can take other herbs in mass quantities, chop up fine or use a food processor, then add olive oil, salt, garlic, parm, and finely chopped nuts (Alton Brown uses pistachios in his Good Eats episode with basil). As an example, recently I took cilantro and mint blended with tahini because I wanted the pesto experience and that's all I had. Of course it tastes different, but there's no reason that only basil would work. Pimentos, sundried tomatoes or lightly cooked tomatoes would also be good stirred in.

By: Squee

Squee — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:25:30 -0800

Mmmm....nothing!!

I started eating plain whole grain pasta a while ago without anything on it - just plain, as is.

Weird at first, but I absolutely love it....so much so that when I'm served pasta out somewhere (someone's house, even a restaurant) I ask for no sauce.

By: rmd1023

rmd1023 — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:27:35 -0800

a friend of mine has a great recipe for a creamy cheese sauce

By: triggerfinger

triggerfinger — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:28:30 -0800

Heat some olive oil in a pan and saute some garlic. Throw in some steamed broccoli and sundried tomatoes and toss with rigatoni. Toss in some powdered parmesan while you're at it. Done.

Saute some pieces of chicken and when finished, add some cream and sundried tomatoes. Toss with linguine and sprinkle some parm on top. Sundried tomatoes and pasta are a winning combination.

Saute some garlic and shrimp in olive oil and add some chopped roma tomatoes and let simmer for a minute. Add steamed asparagus and toss with angel hair pasta. Grate a bit of lemon zest on the top and add a bit of parmesan.

By: dizziest

dizziest — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:30:54 -0800

Cubed butternut squash with brown butter is amazing, and if you want to add even more awesome, you can add crisp sage leaves (mentioned above by aspo), blue cheese, candied nuts, or cubed beets.

By: aspo

aspo — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:36:02 -0800

I can't beleive I forgot my basic standby. Chop up some hot Italian sausages with some sauteed onions. (If you want add a couple of chopped canned tomatoes near the end, but just a few.) Mix with creamy goat cheese and fusilli. Top with parmesan.

By: lpsguy

lpsguy — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:42:30 -0800

Okay, this is odd, and it came out of desperation. Sautee some shrimp in butter and garlic. Then toss with pasta, olive oil and, yes, a little barbecue sauce ... just enough to colorize things and a dash more.

By: kimdog

kimdog — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:52:34 -0800

An elderly friend made this for me over the weekend- it's an old jewish recipe with bow-tie pasta, kasha, mushrooms, and onions, and it was totally delicious! Kasha Varnishkes.

By: OrangeDrink

OrangeDrink — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:01:01 -0800

Boil and drain some pasta (I find farfalle works well) and toss it in a pan with butter and sage. Easiest recipe ever.

By: thinkingwoman

thinkingwoman — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:07:11 -0800

pureed butternut or acorn squash with garlic, a diced sauteed onion, a little white wine, nutmeg, sage, butter, parmesan, salt, and pepper.

By: troika

troika — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:12:25 -0800

Gorgonzola sauce! I will eat this on anything. The pumpkin ravioli recipe is good too but the sauce...holy hell.

By: BobbyDigital

BobbyDigital — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:13:52 -0800

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Chili yet, its a classic.

By: itsjustanalias

itsjustanalias — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:14:37 -0800

Grated raw courgette and lemon juice, mixed in with linguini, a touch of olive oil and a bit of seasoning. Fantastic when the weather's a bit warmer.

By: theredpen

theredpen — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:18:42 -0800

Seconding the butter and grated cheese (Gruyere, Romano) suggestion.

And is there any way I can favorite this thread twice?

By: opsin

opsin — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:28:42 -0800

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Chili yet, its a classic.

Oh, oh, or chili and chorizo chopped up, fried in some olive oil. So good!

By: reenum

reenum — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:31:06 -0800

I used to put soy sauce on pasta. It was a bit salty, but tasted pretty good overall.

By: emd3737

emd3737 — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:07:23 -0800

one of my favorite pasta meals is delicious and a snap to prepare:

1 package Gnocci. Boil them until the float to the top of the pot, then remove them witha slotted spoon and place them in a separate bowl.
To the boiling water, add some chopped asparagus and peeled shrimp. These will cook in about 3 to 5 min. Strain them to get rid of all of the water, then toss with the gnocci and a couple spoonfuls of pesto. Sprinkle with parmeasan, and enjoy!

By: HotPatatta

HotPatatta — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:15:41 -0800

Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, steamed veggies. I also saw a yummy looking recipe for butternut squash pasta sauce on the Food Network.

By: carmicha

carmicha — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:21:46 -0800

Caruso sauce: Saute some onions, mushrooms and chicken livers in butter or olive oil with some garlic. Add a bunch of sherry or white wine and a big handful of basil, oregano and thyme (or cheat with Italian seasoning). Finish with a lot of grated parmesan or romano cheese.

By: yarrow

yarrow — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:30:01 -0800

-Chickpeas, sauteed spinach, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese

-Sauteed shredded brussels sprouts and garlic, tossed with toasted bread crumbs (toasted in butter or olive oil in skillet), olive oil, parmesan cheese

Actually I'm now in the habit of using pecorino instead of parmesan. Hits the spot for some reason.

By: XMLicious

XMLicious — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:59:12 -0800

The carbonara recipes above are leaving out one of the best things: a splash of dry vermouth.

By: hihowareyou

hihowareyou — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:16:01 -0800

How to take grocery-store alfredo sauce and transform it from boring to awesome:

Cut up 2 slices of good, thick-cut bacon, the smokier the better (I recommend Neuske's), into 1/2 inch strips

Fry in a small saucepan, until nicely browned and you've got a tablespoon or two of fat rendered out

Throw in some minced garlic and saute for a minute or two

Pour in alfredo sauce, whisk to combine with bacon, fat, and garlic

Optional: throw in some frozen peas or other green things so you can pretend it's healthy

By: Stewriffic

Stewriffic — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:16:55 -0800

Olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, raisins (plump in hot water first) and kalamata olives. OMG.

By: Stewriffic

Stewriffic — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:18:52 -0800

(sautee the pine nuts and garlic until roasted/brown but not burned. Toss the raisins and kalamata olives in. serve over vermicelli or thin spaghetti) Sorry for lacking the instructions!

By: lalochezia

lalochezia — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:41:07 -0800

WHY HAS NO ONE MENTIONED THE TRUFFLE YET?

When you go to fancy, shmancy restuarants, the luxe menu item is 'truffle' (tartufo).

There is a reason for this: it tastes like licking heaven's fragrant armpits hey people , this is a good thing

Pasta (preferably al dente)
1 tsp truffle honey (I prefer the sabatino brand)
1 tsp butter
splash of red devil chili sauce (2-3 drops : any non-nuclear pepper sauce will do)
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated parmessano reggiano

Take pasta: add all of the above to pasta. Stir. Eat. Recreate scene from when harry met sally.

By: nax

nax — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:12:56 -0800

Raisins, pine nuts, and curry sauce

By: zengargoyle

zengargoyle — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:20:49 -0800

Bachelor Chow... frozen tortellini from the store, cook, pinch of salt, some fresh ground pepper, splash of Tobasco or Cholula, add Romano and Parmesan cheese.

Bonito Furikake can go on anything.

By: jacalata

jacalata — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:51:16 -0800

My former housemate's awesome recipe for blue cheese sauce:
"Saute crushed garlic (I like 2 cloves) for 2 minutes in tablespoon butter or olive oil for 2 minutes on medium heat in a good size frying pan.
Add a goodly amount of ground pepper just before adding the finely chopped mushrooms (a good couple of handfuls) and reduce them for about 10 minutes on a slightly higher temp - you should have your water boiling halfway through the previous step.
Lower the temp on the mushrooms and add the blue vein cheese (200 or 250 grams) in broken pieces and stir continuously - you will also be adding your spaghetti to the boiling water now or just before this. Maybe add some sour cream to the mix if it is a little dry - but keep the heat low. Once your pasta is ready - drain and return to the pot and mix in the mushrooms. Add pepper to taste and serve with green beans or snow peas (you can just chuck them in with the pasta while it is in its last minute of boiling (2 min for beans). Maybe a drizzle of lemon juice too. Serve with RED wine."

By: Ogre Lawless

Ogre Lawless — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:51:41 -0800

Poor Man's Pizzocheri: cabbage, poatoes, spinach fettucini, butter and soft white cheese.
Potsticker stylee: cooked and quick fried in a little oil, topped off with a little white vineagar. Quick-o-reffic!

By: the duck by the oboe

the duck by the oboe — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:44:03 -0800

Two good pesto ideas: black olives, pistachios, parmesan, lemon juice or lightly boiled asparagus, baby spinach leaves, garlic and toasted cashews.

By: splatta

splatta — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:05:47 -0800

My dad taught me this recipe which he learned while living in Italy:

Two eggs
good olive oil
lots of garlic (3-5 cloves)
oregano
parsley
basil
broccoli
parmesan cheese

Beat the eggs and add the oil, garlic, oregano, and parsley. Microwave the mixture for 15 or so seconds so that it's a little above room temperature. Drain pasta, and quickly add to the mixture while still hot. The hot pasta will cook the eggs and bind the mixture to itself as you toss it. Add broccoli, or any other vegetables you'd like, fresh basil, and plate. Drizzle with more olive oil and a ton of parmesan.

By: stuboo

stuboo — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:14:03 -0800

The wife and I mix black beans with a can of Ro-Tel and pour it over pasta about once per week. Most of the time we'll add onion, garlic, herbs - depending on how we fell. A sprinkle of cheddar cheese is always fun, too.

By: globolin

globolin — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:53:31 -0800

Cut two to three large, ripe, fleshy tomatoes into small pieces. Combine with a few tablespoons of virgin olive oil, some chopped parsley, a crushed clove of garlic, sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve over hot pasta. Sounds simple, because it is. But the taste is amazing. I just made this tonight for my family - it's our favorite pasta topping!

By: A!

A! — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:31:40 -0800

smoked salmon pieces + rucola (Arugula) + fish sauce + lemon juice
mmmmmmmmm

By: exceptinsects

exceptinsects — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:41:50 -0800

I think I've made this for about 5 out of the last 7 meals I cooked at home:

For one:

Finely dice (about 1/4 in) a bit of salami* (maybe a 3/4 inch piece) and saute in olive oil until crisp.

Meanwhile, set salted water to boil.

Roughly chop 3 or 4 garlic cloves and add to pan, cook till browned. If you like spicy, you can also put in some red pepper flakes.

Put pasta in to cook--something like farfalle or orecchiette is good, but it doesn't really matter.

Add a whole bunch of spinach, maybe half a bag, to the garlic and salami. Saute till wilted, then add the cooked pasta and a bit of the pasta water. Add black pepper to taste--it probably won't need more salt.

Serve with Parmesan.

*You can leave out the salami if you don't eat meat and it will still be tasty.

By: ReneeOg

ReneeOg — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:47:18 -0800

Garlic and olive oil, salt and the part that makes it kick red pepper flakes.

Or thai peanut sauce -- sliced green onion, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine and red pepper flakes.

By: Deathalicious

Deathalicious — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:35:27 -0800

I made a really tasty dish by coating some angel hair in a little bit of olive oil, then tossing it with breadcrumbs (old bread that you either crumble in the food processor or grate) that I'd cooked in a pan with a small amount of oil and a lot of anchovies. Very tasty. Probably would have been even better with a bit of grated cheese.

Of course, this is carb city.

By: exceptinsects

exceptinsects — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:55:46 -0800

Oh! And I forgot to mention the most amazing pasta sauce ever, asparagus pesto.
Get a bunch of asparagus, trim the ends, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast at about 400 till they start to brown here and there, and are tender. Don't overcook them if you can help it.
Chop them in 1-inch pieces or so, and put them in a blender with a bit more olive oil, maybe a couple tablespoons, and some black pepper. Blend it up good, adding more oil if necessary.
Then toss it with pasta and serve with parmesan.
It's ridiculously good and all it is is asparagus! I just made it last night and I was amazed once again.

By: romakimmy

romakimmy — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:15:02 -0800

Pasta e Fagioli isn't exactly pasta topping per se, but it's damn good and easy to make when I haven't been to the market.

Fettucine with mushrooms, gorgonzola, & ricotta

By: machine

machine — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 07:45:06 -0800

Take your favorite pasta, I like linguine, and while it's still warm add a knob of butter and the zest of a lemon. Stir until the butter melts and the zest is fragrant. Then add in the juice of the lemon, a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley and freshly grated parmesan.

Super fun and lemony!

By: equipoise

equipoise — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:34:12 -0800

Here's my favorite summertime pasta salad:

-Cook some bowtie pasta
-Combine with chopped carrots, cannelinni beans, and scallions if you have 'em lying around
-Toss with seasoned rice vinegar, salt, and pepper
-Sprinkle with crushed or chopped walnuts

Serve while still warm. Thanks for a yummy thread!

By: foofanagle

foofanagle — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:12:59 -0800

I don't think I saw this listed...

but invest in some quality truffle oil. just a few drops in a bowl of pasta...it'll blow your mind.

By: eritain

eritain — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:03:40 -0800

Finely chopped preserved lemon rind (slice 2 lemons lengthwise into eighths, roll in kosher salt, put in pint jar, cover with lemon juice, shake daily for two weeks), olive oil, lemon juice, basil, sage, and a light grating of Romano cheese.