Best Pasta Alla Ladd Recipes

PASTA ALLA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook onion, carrot and celery, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in wine and cook 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost done. Stir in Sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until ground beef is done. Serve over hot penne.
• Cost per recipe*: $5.91.
• Cost per serving*: $1.48.
• *Based on average retail prices at national supermarkets.

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 FORMIANA

Steps:

• Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.
• In a food processor, blend together the crushed tomatoes and garlic. Pour into a medium bowl and add the uncooked pasta, 1/3 cup olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss until all the ingredients are coated.
• Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with tomato slices. Pour the pasta mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Arrange the remaining tomato slices in an overlapping layer on top of the pasta mixture, making sure the mixture is completely covered. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake until the tomatoes are slightly crispy and the pasta is cooked, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

PASTA ALLA LADD

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until starting to turn translucent, a couple of minutes. Add the garlic and stir, cooking 1 minute, making sure not to brown the garlic.
• Add the ground beef and cook until brown. Drain off most of the excess fat. Add the ground thyme, red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Dump in the canned tomatoes with their juices. Stir, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Uncover the pot and cook an additional 30 minutes.
• Cook the rigatoni according to the package directions-don't overcook! Drain and place individual portions into bowls.
• Stir 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan into the sauce. Check and adjust the seasonings. Ladle the sauce over the cooked pasta, top with more Parmesan and serve with extra Parmesan for sprinkling.