ISO Old School Italian Pasta suggestions?

[oppose]

Hey so i like pastas on the line with penne alla vodka and meat/tomato type sauces. can anyone suggest some other sort of fancy pasta i could make with a recipe?

[Robo410]

fettucini alfredo, spaghetti carbonara, liguini putanesca

three classic pasta dishes (sauces) worth researching on line (food tv) here and perhaps epicurious.com to find your most interesting recipe.

[Goodweed of the North]

Pasta doesn't have to be served with sauce either. You can cook penne, or any shape you like really, and then, after draining, season with EVOO and dried herbs. Throw in some sliced, ripe olives, diced ham, Itallian sausage, pepperoni, or any of the above, along with sweated onions and peppers. Thow some sun-dried tomato in and you have a dandy pasta meal. Oh, and add some feta or Parmesano Regiano too, and maybe some truffle oil.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[fliggie]

In true southern peasant fashion, my mother would drain the hot pasta, and toss in quckly a combination of a beaten egg, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and whatever other herbs were handy that day and quickly mix it into the pasta. It is, to date, still my favorite topping for pasta. I often add grilled mushrooms, but I love the flavor and texture of this combo alone, too.

[lulu]

I recently read a menu in Venice with included pappadelle with a duck ragu, unfortunately I'd missed the last serving of it, but I'd love to recreate that at home.

[Snoop Puss]

This doesn't meet your vodka or meat sauce requirements but I love it:

Pasta with clams

Cook live clams in a small amount of water or white wine.
Put your pasta (fresh) on to boil - cook till half done.
When the pasta has nearly reached the half-cooked stage, very very lightly sweat chopped garlic and some finely chopped red chili pepper (amount to your taste) for just a few seconds in some olive oil. Don't allow the garlic to colour under any circumstances. Drain the pasta and add to the pan. Swirl around in the oil very swiftly and then add the clams (in their shells if you think you and your guests will be happy with that) with their cooking liquid. Cook till the pasta has finished cooking, by which time the clam liquid should have been absorbed or evaporated. Serve with a little chopped flat-leaf parsley stirred into the pasta if liked.

[TATTRAT]

old school doesn't equal fancy though, at least not in Italian cuisine. Do you want rustic/traditional, or contemporary ideas?

Pasta arrabiata is always a winner if you like spice. Simply add red chili and fresh oregano to your red sauce. Great with a big pasta, like rigatoni. A great sauce for any dish fra diavolo.

Scarpeillia is a hearty dish that is normally a pasta with red sauce, sausage, onions and potatoes.

Ravioli offers a million and six different ways to prepare things you like. You can get really creative with it.

Gnocchi are also real easy, and versatile.

[BreezyCooking]

I made the following for the 1st time last night, & it was FABULOUS!! Met all my criteria for a weeknight dinner - fast, easy, & delicious - lol!!

Farfalle With Gorgonzola, Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes


Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
2 cups crumbled Gorgonzola or other good blue cheese (I used one cup Gorgonzola & one cup Danish Blue)
1 pound farfalle (bowtie) or other pasta
2 good-size handfuls whole baby arugula leaves (or older arugula trimmed of very thick stems, washed, dried and roughly sliced)
Approx. 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
Freshly grated Parmesan to taste, optional.
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. In a small saucepan gently warm the half-and-half and Gorgonzola just until cheese melts a bit and mixture becomes thick; chunky is O.K.
2. When water boils, cook pasta until it is just tender but not mushy. Drain and return to pot over low heat.
3. Stir in Gorgonzola sauce along with arugula, tomatoes and a healthy dose of black pepper. Stir to combine, taste and add salt, if necessary, then serve immediately, with grated Parmesan if you like.

[triple7allstar]

My mother brought this recipe back from Florida (where our Italian side now lives) on a trip about 10 or more years ago. The pasta is penne. Don't know what to call it. Perhaps there is a formal name for it somewhere.

Pan fry garlic in a large pan with olive oil. When it is golden brown add to it 3 frozen, chopped packages of spinach. Once the spinach has thawed in the pan add to it 2 cans of Cannellini beans and 1 (or so - eyeball it) can of chicken stock. Let that simmer for a while on medium to low heat. Season with garlic salt (you don't need much else). Once the mixture has reduced to a saucy consistency, stir in a generous amount of parmigianno and serve on top of Penne Rigate.

VERY GOOD - one of my all time faves.

Hope this becomes one of your favorites as well.

[Caine]

It would be a bastardized version of beans & greens, a.k.a minestra. I say bastardized, but I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just that minestra is usually made with escarole or bietola da coste (swiss chard), not spinach. Personally, I love spinach, both raw and cooked.