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Go-To Bolognese
Pasta, Make Ahead, Meat, Turkey Brooke Lewy Pasta, Make Ahead, Meat, Turkey Brooke Lewy

Go-To Bolognese

Serves 8

This is a riff on an old Mario Batali Recipe (forgive me, I know he was cancelled), streamlined to make it faster, easier, and a little lighter. It’s such a crowd pleaser.

1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, peeled
3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 ribs celery, roughly chopped
¼ cup olive oil 1lb ground beef
1lb ground turkey
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 cup milk
1 cup wine (white or red)
1 cup water
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In the bowl of a food processer, pulse the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until finely chopped, but not a paste. You should still see bits of all the vegetables. In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil. Add the vegetables from the food processor and a big pinch of salt, and cook until the onion is translucent and everything has softened a bit, about 5-7 minutes. Turn the heat to high and add both the beef and turkey, using a spoon to break it apart. Cook the meat until it no longer looks raw. Add the tomato paste, wine, water, and thyme, bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning and serve over pasta (I like rigatoni with this sauce because it fills the tubes and makes for delicious bites : ).

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Mac and Cheese
Vegetarian, Pasta, Make Ahead Brooke Lewy Vegetarian, Pasta, Make Ahead Brooke Lewy

Mac and Cheese

Serves 8

This is the best mac and cheese, it’s not the healthiest meal, but it’s such a crowd pleaser. Serve it with steamed broccoli, green beans, or a crisp salad. Also, for years I separated this recipe into two 8x8 pans and used one for dinner that night and put one in the freezer for another dinner (such a win). One 8x8 was enough to feed our family, but that just shifted and we now need the whole 9x13 for one dinner. All of that is a long way of saying that you might get two dinners out of this one prep or at least some good leftovers for lunch. Also, the first time you make this, it might feel like a lot of pots and pans and parts, but you get the hang of it.

4 cups of whole milk
1 stick butter
½ cup flour
8oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3oz pecorino, grated
1 tbsp salt plus more for salting the pasta water
1lb short pasta–I usually use short rigatoni or cavatelli, but any kind works
1 cup panko

First, bring a large pot of water to boil.

In a large measuring cup, heat your milk in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until it’s just starting to bubble. Set aside.

Make your cheese sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the flour, whisking to combine. Continue to cook the butter and flour mixture (you’re making a roux!) until it starts to darken a little bit to a more golden brown. It takes three or four minutes and it doesn’t have to be so precise. Pour your milk into the butter flour mixture and cook, stirring, until it begins to thicken. Add the tablespoon of salt and both cheeses and continue to mix until all the cheese is melted. Continue to cook until the sauce is a little thicker than what will coat the spoon, but not gloppy. Turn off the heat.

Salt your pasta water and cook the pasta three minutes shy of what the box says. When it’s done, drain it and return it to the pot. Add the cheese sauce and mix until everything is evenly coated.

Transfer the pasta to one 9x13 or two 8x8 baking pans. At this point, the mac and cheese can be refrigerated (covered in foil) for 3 or 4 days, or frozen (wrapped well in foil and plastic wrap) for up to six months.

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375. Scatter panko over the mac and cheese and bake for 45 minutes or so until the top is browned and the cheese is bubbling. If cooking from frozen, just add an additional 15 minutes or so to the baking time.

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All the Crispy Edges Lasagne
Pasta, Sheet Pan Brooke Lewy Pasta, Sheet Pan Brooke Lewy

All the Crispy Edges Lasagne

After making countless lasagnes over the years, I started making this riff on a Giada deLaurentis recipe and I’m never going back. It takes all the best parts of lasagne and dials them up. I mostly follow her recipe, but of course I’ve taken some shortcuts and made some swaps. Giada has you cooking down fresh spinach, waiting for it to cool, squeezing out the moisture, chopping it up and adding it to the ricotta. You could skip the spinach altogether or use about 5oz thawed, frozen and thoroughly wrung out spinach instead. Giada also has you cooking sausage, which works great and adds so much flavor, but this is also great left vegetarian, or if you happen to have some leftover meatballs in the fridge you can just cut those up into the sauce, or add some sautéed ground beef or turkey. It all works. Also, it looks like a lot of steps written out, but honestly after you make it once, you’ll be able to wing it.

Serves 4-5

3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
1lb lasagne noodles, broken into rough pieces (or really any shape noodle works)
1 5oz box fresh spinach, or half a 10oz package frozen spinach, thawed
1 cup ricotta cheese
1lb Italian sausage, casings removed (or ground beef or turkey)
4 cups (one 32oz jar) good tomato sauce (I like Rao’s)
1 garlic clove
2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella, divided
1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 425. Line a 12-inch by 17-inch baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it, using one tablespoon of olive oil.

Fill a large pot with water and set it to boil. Heat your largest skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. If using fresh spinach, saute until wilted, transfer to a colander and set aside until cool enough to handle.

In a medium bowl, add the ricotta and the ½ teaspoon of salt. Whether you’re using fresh or frozen spinach, wring out as much moisture as possible and then if using fresh, finely chop it and add it to the ricotta. Set aside.

If cooking sausage or ground meat, wipe out the same skillet with a paper towel, add another tablespoon of oil and cook the meat until cooked through. Turn off the heat, add the sauce, grate in one clove of garlic, and add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and ½ cup of parmesan cheese.

If you’re not cooking sausage, but instead keeping your dish meat free or using leftover meatballs like I did, empty your sauce into a large bowl, add the chopped up meatballs (or not), grate in one clove of garlic, and add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and ½ cup of parmesan cheese.

When your water is boiling, salt it generously and add the noodles. Cook for 4 minutes. When the pasta is done, add ½ cup pasta water to the sauce mixture.

Drain your noodles and add them to the sauce as well. Toss everything together then dump it onto your sheet pan, spreading it out so it fills the pan.

Dollop on the ricotta mixture, and then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses over all.

Bake until the pasta is tender, the cheese is golden brown, and all those ruffly edges are crisp, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

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Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli
Quick, Pork, Pasta Brooke Lewy Quick, Pork, Pasta Brooke Lewy

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli

Somehow cooking with sausage feels like the ultimate shortcut. This pasta is so simple and so delicious.

Serves 4-5

Olive oil
1lb sausage–any kind will work–hot or sweet Italian, bulk with sage
3 cloves garlic 1lb broccoli, cauliflower, broccolini, etc., cut into bite sized pieces
¼ cup white wine (optional–I would only use it if you have a bottle open already, if not, use water or broth)
½ cup grated parmesan
½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1lb pasta, any shape

Set a pot of water to boil for the pasta. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage (squeeze out of casings if in casings), breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Add the garlic and continue to cook until the sausage is cooked through and starting to brown. Add your broccoli or other vegetables. Add the wine or a splash of water, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Continue to cook for a minute or two, until the veggies are just cooked. Turn off the heat.

Cook your pasta one minute short of what the package says. When it’s a minute shy of done, scoop out ½ a cup or so of pasta water and add it to your sausage broccoli mixture. Add the cooked pasta, turn the heat to high and cook for a minute more, until the pasta is glossy. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley and parmesan. Divide among bowls and top with more parm, if desired.

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Bacon and Corn Pasta
Quick, Pasta, Pork Brooke Lewy Quick, Pasta, Pork Brooke Lewy

Bacon and Corn Pasta

This is my family’s favorite meal. It’s the one they request for birthday, or the night before they leave for camp, or when they’re just feeling wobbly. It’s a good one.

Serves 4-5

1lb spaghetti
1⁄2 lb bacon, cut into half inch pieces (I use kitchen scissors and cut the bacon directly into the pan because I am lazy)
4 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob
1⁄2 red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1⁄4 cup flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped

Fill a large pot with water and set it on the stove to boil.

In a large skillet (you’re going to wind up combining everything, including the pasta, in here), over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a bowl or plate. Pour off bacon fat until you have a thin coating in the bottom of the pan (I line a bowl with foil and pour it in there until it solidifies) and add the onion and garlic. If the bits on the bottom of the pan are starting to burn, add a quarter cup of water (or white wine if you happen to have a bottle open) and scrape up all the flavor. Cook until the onion is soft and browned in spots. Add the corn, give the whole thing a stir, and turn off the heat.

Cook spaghetti a minute or two short of the directions. When it’s ready, use a mug or ladle to transfer about a cup of pasta water in with the corn mixture. Then drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Turn the heat to high and simmer together for a minute or two. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, parsley, and bacon to the skillet. Toss everything together until it is well combined.

Divide among bowls and eat immediately.

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