Valerie Bertinelli Spaghetti Sauce Recipes

VALERIE'S BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, and cook and stir the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Place the ground beef into the pan, and cook and stir, breaking the meat apart as it cooks, until well browned, about 10 more minutes. Pour in the red wine, bring to a boil, and cook until the liquid is almost absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour in the milk and nutmeg, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk is almost absorbed, 10 more minutes.
• Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, and oregano, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

CLASSIC MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until it just turns golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, basil, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

LEMONY CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti al dente according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water and drain.
• Add 4 tablespoons of the butter to a large, straight-sided pan and heat over medium. Once melted, add the pepper and toast for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Add in about 1 1/4 cups of the reserved pasta water and the lemon zest, bring to a light simmer. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the cooked spaghetti, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, toss the pasta and cheese together, incorporating about 1/2 additional cup more pasta water. Keep tossing the pasta until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce is silky and coating the pasta, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and chives and toss to combine. Serve immediately, topped with extra Pecorino Romano and black pepper.

PASTA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Spray a large Dutch oven with cooking spray and place over MEDIUM heat. Add the ground beef and pork. Crush and stir with a large spoon to break up until fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked meat to a dish and set aside. Drain the grease from the Dutch oven.
• Add olive oil to the empty Dutch oven and place it over MEDIUM heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and parsley. Cook , stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened but not browned. Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir well.
• Add the cooked and drained meat to the Dutch oven with the vegetable mixture. Season mixture with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, a generous amount of black pepper, thyme, oregano, and nutmeg. Add the wine, turn heat up to MEDIUM-HIGH and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir it into the meat mixture. Add both cans of whole tomatoes, breaking the tomatoes up with the back of a spoon as you stir them into the meat mixture (don't worry, they'll soften and be easier to break up later). Add the beef broth and milk and bring the mixture almost to a boil then turn down the heat to LOW. Cook, uncovered, for 1 to 3 hours. Sauce will be richer and thicker if it cooks longer. Check and stir occasionally.
• When ready to serve, boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to hot pan. Add desired amount of the bolognese and combine. Sprinkle in some grated Parmesan cheese and stir.
• Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

MOM'S SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine the beef, pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, dried oregano, grated garlic, Pecorino Romano, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Using your hands, thoroughly mix the ingredients together until evenly incorporated. Roll into meatballs slightly larger than golf balls, setting them on baking sheets as you work.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until it shimmers. Working in batches and taking care not to crowd the pan, saute the meatballs, turning frequently, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer from the pan back to the baking sheet.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion to the pan, and saute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the sliced garlic, stir, and cook 1 minute more. Add the wine, increase the heat, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 4 of the basil leaves, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and the meatballs along with any accumulated juices. Simmer, partially covered, until the flavors come together, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in two batches in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and serve with the meatballs and sauce ladled on top. Garnish with torn basil and freshly grated Pecorino-Romano.

HOMEMADE PICI PASTA WITH CARBONARA SAUCE

Steps:

• For the homemade pici pasta: Whisk the flour, semolina and salt together in a large bowl. Heat 1 cup water in a small saucepan to a simmer. Add the olive oil and just 2/3 cup of the water to the flours and mix to combine. If the dough still looks a little dry, add more water, a small splash at a time, until the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a ball and transfer to a work surface. Knead the dough until elastic and somewhat smooth, about 3 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 4.
• Lightly flour a work surface with semolina. Divide the dough in two and roll each piece out to be about 1/4-inch-thick or a little less. Cut all of the dough into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide ribbons. Working one ribbon at a time, use the palms of your hands to roll it into a tube shape, pressing firmly to thin it out slightly and make elongated, uneven, wormlike strands. Repeat with the remaining pasta ribbons, transferring the pici to a sheet tray and lightly dusting with semolina as you go.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add the pici to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pici.
• For the carbonara sauce: Put the pancetta in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a paper-towel lined plate with a slotted spoon. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the rendered pancetta fat into a large bowl.
• Add the eggs, Parmesan, pecorino and a generous amount of pepper to the bowl with the fat and whisk to combine.
• Add the cooked pici to the bowl with the cheese and egg mixture, then add a splash of the cooking water and the pancetta and toss until creamy and well coated. Add a little more pasta water to loosen if desired.
• Add to a serving dish and top with parsley. Serve with additional Parmesan.

SPICY ARRABIATA PENNE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kosher salt to the boiling water, then add the pasta. Cook according to the package instructions, about 9 minutes.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, red chile flakes, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chopped basil.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano flakes and more basil and serve warm.