Zimmy's Nook

@zimmysnook

pasta recipes

Easy Bolognese with a Spicy Twist

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A top down image of a pan filled with pappardelle noodles and a bolognese sauce.

Easy Bolognese with a Spicy Twist.

This Bolognese inspired sauce is the perfect way to spice things up with your special someone. The hot Italian sausages and crushed chilies build on the flavours of the classic Bolognese and bring joy to your tastebuds. For a meal requiring little preparation, you will be amazed how much flavour is developed in a relatively short time!

Process steps for how to make an Easy Bolognese with a Spicy Twist.

This recipe was made (and served) in my Hestan 3.5-Quart CopperBond Induction Sauteuse and my 6-Quart CopperBond Induction Stock Pot and was cooked on my Hestan Dual Fuel Range.

Proud Hestan Culinary and Hestan Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.

Two shiny copper pots on a range.
Ingredients and copper pots on the stove ready to go.

Tried this recipe?

If you get the chance to try this recipe, please drop back and leave us comment and rating. We would love to know what you think.

Cheers! James and Elaine

A top down image of a pan filled with pappardelle noodles and a bolognese sauce.

Easy Bolognese with a Spicy Twist

This Bolognese inspired sauce is the perfect way to spice things up with your special someone. The hot Italian sausages and crushed chilies build on the flavours of the classic Bolognese and bring joy to your tastebuds. For a meal requiring little preparation, you will be amazed how much flavour is developed in a relatively short time!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2 -3 People

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion diced
  • 1 garlic clove peeled coarsely chopped
  • 1 small celery stalk coarsely chopped
  • 1 small carrot coarsely chopped
  • 2 hot Italian sausages casing removed (about 9 ounces total)
  • 1 tablespoon crushed hot chili peppers in oil
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 14- ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons flat-leaf Italian parsley chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves chopped (plus more for garnish)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 9 ounces of dry pappardelle noodles
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions
 

  • In a 3.5-quart sauté pan warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft, 6-8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and sauté for 5 minutes more.
  • Raise heat to medium-high and add the sausage meat. Cook, stirring frequently and breaking up the sausage into small pieces until meat is browned, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add in the crushed hot chili peppers and tomato paste, stir to combine, then cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine and scrape off any burnt bits from the bottom of the pan, cook until most of the wine has evaporated, 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, parsley, and basil, then cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, 25-30 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if required.
  • While the sauce reduces, cook the pappardelle, per the package directions.
  • Add the cooked pappardelle into the Bolognese pan, top with the parmesan and mix to combine.
  • Garnish with chopped basil and more parmesan.
Keyword affortable meal, Bolognese, Date night meal, easy pasta recipe, Pasta, Valentine’s Day meal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Linguine and Clams

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A finished pan of linguine and clams with lemons

Linguine and clams (or linguine alle vongole) is a classic worth revisiting, over and over! Simple, inexpensive ingredients, shown a little love in preparation will deliver a soul satisfying meal every time.

Buy the freshest clams from a reliable source and look for an artisanal dried pasta… the rougher the surface texture the better it will catch the slippery sauce.

This recipe is adapted from BA’s Best, a collection of Bon Appetit’s essential recipes.

A finished pan of linguine and clams with lemons

Linguine and Clams

Linguine and clams (or linguine alle vongole) is a classic worth revisiting, over and over! Simple, inexpensive ingredients, shown a little love in preparation will deliver a soul satisfying meal every time.
Buy the freshest clams from a reliable source and look for an artisanal dried pasta… the rougher the surface texture the better it will catch the slippery sauce.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more
  • 12 garlic cloves divided
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 2 oil-packed anchovy fillets
  • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes plus more for serving
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 pounds pasta clams (manila clams or littleneck clams (about 24), scrubbed)
  • 16 ounces 450 g linguine
  • ¾ cup finely chopped parsley divided
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions
 

  • In a large stock pot, bring 12 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to a boil.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat, add panko breadcrumbs, and crush 3 gloves of garlic into the panko. Cook, stirring often, until panko is golden and crisp, 5–7 minutes (do not burn garlic, lower heat if necessary). Remove from heat, add lemon zest, season with salt, toss to combine, then set aside.
  • Using a sharp knife, very thinly slice remaining 9 garlic cloves. Heat ¼ cup oil in 3.5-quart sauté pan over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring often, until golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Add anchovies, 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden all over and anchovies are dissolved. Stir in wine and simmer until reduced by half.
  • Add clams, toss to combine, cover with lid, and cook until clams are open, 5–7 minutes. Uncover pot and transfer clams to a medium bowl, leaving liquid in pot. If any clams are still closed, cover pot again and cook a few minutes longer, then transfer to bowl with others (discard any that have not opened at this point). Tent clams with foil.
  • Cook pasta in boiling water for 5 minutes. Using a ladle, scoop out about 2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with clam liquid. Add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Cook, tossing constantly and adding more pasta cooking liquid a splash at a time if needed, until pasta is al dente and sauce is glossy and thick enough to cling to noodles, about 5 minutes.
  • Calamari Optional: Toss in olive oil & hot sauce and grilled it for 2 minutes on each side then added it to the pan.
  • Remove from heat. Add butter, toss until butter is melted, add ½ cup parsley and toss to combine. Sprinkle about one-third of breadcrumbs over pasta and toss to combine.
  • Serve in the sauté pan, on a large platter, or in individual shallow bowls topped with clams, more breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes, remaining parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

This recipe is adapted from BA’s Best, a collection of Bon Appetit’s essential recipes.
Keyword affortable meal, clams, easy pasta recipe, Linguine, linguine alle vongole
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Hope you enjoy this classic Linguine and Clams recipe! We would love to hear from you, please leave us your feedback in the comment box below.

Have a delicious day! James (aka Zimmy) & Elaine

This recipe was made using pieces from my Hestan ProBond Forged Stainless Steel Ultimate Set, 10-Piece on my Hestan Dual Fuel Range.

Proud Hestan and Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.