October is National Pasta Month, and these five recipes make a tasty way to celebrate this versatile and much-loved food. Try a new shape, like agnolotti, cook up a meatless Bolognese sauce or make potato gnocchi from scratch to commemorate the occasion.
Clams and pasta are a winning combo, as the classic linguini with white clam sauce demonstrates. In this version of the pairing, tomatoes and garlic butter flavor the sauce, while cherry bomb peppers and red pepper flakes add enough heat to make the clams “angry.”
Making potato gnocchi from scratch requires a little more time, but the prep can be done ahead and the gnocchi frozen and ready to cook as needed for service. At Cattivella in Denver, Chef Elise Wiggins briefly boils the gnocchi then sautes them in butter to crisp and brown the pasta.
Wafu-style blends the culinary techniques and flavors of Japanese and Italian cuisines, as showcased in this pasta recipe. Tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, carrots and garlic partner with soy sauce to create a savory Bolognese sauce that mimics meaty flavors without the traditional meat.
Cacio e Pepe literally means “cheese and pepper”—two simple ingredients that combine to make this pasta dish an Italian classic. Chef Alex Sadowski created a creamy mac and cheese variation with cavatappi noodles, two types of cheese, cream, milk and toasted ground black pepper.
SPQR Restaurant makes fresh pasta with SuperGrain flour milled from spent grains that have been upcycled from beer making. The flour adds toasty notes and a deeper color to the classic dough, creating a complimentary platform for hearty fall ingredients.