A smooth cheese sauce for pasta starts with a light roux and milk, then 8 ounces of block-grated cheese melted in off the heat. Why sauces turn grainy, a melting chart for common cheeses, sodium citrate and evaporated milk methods, variations and reheating tips.
Cook dried pasta in a big bowl in the microwave: cover with water by 2 inches, add salt and microwave for the package time plus about 3 minutes. Charts for shapes, wattage and portions, plus mug pasta, mac and cheese, safety and fixes.
Make smooth white sauce pasta in 25 minutes. Roux ratios, warm vs cold milk, how to fix lumps, nutmeg seasoning, plus chicken and Indian-style versions.
Turn one 6-ounce can of tomato paste into a rich, glossy pasta sauce in about 15 minutes, with a paste-to-water ratio chart, creamy, spicy, meat and vegan variations, and storage tips.
Seven reliable ways to thicken spaghetti sauce, with exact ratios and timings that keep the tomato flavor bright.
Silky penne alla vodka with toasted tomato paste, cream and Parmesan, ready in 30 minutes, plus an easy no-vodka option.
Creamy rasta pasta with jerk chicken, penne and red, yellow and green bell peppers in a Parmesan pepper sauce. Mild or spicy, ready in 50 minutes.
One silky butter, garlic, cream and Parmesan base with exact US measurements, plus five easy variations, pasta pairings, fixes and safe storage times.
Restaurant-style fettuccine Alfredo at home: the Roman butter-and-Parmigiano original vs the American cream version, the right cheese, pasta water science and a tested 25-minute recipe.
A 15-minute basil pesto pasta with a silky, glossy sauce. Learn the pasta water trick, homemade Genovese pesto, the best shapes, add-ins, swaps and storage.