Pesto
Basil, pine nuts, garlic and Parmigiano brought together with good olive oil. The Ligurian original, with Pecorino if you want more bite.
Aglio e Olio
Spaghetti with thinly sliced garlic, plenty of good olive oil and a pinch of chili. The pantry dish that comes together in the time the pasta takes.
Amatriciana
Guanciale rendered until crisp, crushed tomatoes and a shower of Pecorino Romano over bucatini. One of Rome's four essential pasta dishes.
Gricia
Carbonara without the egg, amatriciana without the tomato. Guanciale, Pecorino Romano and black pepper over rigatoni.
Carbonara
Guanciale, egg yolks and Pecorino Romano brought together with pasta water. No cream, and the pan comes off the heat before the eggs go in.
Cacio e Pepe
Four ingredients and no cream. Spaghetti, Pecorino Romano, toasted black pepper and starchy pasta water emulsified into a silky sauce.
Espagnole
One of the five French mother sauces: a brown roux built out with mirepoix, tomato paste, red wine and veal stock. The base for demi-glace.
Hollandaise
One of the five French mother sauces: egg yolks and lemon whisked over gentle heat, then emulsified with warm clarified butter.
Veloute
One of the five French mother sauces: a pale roux loosened with warm chicken or fish stock and sharpened with lemon.
Mornay
Bechamel enriched with Gruyere and Parmesan. The sauce behind gratins, croque monsieur, and the best macaroni cheese you will make.
Béchemel
One of the five French mother sauces: butter and flour cooked into a roux, whisked out with warm milk and finished with nutmeg and white pepper.
Anchovy Oil
Three anchovy fillets melted into good olive oil and tossed through pasta with Parmigiano. A five minute primo built almost entirely from the pantry.