Even though it’s been more than two years since we launched Flour + Water Foods (how is that real?), we still get a thrill every time someone shares a recipe or dish made with our pasta. As we continue our celebration of National Noodle Month this March, we polled some friends from our Instagram pasta community about their go-to recipes. From Filipino-style spaghetti to creamy gochujang pasta to pasta alla vodka with harissa & goat cheese, we hope these recipe ideas bring fresh inspiration to your kitchen this spring.
Cathy Chaplin, Gastronomy Blog (@gastronomyblog)
This Greek-style Bolognese has been my go-to meat sauce for over two decades. There's something about the warmth of cinnamon sticks and whole cloves mingling with a combination of beef and pork that satisfies and surprises in equal parts. Spaghetti works great, but any pasta shape will do. (Photo above)
Nori de Vega, Creator, @nomnom_nori + Founder, Tikim PDX
A product of US military occupation and food-scarcity-driven resourcefulness is the typically sweet Filipino-style spaghetti. During the US occupation of the Philippines, dishes that American soldiers craved for comfort, like Spaghetti Bolognese, were introduced into the SE Asian archipelago. However, back then, tomato imports were limited, so even ketchup needed to be sourced using an unlikely locally growing ingredient, bananas. I’m not sure who invented it or exactly when, but at some point, spaghetti bolognese evolved into what is now ubiquitous at holiday gatherings and birthday parties in the Filipino diaspora. Popularized abroad by the beloved Filipino chain, Jollibee, it feels like this dish is finally getting some welcome in the West (thanks also in part to Anthony Bourdain’s Philippines episode, where there’s a scene of him surprised by his own enjoyment of the sweet and savory spaghetti with hot dogs). Filipino spaghetti was and always will be a dish that keeps me tied to my roots. This recipe is my not-too-sweet version.
Karen Palmer, Contributing LA Food Editor, SFGATE (@karenlpalmer)
I'm a red-sauce girl at heart. When I want a simple, speedy sauce with a ton of flavor, I make a garlicky roasted cherry tomato number bolstered with some Bianco di Napoli crushed tomatoes. I finish it all off with a dollop of ricotta and a drizzle of good olive oil. chef's kiss
Eliza Crane, Recipe Developer + Food Stylist, Noho Living (@noholiving)
One of my go-to dinners when friends come over is ‘caramelized cabbage pasta’, a great example of how cheap, simple ingredients can be transformed into something luxurious and complex. It’s an easy, adaptable, splash-of-this-and-dash-of-that ‘recipe’ that I vary depending on the season and my mood. Cabbage is, in my opinion, an eternally underrated ingredient in the US. It’s inexpensive, abundant, long-lasting, stretches far, absorbs flavor well and caramelizes beautifully! What’s not to love?
To make my pasta, toss piles of thinly sliced cabbage and onion in a pot, quickly brown them in a little olive oil and then simmer them into silky submission with a big splash of chicken broth, a little cream, minced garlic, chili flakes and cracked black pepper. Once reduced and super tender, add slightly undercooked pasta with a little pasta water, grated parmesan, a few drops of acid (I like sherry vinegar), orange zest and freshly grated nutmeg and stir until the pasta’s al dente and the sauce is super glossy. Serve with extra parm, orange zest and a sprinkle of chopped rosemary.
In warmer months I’ll substitute lemon for orange, skip the nutmeg and use tender herbs like basil or mint. Sometimes I’ll add a little miso for a light Japanese twist, add some leafy greens towards the end or sprinkle toasted nuts or golden breadcrumbs on top for crunch. Maybe throw a little bacon or sausage in the pot at the beginning? Why not? It’s endlessly riffable!
Annie Diamond, Chicago-based Poet + Academic Administrator (@zanniediamond)
My go-to pasta recipe is a creamy gochujang pasta - works with pretty much any noodle but I prefer it with udon. I melt two tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium heat, then add two teaspoons of gochujang and about half a cup or so of milk or half and half, depending what I have. Then I let it all combine and simmer until my noodles are done, add the cooked noodles right to the pan, and add a splash of pasta water to finish! Love to top this with Chinese chives or scallions!
Josh Deri, Chef + Recipe Developer, Josh Cooks a Lot (@joshcooks.alot)
White bolognese (or ragu bianco) is my new go to for bolognese. For so long, I only thought of bolognese as a red sauce based dish with the addition of ground meat, mirepoix and Calabrian chilies. But, there’s a totally different version, and I’m so for it! It starts out with pancetta, which could never steer you in the wrong direction, then ground, grass-fed beef is added, along with onions, leeks, garlic, celery and a little butter, then more aromatics such as thyme, bay leaves, white pepper and fennel pollen. It’s cooked down slowly, then deglazed with white wine and chicken bone broth, then cooked together, slowly, to really allow all those delicate flavors to shine!
I finish it with parm and pecorino, my favorite combo of aged cheeses and a little heavy cream. The dish does remind me, in the best way possible, of beef stroganoff hamburger helper. And like I said, in the best way possible. It’s nostalgic and so comforting.
Cate Furtado, food blogger + recipe developer (@catefurtado)
Pasta cravings are so real in my household and my go-to recipe is my take on Pasta Alla Vodka with Harissa & Goat Cheese to bring a little extra depth of smoky flavor to this classic pasta sauce. The ethanol from the vodka disperses the fat to create an emulsified sauce that blankets these clingy little F+W penne noodles so perfectly. Finished with a dollop of creamy, peppery goat cheese, it’s my favorite bowl of comfort noods at the end of long day.
