Originally Posted by
JBord
Discovering that different pastas hold sauces differently changed my pasta experience a few years ago. I often still have to Google the matchups, but it makes a difference. Last night I made bucatini with an olive oil sauce (EV olive oil, pasta water, crushed red pepper, anchovy paste, shallots, garlic, parsley) and shrimp. Grated parm. I had only used bucatini in carbonara previously, but this was a good combo.
your bucatini dish sounds lovely. For me, spaghetti and meatballs or sausage is a constant favorite and it’s what I enjoy cooking and eating. With all the fancy delicious pasta meals I’ve had at restaurants, I still prefer spaghetti and meatballs. Despite making my own marinara sauce with canned DOP Marzano whole tomatoes, I’ve recently discovered and loved the Rao brand way too much.
I’ll chop fresh organic cilantro to make a chimichurri sauce or pico de Gallo, both just sauces for dipping, yet for my favorite spaghetti and meatballs entree, I’m using dried pasta, jarred rao sauce, and preformed packaged raw meatballs. And yes, a favorite supper would be a grilled steak with a side of spaghetti marinara (no meatballs needed). I’m a total degen.