6 Chefs Share Their Favorite 6-Ingredient Pasta Recipes (2024)

In a large Dutch oven, bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil (using as little boiling water as possible will give a thick, starchy liquid that will enhance and bind the sauce).

Once the water is boiling, drop in pasta and give one initial stir after pasta is submerged.

While pasta is cooking, set a large sauté pan over medium heat and add ground peppercorns. Toast until fragrant, then add butter. Let butter melt and bubble with pepper, adjusting the flame so that butter is bubbling right when pasta hits al dente.

When pasta is al dente (consult package for cooking time), remove from water with tongs and drop into sauté pan. Ladle another 2 ounces pasta water into sauté pan and stir with tongs.

Add cheese and olive oil, stirring vigorously until a silky sauce forms from the butter, starch water and cheese. Taste for salt and add if necessary.

Divide into 2 warmed bowls and serve immediately.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and cook pasta until 2 minutes before the manufacturer’s specifications. Make sure it is al dente; the pasta will cook longer in the sauce.

Meanwhile, in a large sauce pot over medium-high heat, start browning the pancetta with a little bit of butter until all the fat has been released and the bacon is starting to brown and get crispy.

Deglaze the pan with the heavy cream and reduce until it starts to coat the back of a spoon, then add 1/2 cup of Pecorino.

Once the sauce starts to get thick, add the spinach and toss through to wilt.

Add 1 cup of Pecorino and cook until thick. At this point, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

Divide the sauce into 4 Mason jars, reserving just a little bit to toss with the pasta.

Add pasta to the pot and lightly coat.

Divide the pasta among the 4 jars.

Top each jar with remaining grated Pecorino, making a nest.

Place the egg yolk into the Pecorino nest and grate fresh black peppercorn on top.

Vigorously shake the Mason jar, making sure the pasta is mixed really well.

Carefully take the top off the Mason jar and pour onto the plate.

Lay the pork out on a paper towel, dab it dry on all sides, then sprinkle it with kosher salt and black pepper.

Add the saffron to the white wine to allow the color and flavor to infuse the wine.

Get a large sauté pan very hot, with just a thin layer of olive oil. Carefully place the pork in the hot pan to sear. You may need to do two rounds of searing because you want to make sure one piece of pork isn’t touching another piece in the pan: they’ll get a better golden brown color this way.

When all the pork is seared, transfer it to a stockpot or large saucepan. Add a little chicken stock to the sauté pan you used to sear the pork. This will deglaze the pan, making your cooking liquid that much more flavorful.

Add all the chicken stock to the pot with the pork, and add the tomatoes and white wine/saffron mixture as well.

Set the pot on medium-high heat to bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover the pot and lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Continue to cook for 3 to 4 hours.

When the pork is done, you should be able to easily smash it against the inside of the pot with a wooden spoon or fork.

Remove the finished product from the heat of the stove and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once it’s cool, use your fingers to break up the chunks of pork into smaller strands, then stir in the Calabrian chiles.

When you’re ready to eat, cook 2 pounds of rigatoni in salted boiling water, then strain and toss with the pork ragù until the ragù is hot and covers every noodle.

Grate the cauliflower using the large holes on a box grater or the shredder on a food processor.

Sauté green onions, crushed red pepper, and salt with olive oil and butter. Do not brown.

Add cauliflower and continue to sauté, stirring constantly. Again, do not brown. Add a few tablespoons of water and continue cooking until cauliflower is just tender.

Finish by folding in grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Cook noodles to al dente, then run them under cold water to chill the noodles.

Toss chilled noodles with a bit of sesame oil to prevent them from sticking. Place in fridge.

To make the dressing, combine vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce and sesame paste, then slowly whisk in the sesame oil.

Toss noodles in dressing.

Optional: Garnish with sesame seeds, scallions or cilantro.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the pasta and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Once pasta is cooked, drain and reserve some of the pasta water.

In a sauté pan on low heat, sweat the garlic but don’t allow it to color. Add the crabmeat and Calabrian chile paste and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Toss with pasta and parsley and then toss with a little salt and extra virgin olive oil.