Ina has 1,353 recipes, and if I had to choose only one to make for the rest of my life, it’d be Rigatoni with Sausage & Fennel – or as someone once called it: Adult Hamburger Helper. Don’t be put off by the idea of fennel; once cooked, its anise flavor is subtle and hardly noticeable. Instead, it adds a delightful depth to the dish without overwhelming the other flavors.
Ina takes her classic pesto recipe and turns up the volume by incorporating chopped spinach, extra Parmesan cheese (because more is always better), lemon juice to maintain the vibrant colors, and mayonnaise for added creaminess. This flavorful mixture is then tossed with bow-tie and fusilli pasta, peas, and toasted pine nuts.
On “Be My Guest,” Ina Garten hosted Danny Meyer, who cooked Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage. However, the Food Network’s recipe had several discrepancies, such as different ingredient amounts and instruction orders, leading to confusion.
With just a few ingredients, carbonara can be a challenging dish to master, and I’ve yet to achieve perfection at home. While the flavor of this version was excellent, I think I needed to add a bit more pasta water as the dish ended up a bit dry.
Gochujang Buttered Noodles is the perfect pantry meal. The dish has a buttery, garlicky, spicy sauce with a sweet touch.
My favorite of Ina’s meatball recipes – it’s delicious mix of sirloin, veal, and pork always comes out moist and tender.
Ina’s version of mac and cheese features a rich and creamy béchamel sauce infused with sharp cheddar, gruyere, and a touch of nutmeg. After tossing the cheesy goodness with the pasta, it’s all poured into a casserole dish. It’s topped with fresh tomato slices and a generous sprinkling of fresh bread crumbs then baked until golden-brown and bubbly.
BA’s Best Lasagna is a labor of love but worth the effort. Pork and beef make up the base of a ragu with white wine, tomatoes, milk, broth, and soffrito that marries perfectly with the creamy béchamel infused with parmesan, cayenne, and nutmeg.