Hazan’s Bolognese is perfection. So this is not an improvement but a variation. I grind and toast some fennel seed and it with the nutmeg. Ok, time to make it, maybe this weekend. I still have some semolina. I mix equal parts semolina and AP in my pasta dough.
I do half AP, half 00.
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For Tagliatelle and Pappardelle I use only Eggs and Semolina.
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Bolognese made again, courtesy this thread.
Intended for lasagna, which will be very non-traditional as I’m planning to use wonton wrappers 
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I made Marcella’s two-lemon chicken tonight - fantastic! Thanks to @Aubergine for posting the reference on the WMP thread.
I pretty much followed the recipe, the only changes being I dry-brined the bird in S&P for 24 hours in advance of cooking, and I took @CaitlinM’s advice to be bold and squeeze the lemons for a pan sauce. It was all a big hit - juicy, flavorful and so easy!
I’m happy I made it, and will certainly make it again.
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Hi everyone!
I created a new Cooking From thread – please come on over and share what you’re cooking!
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It’s probably an unpopular opinion, but I never understood the hype over her tomato sauce. I found it bland & boring.
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That lasagna is a thing of beauty! And making your own pasta sheets musta taken this over the top 
Speaking of bolognese, I tried ATK’s ‘Weeknight Bolognese’ recipe last week. Something went wrong. The roomate said it was “tasty”. I wouldn’t agree. Since I’m the cook around here, I won’t be making that one again. I suspect the baking soda soak in the beginning of the recipe may be to blame. Or the fact that one can’t find pancetta around here and I used 2 three ounce packages of sliced (it was expensive!) for the 6 oz. required.
Interesting… what is the purpose of the baking soda?
With the power of suggestion, I too made bolognese on Sunday. I was able to dash to the neighborhood butchers and get some fresh sliced pancetta. I could really tell that made a big difference in the outcome.
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I know in other recipes ATK uses baking soda to help brown meat. It is also used to tenderize meat which might be the purpose in the Bolognese.
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One of Marcella Hazan’s key beliefs, and more generally of the Italian cuisine, is that ingredient quality is paramount. Do you also find the sauce bland when using tomatoes you really like?
And this goes further than just using San Marzano tomatoes. They have become so hyped that a lot of San Marzano tomatoes (canned) are not flavourful at all. I believe you’re in Europe: try and find Mutti canned (regular) tomatoes, they are very good (even the chopped ones!).
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I’m not in Europe yet, but will be in two weeks for a couple of months. I can get very good tomato products at the Italian market we shop at a lot (including Mutti in all iterations), but I wouldn’t ruin any tomato sauce by adding a slick of butter to it. It ruins it for me.
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I mean, people can have their own personal preferences for everything, of course.
But some opinions can be based on flavor familiarity / memory, others on mistaken beliefs of “authenticity” (eg: olive oil is italian, how could butter possibly go in tomato sauce?" – without considering the many ingredient and cuisine differences between north and south, east and west, within the same country).
Re opinions, I can’t stand herbs in my tomato sauce. Except for ny-style pizza – if they’re missing there, then it just tastes “wrong” 
I liked some of the background in this article (and the simplicity of the recipe too, as they’re using already cooked-down tomatoes).
This one about soffritto is interesting as well - unrelated to tomato sauce, but I was mulling over celery when I made the bolognese (I dislike celery, but I wouldn’t leave it out because of the base flavor contribution.)
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I can assure you my opinion is solely based on my personal taste preferences, as in I find butter to ruin a good tomato sauce, and I don’t really give much of AF about authenticity. I’d rather my sauce tastes like tomatoes than butter
I’m also quite aware of the manifold local cuisines of Italy, as I’ve been lucky to have enjoyed many of them (Roman, Ligurian, Tuscan, Sardinian, Puglian, etc etc) inside and outside of the country.
It’s wonderful to try all the different regional styles, dishes & ingredients.
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I think ATK overworks everything, although every now and then I find a keeper.
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I’m wanting to make fresh pasta, fettuccine.
After it’s in a nest on counter, how long do you let it dry before a quick boil?
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For sure. ATK LOVES baking soda. Kenji too. There’s just no need for it most of the time. (And it’s a disaster if your palate can detect it – obviously theirs can’t.)
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From Essentials:
For all cut pasta, fettuccine, tagliolini, pappardelle, and so on, allow the strips spread on the towels to dry for 10 minutes or more, depending on the temperature and ventilation of your kitchen. From time to time, turn the strips over. The pasta is ready for cutting when it is still pliant enough that it won’t crack when cut, but not so soft and moist that the strands will stick to each other. Pasta requires no additional drying except for the purpose of storing it.
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