Adrianne Calvo
Chef Adrianne Calvo is letting First for Women readers know how she makes an Italian staple!
Calvo, 42, is set to release her cookbook Maximum Flavor at Home on Tuesday, November 10, which includes a recipe for her classic spaghetti marinara with Fried Garlic and Crispy Shallots.
In a chat with First for Women, the restaurateur discusses the “comforting” dish, Italian cooking, and her cookbook, which she says is “filled with the shortcuts, techniques, and clever tricks” for home chefs.
Keep reading to see what Calvo has to say!
Adrianne Calvo
Why did you choose to put this recipe in your book?
Because a great bowl of spaghetti is one of life’s simplest luxuries. There’s something almost magical about taking a handful of humble ingredients and turning them into something that makes everyone at the table fall silent after the first bite. I wanted to show readers that extraordinary cooking doesn’t require extraordinary ingredients. It requires knowing what to do with them. The fried garlic becomes golden and nutty, the shallots turn into delicate little ribbons of crunch, and suddenly a familiar marinara has an entirely new personality. That’s maximum flavor in its purest form.
What’s the inspiration behind the dish?
I’ve always been fascinated by the way Italian cooking celebrates restraint. A beautiful tomato doesn’t need much convincing to become something wonderful. But as a chef, I’m constantly thinking about contrast. What happens when you introduce something crisp to something silky? Something sweet to something savory? This dish was born from that curiosity. The marinara is rich and comforting, clinging to every strand of spaghetti, while the fried garlic and crispy shallots bring an irresistible texture and a deep, toasted sweetness. It’s the kind of pasta that smells so good while it’s cooking that people wander into the kitchen asking when dinner will be ready.
Who do you like to make this pasta dish for in your life?
The people I love most. There’s something wonderfully intimate about putting a big bowl of pasta in the middle of the table and letting everyone help themselves. It’s not precious food. It’s generous food. The kind that invites another glass of wine, another story, another piece of bread to catch the last traces of sauce. And now, as a mother, I find myself appreciating those moments even more. I love the idea that something as simple as the smell of garlic sizzling in olive oil can become a childhood memory. Years from now, I hope my son remembers the sounds and aromas of our kitchen as vividly as the meals themselves.
Do you recommend pairing this dish with anything?
Absolutely. First, a beautiful piece of crusty bread, preferably warm, with a little good olive oil. You’ll want something to chase every last drop of marinara around the plate. I also love serving it alongside broccolini, blistered in a hot pan until the edges are slightly charred, finished with lemon zest and flaky sea salt. If you’re looking for protein, a beautifully seared piece of chicken or a few colossal shrimp sautéed in garlic and olive oil would be wonderful. And for wine? Give me a glass of Chianti Classico. Its bright acidity cuts through the richness of the olive oil and dances beautifully with the sweetness of the tomatoes. It’s the kind of dinner that makes an ordinary Tuesday feel like a little Italian holiday.
What can readers expect from the rest of your cookbook?
I want readers to feel like they’ve been handed the keys to a professional kitchen, without having to spend 10,000 hours working in one. I’ve spent nearly two decades discovering the little decisions that separate a good meal from an unforgettable one, and Maximum Flavor at Home is where I share them.
It’s filled with the shortcuts, techniques, and clever tricks that chefs use instinctively. How to build deeper flavor without adding hours of work. How to create texture that makes a dish irresistible. How to take an everyday ingredient and give it the kind of treatment that makes people ask, “How did you make this?”
You’ll find everything from Chili-Rubbed Colossal Shrimp with Scampi Butter to a Chewy Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich. But the real secret of this book isn’t any single recipe. It’s learning how to think about flavor differently. I’ve already done the hard work, made the mistakes, and spent the years figuring out what works. Now you get to enjoy the delicious part, with a little more time left over to pour yourself a glass of wine.
Adrianne Calvo
Classic Spaghetti Marinara with Fried Garlic and Crispy Shallots
Ingredients:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound spaghetti
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Fried garlic
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Crispy Shallots
Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. While the pasta cooks, make the marinara sauce. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until fragrant and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Stir well, turn the heat down to low, and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
Meanwhile, prepare the fried garlic. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently, stirring often, until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Next, make the crispy shallots. Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and sprinkle lightly with the salt.
To assemble, toss the cooked spaghetti into the marinara sauce until well coated. Divide among four plates, then top generously with the fried garlic and crispy shallots. Garnish with basil leaves and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
