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In this video, I’ll show you 5 fast, restaurant-worthy pasta sauces you can make at home—all but one in about 15 minutes using simple ingredients and a few pro techniques. Visit https://www.wildgrain.com/brian to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

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Recipes serve 4

Vodka Sauce
∙40g (3T) olive oil
∙75g (½c) minced shallots
∙20g (4t) minced garlic
∙30–40g (2–3T) Calabrian chiles, chopped
∙2–3g (1½t) Chile flakes
∙170g (6oz) tomato paste
∙100g (½c) vodka
∙350g (1½c) heavy cream
∙450g (1lb) fusilli
∙1c pasta water
∙75g (5T) butter
∙50–75g (1½c) grated parm
∙Salt, black pepper

1 Boil salted water for pasta.
2 In a heavy pot over med heat, add oil, shallots, garlic, big pinch salt. Sweat 5 mins.
3 Add chiles, chile flake, more oil if needed. Cook 2 mins.
4 Add tomato paste, stir 2 mins until color deepens.
5 Add vodka, deglaze, cook 30 secs until reduced to thick paste.
6 Stir in cream, bring to low simmer. Simmer 3–5 mins.
7 Cook pasta to al dente, reserve 1c pasta water.
8 Add pasta, off heat stir in butter, parm.
9 Adjust salt, thin w/ pasta water if needed.
10 Serve topped w/ parm, black pepper.

Amatriciana
∙225g (½lb) guanciale, diced (or pancetta/bacon)
∙60g (4T) olive oil
∙200g (1½c) diced red onion
∙20g (4t) minced garlic
∙20g (1½T) Calabrian chiles
∙25g (1½T) tomato paste
∙100g (⅓c + 1T) dry white wine
∙400g (1 can) crushed tomatoes
∙1g (½t) oregano
∙4g (1t) sugar
∙Salt
∙450g (1lb) bucatini
∙40g (½c) grated pecorino

1 Freeze pork 15 mins, dice
2 In pot over med heat, render pork w/ splash water 10 mins, stir every 2. Set aside.
3 Add oil, onion, garlic, pinch salt, splash water. Sweat 5–10 mins over med low, no color.
4 Add chiles, cook 1–2 mins.
5 Add tomato paste, stir, cook 2 mins
6 Add wine, reduce to au sec.
7 Stir in tomatoes, paste, oregano, sugar, salt. Simmer 7–10 mins.
8 Cook pasta, reserve 1c water.
9 Add pasta to sauce, splash pasta water, pecorino. Stir to melt cheese.
10 Taste, season, serve topped w/ more cheese.

Alfredo e Pepe
∙50g (3½T) butter
∙20g (2½T) flour
∙500g (2c) half & half
∙8g (1½t) salt
∙8g (2t) coarse black pepper
∙75g (¾c) grated pecorino
∙75g (¾c) grated parmesan
∙450g (1lb) fettuccine
∙Olive oil, more cheese + pepper for garnish

1 Melt butter in warm pot, whisk in flour. Cook 1 min.
2 Add half & half, whisk, bring to low simmer.
3 Cook pasta, reserve ½c water.
4 Off heat, add salt, pepper, cheeses. Stir to melt.
5 Add pasta + splash pasta water. Toss, shimmy pot to emulsify.
6 Serve w/ more cheese, pepper, drizzle oil.

Basil Pesto
∙100g (1c) parmesan, cubed
∙100g (¾c) raw pine nuts
∙125g (½c + 1T) olive oil
∙100g (4c loosely packed) fresh basil
∙5g (1t) salt
∙450g (1lb) spaghetti
∙More parm + pine nuts for garnish

1 Pulse parm 30 secs in food processor till coarse.
2 Add nuts, oil, basil, salt. Blend 25–30 secs till saucy, not smooth.
3Cook pasta, reserve 1c water, drain.
4 Add back to pot w/ pasta water + pesto. Stir to coat.
5 Serve w/ extra parm, pine nuts.

Mushroom Marsala Cream
∙Olive oil
∙125g (1c) diced onion
∙20g (4t) minced garlic
∙Salt
∙175g (2c) diced mushrooms
∙2g (2t) fresh thyme
∙125g (½c) marsala (or 100g beef stock + 10g Worcestershire + pinch sugar)
∙200g (¾c + 1T) heavy cream
∙450g (1lb) frozen cheese ravioli
∙Grated parm

1 In Dutch oven, add oil, sweat onion, garlic, salt 5 mins.
2 Add mushrooms, pinch salt. Cook 5 mins.
3 Stir in thyme, cook 6–7 mins till mushrooms shrink, lightly brown.
4 Add marsala, deglaze, cook until nearly dry.
5 Add cream, splash water. Simmer 5 mins till nappé.
6 Cook ravioli, drain, add to sauce.
7 Stir gently, adjust salt.
8 Serve topped w/ parm + mushroom sauce.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Creamy vodka sauce
4:22 Amatriciana
9:31 Great option for frozen pasta and sourdough
10:40 Alfredo e Pepe
13:50 Pesto
16:33 Mushroom Marsala

37 Comments

  1. with the amatriciana what would you recommend we use if we don't eat pork? is there a suitable substitute?

  2. As a result: you can make ANY sauce to your pasta as long as you throw a fistfull of cheese on your pasta. WTF, Brian? All you will taste after it is only Pecorino or Parmesan, lol

  3. hey what's up so here's the recipe

    what a marvelous channel. brian and chef john are goat

  4. Can you please use grams and other methods of measurement? I don’t have a scale to measure in grams. Grams are measured differently when it’s wet or dry food so it would be helpful to use another measurement like cups or teaspoons or tablespoons

  5. Brian, thank you for these videos! I am going to make the pesto for dinner tonight. Can someone answer why Brian doesn't use garlic in the pesto recipe? Just curious! Thanks so much!

  6. the way he says 'amatriciana' is sooo bad omg, at least learn how to say things in Italian, it's the bare minimum

  7. Great video. Really appreciate you showing us how to cook when going to a restaurant is so expensive. Even buying the stacks of basil is still cheaper than going to a restaurant.

  8. Bri, that part where you just straight drink that half-and-half… you're hilarious, but please don't do that often.

  9. Man, this video is making me lose my shit. I just had breakfast but now I wanna run into the kitchen and fire up the pasta pot.

  10. I love the fact you said “if vodka isn’t morally aligned, use water” thanks for including this. Jews and Muslims both get excluded mostly because of pork or alcohol

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