Who is Alison Roman?
Alison Roman has been a hit in the culinary world ever since her best-selling cookbook, Dining In, hit the shelves in 2017. Often focusing on easy, casual recipes that are great for entertaining, she has brought many smiles to home cooks everywhere. She gained even more followers in 2020, as the COVID pandemic pushed more people to take up cooking both as a hobby and a necessity. Her simple but delicious recipes were certainly a bright spot in a year that was difficult for everyone.
While Alison has recipes across all types of cuisines, today we will be focusing on her best pasta recipes. After all, pretty much everyone loves pasta, and it’s always nice to have a few new dishes and some twists on old classics to break out when hosting guests
1. Alison Roman’s Caramelized Shallot Pasta (a.k.a “The Pasta”)
Caramelized shallots and tomato paste bring a sweet but pungent brightness to this dish, which can be made with pretty much any shape of pasta that you prefer, although we recommend bucatini or linguine. There are anchovies, but they are just there for some background umami, and we guarantee that you won’t notice any of the fishiness.
The tangy tomato paste is used sparingly but provides another layer of complexity that makes this simple to make dish anything but simple in flavor. Rounding out the dish are garnishes of red pepper flakes and parsley – two more easy but delicious ingredients that showcase the brilliance of this pasta.
Get the full recipe and directions from NY Times located here.
2. Alison Roman’s Baked Ziti
Baked Ziti is a comfort food that is rivaled by few other dishes. Alison Roman’s version takes a unique approach, layering the rigatoni in a fashion similar to lasagna, giving the final product even more texture and flavor than a standard baked ziti.
Fresh mozzarella is always a crowd pleaser, but you might consider a 1/3 each mixture of fresh, whole milk, and part skim mozzarella for the perfect combination of flavor, meltiness, and browning. A luxurious blend of ricotta, heavy cream, and parmesan makes for a delectable filling.
The garlicky tomato sauce uses whole peeled tomatoes – San Marzano tomatoes are the best if you can find them – to bring sweetness and tanginess that perfectly counteracts the richness of the cheeses. The final bake gives perfectly browned edges to the meal, which can easily satisfy a small dinner party.
Get the full recipe and directions from NY Times located here.
3. Alison Roman’s Very Good Lasagna
For those who prefer lasagna over ziti, this dish has it all. This is a relatively classic lasagna that has the perfect balance of cheese, sauce, and pasta to keep you going back for more, even after you’ve had enough.
The tomato sauce once again includes a generous portion of anchovies, but the sweetness of the tomatoes as well as the fragrant onions and garlic keep them in the background. Trust us, anchovies in tomato sauce can really elevate the flavor and will have you rethinking your aversion to the pungent fish every time you cook.
Fresh mozzarella, cool ricotta, and nutty parmesan make up the cheese blend, which helps to brown the dish and provide an explosion of flavor in every bite. For lasagna, this is pretty easy to make and will yield plenty of leftovers.
Get the full recipe and directions from Today.
4. Alison Roman’s Cauliflower Pasta
You may not think cauliflower can be the centerpiece of a mind-blowing pasta dish, but in this case, you’d be wrong. The cauliflower is first caramelized with shallots, amplifying the nutty sweetness of the cruciferous vegetable. To add even more flavor, it is simmered in a sauce of pecorino cheese, heavy cream, and lemon zest for something that tastes far more complex than the sum of its parts.
This sauce works well on any pasta, but we recommend a shorter noodle such as rigatoni or rotini. Once the pasta is coated in the indulgent sauce, it is coated with nutty pecorino breadcrumbs that provide another delicious layer of texture. Although Roman’s recipe doesn’t call for a protein, something cured like bacon, pancetta, or guanciale would pair fantastically with this creamy, cheesy dish.
Get the full recipe and directions from NY Times located here.
5. Alison Roman’s Spicy Pork Meatballs
Meatballs are a favorite topping among pasta lovers, and these savory pork meatballs pair well with pretty much any pasta, especially spaghetti or bucatini. Surprisingly, these meatballs don’t feel too heavy, perhaps because they use a bright, spicy, yogurt-based sauce rather than a traditional red sauce.
The cherry tomatoes added towards the end also add the right amount of sweetness, balancing out the flavors of the dish and bringing a pop of freshness. Garlic and onions help bring out the meaty flavor of the fatty, juicy pork, although the dish is quite customizable. These ingredients work with lamb, beef, or even turkey – or a mix of any of the meats. You can’t really go wrong with whatever you choose, as long as you let the meatballs simmer in the beautiful sauce and brown thoroughly before serving.
Get the full recipe and directions from Nigella.
6. Alison Roman’s Mac and Cheese
Every great cook needs to have a mac and cheese in their arsenal, and Alison Roman takes the simple dish and knocks it up a few notches. She provides instructions for both a baked and stovetop version, so you have options depending on how much time you have and what sort of textures you want.
Cheddar serves as the majority of the cheese base, but Alison gives options for the rest, with ideas like fontina or gruyere to give a richer, smokier flavor. Whatever you choose, this is more of a technique than a recipe, allowing you to curate your own personalized mac and cheese for an easy meal whenever you’d like.
Get the full recipe and directions from NY Times.
7. Alison Roman’s Secret Ingredient Pasta Salad
Pasta salad is a classic dish to bring to cookouts, pairing well with burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, or any sort of barbecued meat. Alison’s version adds a little bit of spice with harissa paste, but you can choose the heat source of your preference.
A mix of fresh and sun-dried tomatoes give the dish a bit of sweetness, while vinegar, onions, and olive oil make for a light but satisfying dressing that will hold up even in the summer heat. This is a simple but satisfying dish that is great for parties and is sure to beat anything you could buy at the supermarket.
Get the full recipe and directions from Alison Roman.
As you can probably tell by how many times we’ve featured her, Alison Roman’s pasta recipes are some of our all-time faves. We love her take on classic recipes with a twist, which is why we’ve tried so many of her dishes. Which on do you think you’ll try next?
If you like this post, we think you’ll also like our Alison Roman’s Caramelized Shallot Pasta post.
