I'm a terrible cook, and even I could master these 7 surprisingly easy pasta dishes from celebrity chefs this year

Anneta KonstantinidesDec 31, 2020, 00:20 IST

Insider

As lockdown hit the US in March, I decided that it was time to expand my cooking skills — especially when it came to pasta.
So I turned to three of my favorite celebrity chefs — Ina Garten, Gordon Ramsay, and Martha Stewart — for inspiration.
I whipped up their pantry-friendly dishes, learning how to make pasta sauce from scratch, mastering a bolognese, and saving mishaps with extra cheese.
Here are the seven pasta recipes that finally helped me gain some confidence in the kitchen.

In a year as challenging as 2020, it's probably no surprise that the dish I kept turning to for comfort was pasta.

But it wasn't just because there's something immensely soothing about a big heaping bowl of noodles (although that definitely helped). Before this year, I was a terrible cook - and pasta was one of the few dishes that actually felt achievable.

So I looked to some of my favorite celebrity chefs - Ina Garten, Gordon Ramsay, and Martha Stewart - for guidance. In the process, I made endless pasta sauces, tackled my first carbonara, and discovered a penne that could warm up any soul on the coldest winter day.

There were some mishaps for sure, but now I've got pasta recipes in my repertoire for every season of 2021.

The first pasta I made this year was also the easiest: Ina Garten's broccoli and bow ties.

Ina Garten's bow ties and broccoli pasta. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I made my very first homemade pasta sauce for Garten's recipe, and loved incorporating all the fresh ingredients.

My very first pasta sauce - which included lemon zest, olive oil, butter, and minced garlic. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then I stumbled upon Gordon Ramsay's recipe for a 15-minute bolognese pasta and fell in love with it immediately.

Gordon Ramsay's tagliatelle with sausage-meat bolognese. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Ramsay's dish was so simple, it gave me the confidence to start improvising and playing around with flavors.

I now add a can of crushed tomatoes to Ramsay's recipe to make it extra saucy. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Over the summer I also whipped up my first carbonara, which came with a few mishaps.

Giorgio Locatelli's spaghetti alla carbonara. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Locatelli's carbonara taught me a vital (and seemingly obvious) lesson: Always read the recipe fully before you start cooking.

I added far too many eggs to my carbonara mix, which I managed to save with some cheese. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Garten's favorite summer pasta taught me that a little prep can go a long way when it comes to taste.

Ina Garten's summer garden pasta. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

That extra step resulted in some of the most incredible tomatoes I've ever tasted.

I marinated my tomatoes, basil, and garlic in olive oil for four hours. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Martha Stewart proved to me that you could make a full pasta dinner with just one pan.

Martha Stewart's one-pan pasta. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Stewart's dish reminded me how soothing cooking can be.

Cooking Martha Stewart's one-pan pasta was incredibly soothing. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

As temperatures started to dip, I turned to Ina Garten's five-cheese penne.

Ina Garten's five-cheese penne pasta. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

This was the first baked pasta dish I've ever made, and it was one of my favorite recipes from the entire year.

Garten's five-cheese penne was rich and soothing without sitting heavy on my stomach. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Another new winter favorite is Garten's weeknight bolognese pasta, which takes just 30 minutes.

Ina Garten's weeknight bolognese pasta. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Garten's bolognese is a great new twist on a classic recipe.

I loved all the red wine in Garten's bolognese recipe. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Overall, this year has taught me many lessons - both in and out of the kitchen.

I definitely learned a lot about pasta in 2020. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

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