If you're anything like most foodies, pasta likely has a regular spot in your weeknight at-home dinner rotation. From mac and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, to lasagna, there's nothing more crowd pleasing and comforting than whipping up a meal by boiling some boxed noodles and popping open a jarred sauce, plus adding some variety of cheese and veggies on top. While easy pasta dinners will always be a staple, we all know there's a big difference between the usual at-home meal you're making from store-bought ingredients and the most elevated, memorable, restaurant-made pasta sauces you've enjoyed.

Make Store-Bought Pasta Sauce Taste Homemade With This Chef Pro-Tip

Italian food's wide-reaching appeal is easy to understand. The cuisine focuses on a small selection of ingredients — often less than eight in a single recipe — but emphasizes ingredient quality and a fine-tuned balanced palate. An especially delicious showcase of such humble culinary construction is marinara sauce. While commonly confined to jars in the United States, the fresh rendition is lighter, brighter, and bursting with flavor (though easily ruined with a simple mistake). It's a sauce that comes together quickly but is surprisingly versatile, both delicious on its own and useful as an ingredient in other dishes.

A Chef's Argument For The Humble Marinara Sauce

Pasta is nothing if not versatile. After it's boiled, you can toss it with an infinite number of sauces, ending up with a new taste experience each time. Looking for a lighter plate of noodles? Just toss your pasta in marinara with some tongs (aka the right way). In the mood for something rich and decadent? A cream sauce is your best bet.

The Best Types Of Pasta To Pair With Cream Sauce

Whether you prefer penne or fettuccine, a hearty plate of pasta with Alfredo sauce always hits the spot after a long day. Tasty as is or made more filling with steamed broccoli or strips of crispy breaded chicken, the star of this comforting dish is its rich, creamy sauce. Despite the fact that Olive Garden's signature Alfredo sauce used to be shrouded in secrecy, the savory stuff is generally straightforward in terms of its ingredients, which include butter, heavy cream, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and some seasonings and herbs like parsley. However, it can still be deceptively difficult to get right. Besides flavor, of course, the sign of a restaurant-worthy cream sauce usually comes down to consistency; Alfredo sauce shouldn't be so thick that it's unappetizingly goopy or so thin that it can't cling to pasta properly.

The Only Way To Thicken Alfredo Sauce According To A Chef

Our history with Pasta Amatriciana goes back over a decade. It’s one of the dishes Daryl made for us when we were first dating. Needless to say, Daryl’s cooking was an unmitigated success. We’re still together. Faithfully following the amatriciana recipe in Marcella Hazan’s legendary Italian cookbook...

Amatriciana: Roman Pasta Dinner Winner

Blanco, TX

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Brigid Pfeifer

There were a number of celebrities who passed away within the past week, including two notable actresses: Shelley Duvall and Shannen Doherty. Shelley Duvall passed away on Thursday July 11th at her home in Blanco, Texas. The cause of death was complications from diabetes and news of her death was confirmed by her partner Dan Gilroy.

Two Beloved Hollywood Actresses Have Passed Away This Week

There’s incredible pasta, and there’s OK pasta. Even an objectively bland pasta is tasty in my eyes (er... belly). The most memorable pasta my taste buds regularly yearn for was served inside a Parmigiano Reggiano rind in Florence, Italy. And one of my favorite dinners, when I’m feeling run-down, is a slightly grown-up version of the beloved butter noodles of my childhood—add Parm and freshly cracked pepper, please!

I Asked 4 Chefs To Name the Best Dry Pasta—They All Said the Same Brand

Mashed

Jarred pasta sauce is a convenient addition to pasta night, but some brands are worse than others. These are ones made with the lowest quality ingredients.

Pasta Sauces That Are Made With The Lowest Quality Ingredients

Alex Guarnaschelli knows good food. The Iron Chef, Food Network star, and cookbook author certainly knows her way around the kitchen, and she has some pretty keen advice to share for home cooks looking to improve their sauteing skills and braising bonafides. However, it seems Guarnaschelli's advice also extends to wine. In an interview with Food & Wine, the chef spilled some of her opinions on wine as both a drink and an essential ingredient in cooking.

The Cardinal Mistake Of Cooking With Wine According To Alex Guarnaschelli

Be it a classic Big Mac or a hearty Quarter Pounder, the core ingredient that these McDonald's burgers can't do without are the ground beef patties. Some of you fast food fans out there might have wondered how McDonald's patties came to be while chomping down on that burger. Well, there aren't dedicated burger-shapers pressing fresh patties from a bucket of ground beef working behind the counter at each McDonald's. To streamline the operation, McDonald's buys all of its ingredients — from the beef patties in the burgers to the coffee it brews — from external vendors.

Who Makes McDonald's Beef Patties?

Here's what to reach for on the pasta aisle. There is nothing better than an ooey gooey, cheesy homemade mac and cheese. Despite it being such a classic dish, especially in the United States, it’s actually a surprisingly easy dish to get wrong. You can simply overcook the cheese sauce, choose the wrong pasta shape, or broil the breadcrumbs on top for just a tad too long, leaving it slightly burnt. While we aren’t able to look over your shoulder to check on the cheese sauce or broiling time, we can tell you the best pasta shape to prevent another mac and cheese mishap.

This Is the Best Pasta Shape for Macaroni and Cheese, According to a Chef

New York City, NY

Writers represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program and self-verified their accounts. Writers are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

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Cheryl E Preston

Yesterday was the third time this year that an ad stating Chelsea Clinton lives in a beautiful Virginia home popped up on my laptop. My computer did not warn me this was a dangerous site, so this time, I clicked on the link.

Chelsea Clinton is rumored to be living in Virginia but probably still in NYC

Total Apex Sports & Entertainment

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are two of the biggest celebrities in modern times. While much of the happenings between the two involved their marriage and divorce, there are bigger things for them to focus on. Most notably their children.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s Son Diagnosed With Rare Skin Condition

Some like it smothered in a robust Bolognese or tossed with a simple fresh tomato sauce. Others like it swirled in a creamy spinach sauce or mixed with pungent garlic and anchovies. However you like it best, there’s no denying that pasta is one of the most popular dinner choices. And for good reason. It’s fast, simple and delicious and just about everyone loves it. But have you ever noticed that pasta at a restaurant just tastes better than homemade? Well, there’s a reason for that, and it’s not necessarily that chefs are adding more salt or fat. In fact, there are simple techniques (and a little culinary know-how) that can help you replicate restaurant-quality pasta at home.

Why Pasta Tastes Better at Restaurants, According to a Former Line Cook

Virginia State

History Facts lists eight names US parents no longer give their newborns, which you may no longer hear in Virginia. The girls' names are Doris, Gertrude, Mildred, and Judith. I know or have known women with all four names, but they are either baby boomers or boomer parents' ages and someone's grandma or great aunt. Consider the ages of females in Virginia you know with these names.

Eight names parents in Virginia may no longer be giving to their newborns

The Foodie Fix

Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole is a comforting and hearty dish that combines savory ground beef, tender rice, and a creamy cheese sauce. 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)

Savory Cheesy Beef Rice Casserole: Comforting & Delicious

Pizza is one of life's most simple and delicious pleasures. That effortless combination of milky cheese, soft dough, and savory, sweet tomato sauce is classic for a reason: It's just so darn good. While making a quality homemade version of this pie can come with a bit of a learning curve, the process still doesn't have to be too hard. All you really need are a few staple ingredients to make pizza dough at home. For example, you can turn Greek yogurt into pizza dough with just one extra ingredient: Self-rising flour. (And if you only have all-purpose, simply combine with salt and baking powder to make your own.) Yes, really. That's seriously all it takes.

Turn Yogurt Into Pizza Dough With One Extra Ingredient

Lancaster County, PA

NewsByJoshua

Fans of Frisco's Chicken were left reeling as the beloved Peruvian-style eatery announced the closure of all its locations in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The chain, known for its delicious food and strong community values, posted a heartfelt note on its doors, informing customers of the devastating news.

Favorite Chicken Chain Suddenly Closes All Stores, Heartfelt Message Found on Doors

Virginia Wendy Williams fans, this is your July 2024 update on the former talk show host. Her best friend of 44 years, Regina Schell, has shared recent concerns with TV Show Aces and says she has not seen or talked to Wendy in more than a year.

Wendy Williams fans are worried after her best friend claims not to have heard from her in a year

Woman's World

Plus, the best ingredients to use for the richest taste, per the former president

Jimmy Carter’s Favorite Recipe Was a Bowl of Southern, Creamy Cheese Grits: Get the Recipe

NewsBreak

The Best Sauce Pairings For Unbeatable Bucatini Pasta

If you've never sunk your teeth into an al dente strand of bucatini, boy are you missing out. While not one of the most obscure pasta...

The Best Sauce Pairings For Unbeatable Bucatini Pasta

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