Roasted aromas. Not Burn flavor! Burnt is bitter and unhealthy! Roasted aromas are tasty and delicious! Still, you're right, at least about his tomatoes. They were clearly burned.
Vincenzo! Those cherry tomatoes were downright burnt! Capisco se li stufi un po' ma quelli erano bruciati da un lato e crudi dall'altro, che sapore possono dare? Acido. Ammetto che non ho ancora finito di vedere il video ma gia' mi sento outraged! Meglio che pensare alla geopolitica comunque. 😘
I'm from Rome and I do carbonara so often that I now prefer pomodoro just for variety, especially in the summer when I can find good tomatoes here in the UK 😊
When basil is chopped with a knife, especially if the knife is not very sharp, it can bruise the leaves, which might lead to a more rapid oxidation and browning. This process can slightly alter the flavor, making it somewhat bitter. Tearing the basil by hand, on the other hand, tends to be gentler and can help preserve the essential oils within the leaves, maintaining a fresher flavor. However, the difference in flavor is often subtle and may not be noticeable in many dishes, especially when basil is just one of several ingredients. In recipes where basil is a prominent flavor, such as in a Caprese salad or pesto, you might notice a slight difference.
@@Smoshy16 The difference is most of the time unnoticable. If you are using the basil within the next 15 minutes you will not taste any difference whatsoever. In fact cutting the basil in some cases might even be beneficial because the release of the oil will perfume the dish. People get this false impression because picking the basil by hand usually results in bigger and over all more pieces in the dish. So of course if you get half a leaf in a bite the taste will be stronger and leave a more lasting impression. If you pick the basil as thinly as he cut it it will literally not taste any different.
He probably is only taste-testing his food and spending most of his time serving it to paying customers instead of to himself. He's also on his feet, moving rapidly and sweating for hours at a time; up early to get ingredients and begin prep the next day. His body may also be fat-adapted (i.e. carnivore) and thus he burns like crazy. It isn't a mystery why some chefs are fit.
Vincenzo, two things. First, thank you for posting your reaction to this video. I had watched this on Italia Squisita and wondered what well-known cooks thought of this creative technique. Second, and most important, it is so nice and refreshing to hear that I am not the only one who disagrees with the quintesentially Italian technique of keeping garlic whole and then discarding it. Yes, garlic flavour is great, but you lose so much when you do not keep it in the dish being prepared. I do not know why so many people from Italy are so afraid and conflicted about garlic; if you cook it the right way it will be sweet and not overpowering. Thank you again.
As someone who likes to cook with my grandpas homegrown garlic I can say the sharpness of the garlic can vary greatly per yield. So my guess is that this method is used to remove the uncertainty how much sharpenss is in the final dish.
First of all I want to thank you for all the love and support! It means the world to me! How do you like to cook your garlic my friend! Chopped or chrushed like I do? 😊
The character of garlic also changes with how it is "treated". A whole bulb roasted is sweet. Slice it and you start to get its aroma and flavor. Mince it and its character gets stronger. Crush it in a garlic press and it can become quite fierce and needs to be tempered with other strong flavors. Over the years I have found that a LOT of Italian dishes are quite "conservative" in their use of garlic. It is there but nowhere near the forefront! @@vincenzosplate
@@GrinseberT The character of garlic also changes with how it is "treated". A whole bulb roasted is sweet. Slice it and you start to get its aroma and flavor. Mince it and its character gets stronger. Crush it in a garlic press and it can become quite fierce and needs to be tempered with other strong flavors.
One of the thing I appreciate with this real Italian TH-cam channel showcasing high end Italian chefs like Signor Cracco or Monosilio among others is, they show how dry "what Americans consider as supermarket" pasta is actually used. It doesn't have to follow that weird English obssession with following singular principle "fresh is better" (or among others, "we eat to live") - like how they obliged fresh pasta in everything "high-end". I dined at Tom's, and they use fresh pasta in Marinara, it just doesn't taste right. They serve other typical dry pasta sauce like aglio e olio, exclusively with fresh semolina pasta. I can imagine them British celebs, especially those "food advocates" like Jamie Oliver using fresh pasta with Carbonara sauce. Yep, egg on top of eggy sauce just because freshness. And yet, on things when they have to use fresh egg pasta, like Bolognese sauce, they popularised "spagbol", which is usually dry spaghetti. As the high-end Italian chefs have shown, yes, you may stray from traditions, unlike a lot of Italian stereotypes of how gate-keeping they are about their own nonna's recipes. You kinda have to make easy rustic Italian home cooking somehow worth EUR 20 a plate by being fancy. But there are things you don't have to be overly pretentious about - like making "pasta" from scratch.
Spaghetti al pomodoro is such an underrated dish. People either want more (mostly unnecessary) ingredients added to simple dishes like this or they want 'premium' and rare ingredients. When I make spaghetti al pomodoro its just canned tomatoes, sometimes some cherry/fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and oregano, salt and pepper. Optionally some basil leaves at the end. That's it. Next to bolognese and lemon pasta is this my favorite dish
Agree, but many people think tinned tomatoes are tinned tomatoes and have never tried using some of the fantastic, high-quality ones produced in Italy, which of course are quite expensive because, well, quality isn't cheap. That said, if you happen to come across good _fresh_ tomatoes then things go next level. I house-sat for a friend of mine (SW UK) some years ago and he had a greenhouse experimentally dedicated to toms I had to tend (1995? A long hot summer) - they went berserk, and were just frikking sublime. Pasta pomodoro to kill for, sliced onto toast in the morning - God they were good.
@@EliteRock I use La Molisana canned tomatoes and if possible Mutti San Marzano. They are quite expensive here in the Netherlands but I wait until they are discount and then I buy those in bulk
Vincenzo shaking his head while the chef finely cuts the basil....don't blame you...I was doing the same thing while saying you're supposed to tear it with your fingers. *LOL* Another great and honest reaction video. :)
Glad you made a video of Italia Squisita :) I suggested to review thses guys a while ago and now I finally get to see it! so nice. I love that channel!! Their risotto video is amazing too!!
@@vincenzosplate Saffron Risotto by Carlo Cracco, but really any other receipes on that channel. ''The REAL Best Tomato Sauce You'll Ever Make with Italian Chef Paolo Lopriore''
Some of Vincenzo’s comments lead me to believe he’s comparing Cracco’s sauce to a more internationalized Italian tomato sauce. For example, Vincenzo uses way more garlic (and leaves it in) than a classic authentic tomato and basil Italian sauce. Also, his 150 grams/person comment is a nonsense in any Italian household. That’s why they call pasta dishes “Primi”. Finally, pasta e pomodoro, as it is done in all of Italy has nothing to do with the soffritto version he’s referring to, which he suggests a nonna would cook for an hour. We’re talking about a sauce that has quality tomatoes and basil, at the height of their growing season, in their simplest and best form. As for the basil, I agree with the comments about cutting and presentation. Always a pleasure to watch Vincenzo’s videos.
I follow this exact recipe for my regular pasta dish! I actually really like the thinly sliced basil, it adds a nice texture and as long as you use a sharp knife you dont bruise the basil
Vincenzo, give it up with the basil. Flavours stay on the cutting board? Tearing, they stay on your fingers. I've done both and NO difference. Why tear it? Eat it whole if you want to save all the flavours. The chiffonade method assures a delicate, background flavour with each bite.
It was fun to watch this . . . I found this same video around a year ago or so, studied it closely and made it for myself. It was very tasty and I really like getting to see your reaction, especially considering how I used it to learn to make this dish at home . . . Thanks Vincenzo!!
@@vincenzosplate He meant Risotto with Basmati rice variety not with coffee. Basmati isn't the best rice variety to make risotto as it is not starchy enough to make risotto creamy, but if you don't have any other rice, it does the job but for me personally I wouldn't do it, just use the basmati rice to cook the legendary biryani.
@@vincenzosplatehe had a signature dish where he cooked basmati rice with cream to make a risotto, and at the bottom of the plate he would put some instant coffee granules at the bottom of the bowl, then his basmati risotto, olive oil and sea urchin. At the time I was thinking I don’t know which one is more blasphemous - instant coffee or basmati rice. However the dish tasted amazing - def not a risotto as described but amazing. Btw Vincenzo - huge fan and only your channel has perfected my Roman pasta cooking ❤
@@AgentkayyChef Carlo uses a slow cooker that constantly spins to extract the maximum amount of starch but still have some of the aroma compounds found in basmati - the guy is a genius
@@hammalamiri12 Interesting 🤔, I'll add some Pandan leaves next time I cook risotto to achieve the same result without resorting to use the slow cooker. The biochemical that gives basmati its flavour is also found in the Pandan leaves anyway.
I think there is a detail that needs more discussion: the basil. Yes, you are right to say you should rip it apart, because cutting will make the aroma leak out to the cutting board. However: there is a important exclusion from this rule. Using a very sharp blade with a very thin blade geometry and also using the right technique will not result in this problem. That's why trained chefs can cut a 1000 onions without ever shedding a tear. If you hack the onion with your knife - like almost everybody - instead of cutting it: you will cry. If you use the right knife and technique, there is just nothing. It's not like the onion is releasing some kind of gas. Its fluid being squished out. The same is true for cutting herbs.
I made this on our vacation in Italy after I watched the video. It was very good. But the second time, instead of cutting the basil I made a fresh pesto out of it and put some drops of it onto the pasta. I really liked that better, because it added some freshness to the otherwise rather heavy and sticky sauce
Remember that a Michelin starred chef is also overly concerned with presentation, which is why he fishes out the garlic and ribbon-cuts the basil. I agree with Vincenzo on both counts. I think both those things, which the chef does to make the dish look prettier, have a cost to the taste of the dish-although the chef must think it’s a fair trade-off.
I still prefer your version of spaghetti pomodoro. It is now a mainstay in my house. I have enjoyed experimenting with different tinned tomatoes. You have made me appreciate that not all tinned tomatoes are the same. Loving Mutti at the moment.
In my opinion the best canned tomatoes are those produced by a small factory in Sardinia called CASAR. They are by far the tastiest canned peeled tomatoes I've tried.
I agree with you on the garlic. I watched other Italians remove the garlic from the sauce, so obviously I wanted to try that method to see how it works for me, because I like learning new things. I did it a few times, but the taste of garlic in the sauce was then way too subtle for me to feel it at all. I decided to switch to keeping the garlic in. I don't use a crusher, but what I do is first crush the whole clove slightly with a knife, then chop it finely and then crush the chopped garlic with the knife again with a sliding motion to almost "creamify" it and that works really well.
Some people indeed prefer a milder flavor of garlic as I do, so in my opinion, it's wonderful to have a hint of garlic aroma rather than something too strong. However, this is all subjective, and everyone is free to do as they please.
Yep. That's the way I do it too and it's not much work at all. And it saves you the money for a garlic crusher and the time you need to clean that thing.
Love the reacting video vincenzo love your content your a amazing TH-camr I love watching your videos they are the greatest and the best and the coolest your content is the greatest and the best and the coolest it always brings a smile to my face watching your content your a amazing and fantastic cook vincenzo😊❤️
I love the respect for the ingredients and the product. You can tell it's in his DNA. That's something you apparently cannot learn (there's a British chef out there who has Michelin stars but he doesn't have this skill) You need very high quality tomatoes to do it the way he does it. Supermarket quality won't do. Even if it's labelled "organic" - especially not in the US where vegetable quality is way below the quality in Southern Europe. Unless you've grown them yourself or you know the farmer don't even try. It will never be as good as you've seen it in a video on the internet. When fresh high quality tomatoes are not available, I use premium canned tomatoes as the base and some fresh cocktail tomatoes. And I usually cheat by melting 2 or 3 anchovies filets at low-medium heat. You won't taste the anchovies. All this does is give you a huge amount of umami. 3 anchovies for 500ml sauce is enough and will put smiles on peoples faces and raise questions how you made it.
At 2:26 the chef starts talking about how he reduces the tomato sauce by half, so from 1 kg he ends up with 500 gm. My understanding of sauce reduction is when you make the sauce less watery and more thicker. Is this what the chef in the video means by this? Wouldn't reducing your sauce from 1 kg to 500 gm require a super long cooking time? Somebody help! And please excuse my ignorance if this seems like a silly question. It's just that reducing a sauce by such a huge amount doesn't make sense, so I believe I may be missing something here. Thanks in advance for your explanations.
So... Tomatoes (especially if very fresh like those used in this recipe) contain a notable percentage of water. Reducing 1kg of tomatoes into half a kilo of sauce isn't that strange. The only aspect to take into consideration is to avoid dehydrating the sauce too much. Tomato sauce cooked too long tends to quickly become acidic.
His criticism of the basil is that a lot of flavor is left on the cutting board. But that's only a problem if the basil isn't tasting enough. I personally think big leaves of fresh basil is overpowering, so I think this thinly sliced basil may very well be a better solution that to tear big chunks. I will try and find out.
@@rasmusrasmusson And does that sound like a good thing to you?? Not a good thing in the philosophy of Italian cuisine. Basil must be smelt, it is a much appreciated scent in our dishes. Test it by breaking it up by hand and putting it in your tomato sauce. I think you will appreciate it more, I bet on it. But the basil must be fresh, this is important.
@@rasmusrasmusson In my opinion (like all ingredients) basil should also be used "cum grano salis" (judiciously) and with the correct recipes. It goes perfectly with tomato sauce and believe me, it makes the sauce absolutely special. The same precaution applies to parsley, even this herb is not perfect on every dish. There are dishes with which parsley goes perfectly, others where it is absolutely terrible. The same principle applies to basil.
you are so right Vincenzo the simpler the pasta sauce the better it is i learned from a nonna who lives in germany to cook pomodorosauce( from pasata) only with pepper down(by half) and then add olive oil an per portion combine the sauce with the pasta in the pan with a bit of starchy salted water and if you want tear basil over it so simple so good
Tearing is great but there is no problem with slicing basil providing that your knife is razor sharp (and it probably isn't). You notice how sharp his knife is? There is no "burning" of the basil and no "flavours on the board". Obviously, if your knife is not razor sharp it will crush your basil and it will turn black. However, you lose far more flavours to the board when you cut things like garlic--what do you think all the juice on your board is?
Garlic in Italian cuisine is an ingredient that is used with extreme moderation. I really don't understand this obsession with garlic that Anglo-Saxon countries have.
🎉Vincenzo, you have taught this grandma to make cherry tomato/basil sauce and it’s the best! I still make my canned whole plum tomato sauce, a Napolitano Ragu, and my favorite Carbonara (no cream, piacere). But your cherry tomato sauce is light, fresh, quick to prepare and always delicious. Buonissima❣️
I always reduce the tomato with basil (and maybe garlic) _without ever touching it_ once it reaches a nice, gentle bubble for the minimum 45 mins of reduction (as per Vincenzo, usually longer), the olive oil separating out and forming a layer on the top so the air never gets to it or the basil/garlic added at the beginning (moar basil added later!). I kind of agree with Vincenzo about chopping basil (oxidation and leaving a lot of the flavour on the board) but I sometimes chop it rolled into a tight little cigar _immediately_ before it goes into the dish. In fact I'm OCD about oxidation and pretty much any ingredient that has to be chopped in advance I'll add oil to to protect it.
@@seanchao7622 Matter of taste, but I go for maybe 60% by volume, takes 45-60 mins at a very low heat/simmer/bubble in a frying pan, longer in a saucepan . Don't ever let it get to an actual boil!
@@vincenzosplate Appreciated! No, not a pro, I've just always taken a 'scientific'/'empirical' approach to food and cooking (now in my 6th decade) and this always worked for me, whether using good tinned or fresh chopped toms.
Vincenzo Sono d'accordo - I agree that one should not cut basil. I'm a chef at a NY pizzeria - We always tear the fresh basil with our hands - He may be a Michelin Chef but you are the GOODYEAR chef!!! LOL
He's probably cutting the basil for presentation purposes like he does at this restaurant, because of that "evenly cut" expectation most people have when dining at a Michelin star restaurant (which is silly, I know). I bet at home he's just tearing the basil leaves.
Vincenzo, on skinny chefs: I noticed that right away! One of my other favorite channels is Chef Jean-Pierre, he definitely is into food! That said, and you may find this odd, but while watching an episode of Chef Jean-Pierre I had an epiphany! The white chef jacket looks like a sow's belly! Two rows of buttons... do you see it? Or am I being weird? Anyway, Chef Carlo is one scrawny sow! I'm just having some fun, but thought you might enjoy that. Otherwise, for a scrawny chef, he made a a beautiful spaghetti al pomodoro, except for the disrespected basil. Great video!
I gave this recipe a go (without cutting up the basil and making it look like seaweed) and liked it. You don't really need the fried cherry tomatoes, but they give it a nice extra touch.
May god bless you much vincenzo, the love you show to food is written all over your face its easy to see! I shall keep you and your family in my prayers always!
Every time I try to do a cherry tomato sauce it comes out really sour. Is there a trick to this? Do they have to be super fresh ? I tend to keep them out on the benchtop for a few days before I get to them.
I don't know if the sourness depends on the freshness of the tomatoes... You can also reduce the sourness of the tomato sauce with a large piece of carrot, then throw it away. Of course, the carrots will be somewhat noticeable in the sauce. When your cherry tomatoes are too sour, you can combine it with pulm tomatoes or with another type of tomatos. Or with canned tomatoes. These Italian recipes show the diversity of the flavors of the ingredients. Even if these good ingredients are really available. Of course, the worse the ingredients, more spices are needed... :(
I would also like to point out the size of the portion. I know it's a michelin star restaurant and you're supposed to order, like, 20 different dishes to seem all fancy and all, but I still can't take this guy seriously when he puts a tablespoon of pasta into a giant serving dish and presents it like it's such a masterpiece. Come on, man, I've been to Italy, italians are generous people, and a dish of pasta is usually enough to fill two people up, not this ridiculous tasting sample!
In Italy u eat pasta a a first dish ... primo piatto ... before you eat then fish or meat or both and salat sweets etc. Normal pasta portion when u dont eat anything else is 125 gr.
For me, cutting the basil could get the advantage in condition of textures (the texture of basil will not interupt the al dente texture of the pasta and the richness consistency of the sauce). The flavour may be a little droped but if you use enough, it should not be the problem. (Moreover, I think they might release more flavour because they have more surface area after cutting. Who knows?)
Being 1/4 of romagnolo extraction, I repeatedly made an old variant from there: It's made with homemade kind of spaghettini, lard, onions, tomato puree and parsley. I think it tastes OK, it's a good solution if you have parsley leftovers. But for my palate I would rather choose arabbiata, with enough garlic and peperoncino.
We call this sauce "sugo finto" (fake sauce) 'cause there is no meat inside. I make it quite often, it's health, simple and fast. I use squeezed garlic in EVO oil and peeled cherry tomatoes (30 sec in boiling water and then in ice water) without tomatoes purè; during the cooking of the sauce, 15' minutes are enough, I smash some tomatoes and if they are not very red I add a little of triple tomato concentrate for the color. At the end fresh basil and Pecorino or Parmigiano to finish. A less fast sauce I made with "soffritto" made of onion, carrot and celery, a little of white wine to deglaze, tomatoes purè and Pecorino or Parmigiano. Most complicate sauce I make putting pieces of different kind of fresh tomatoes in the oven at 140° for 15 min, then blended, filtered and put in a pan with EVO oil and garlic, everything to be creamed with Parmigiano or Pecorino. Buon appetito!
Da Italiano, quello che ha fatto vedere Vincenzo e’ quello che facciamo nelle nostre cuciine in Italia. Quello di Cracco e’ un (sicuramente ottimo) virtuosismo sul tema.
The one thing i "dislike" (too strong a word) about italian cuisine is it´s unwillingness to try new things. Like... how do you think these dishes came to be? Experiments. Just keep the spirit: It needs to be simple, the ingredients are the star, make them shine. It´s honest cooking without bullshit. Good things make good food
@@vincenzosplate i see it like this: respect the classics, they are classics for a reason. But some new things may become classics in the future. That being said, i will make some rather classic italian pasta tonight. Love ya Vincenco
I made this recently, but I salted the tomatoes beforehand to get the juice out. I added that juice back at the very end which made it seem fresher. Not sure how authentic that is.
Completamente d'accordo con te Vincenzo! I totally agree with your review. Basil like that on top is kinda wasted, about the garlic i usually left in the sauce (but i remove the "Animella", the center part of the garlic), and the roasted tomatoes on top are fancy, but i personally would never spend around 40 euros for a Spaghetti al Pomodoro pasta!
@@vincenzosplate that would be wonderful. As I get older the heavier pastas tend to upset my stomach. For whatever reason the lightness of the angel hair tends not to have the same effect. Especially when I make it fresh at home. But there are not to many good recipes
THE point is precisely this, basil broken by hand according to Vincenzo (it's like that for me too) has more flavor and does not oxidize due to contact with the blade.
@@s1lv3rr true, but in his Pomodoro video he first adds basil with the stems, removes them before blending the sauce and then adds crushed basil again At around 4:11 min, removes it at 6:13 min th-cam.com/video/NIgKvlAYOdU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=skI-NJZeHn1O2Dx-
@@Christian-of1tz Each person has their preferences, I'll tell you my idea. Personally I would have added only the basil stems to the sautéed garlic to flavor the oil even better, then I would have removed the withered basil stems (obviously they are not edible). I would have put the basil leaves only at the end on the hot pasta and its splendid tomato sauce. It seems like something that makes more sense to my taste. But Vincenzo is great and his version will certainly be excellent. Personally I hate the skin of tomatoes and usually before using them I blanch them for a few minutes in hot water to be able to peel them easily, however many people really like the sauce with tomato skins... OMG 😂 Take my suggestions as an indication, not as an obligation and enjoy your passion for cooking!!! 😉😉😉
@@s1lv3rr thank you for your input. What I don't understand is why the basil is put into the sauce with the stems at all, since it releases much more flavor when chopped. I will try your suggestion as well. So far I had the best experience with fresh tomatoes, which leaves the skin as you said and with peeled tomatoes from Mutti's. The latter one usually produces more sauce itself.
@@Christian-of1tz I wouldn't put the stems, just the leaves. I think Vincenzo uses the entire stem with leaves to maximize the scent of the basil, but this is not my choice. Fresh tomatoes are basically a concentrate of water and for this reason you get less sauce from them for the same weight, but the sauce obtained from fresh tomatoes is certainly much tastier. Mutti is also absolutely my favorite among the producers usually found in supermarkets. If I can suggest you an excellent chef to watch on TH-cam and who I personally find amazing, this is Max Mariola, for me he is really good, but I'm not sure if his videos have English subtitles...
i love adding roasted tomatoes in my spaghetti ai pomodoro. but i do make to sauce fresh out of cherry tomatos or sometimes meat tomatos. i add basil and garlic and before i serve, i replace the cooked basil with fresh one. the less ingredients you chose, the more you have to wath their quality. the tomatoes have to be rich in flavour.
"Fancy" doesn't mean GOOD all the time. How many of us have recipes from our Grandmothers that were simple, but incredibly flavorful? Simple, made with love will always win out for me at least.
Vincenzo! You’ve got some nerve passing judgment on a Michelin star chef, but actually I agree with pretty much all your comments. I have cooked your tomato sauce for spaghetti many times and it is fantastic!
For dinner I ate a chicken leg with potatoes…. I love the sound when you are tossing the pasta in the pan… Thank you very much, Vincenzo, for sharing your video with us.
That Michelin star chef's final portion was tiny! I would be starving after that. I am sure there are smaller, more informal establishments in Italy that would serve much larger servings for a tiny fraction of the price at Cracco's.
There is NO such thing as a _"Michelin Star Chef"_ .... never was and never will be! The only _"Michelin Star"_ is an 'Award' which goes to a restaurant and NEVER EVER to a Chef, and even when that certain Chef leaves that restaurant, the "Michelin Star" will stay at the restaurant!
@@Johnny_Guitar I agree. It's a lot of hype. The Nonnas never heard of Michelin stars and can put these 'celebrities' to shame. But to clarify, when people use the expression 'Michelin Star Chef' they are referring to a Chef whose cooking earned a Michelin star for their restaurant. Yes the award stays with the restaurant even when the Chef leaves, but the standard was set with the Chef in question that successors are expected to match.
Vincenzo, I would love to see a reaction video (and maybe recreation in your own style) to Eastern European sweet pastas and sweet gnocchis. My grandma always made fresh poopy seed pasta (mákos tészta, if you wish to Google it) from scratch to my grandpa. The simpler the food the more you need to choose your ingredients carefully and work more professionally with them.
I like your fine crushing garlic a lot more. I see many few chefs only hurt garlic a bit but I don't believe this is going to release all its flavor; maybe if you cooked it in a stew / goulash for an hour... If you taste the garlic from this preparation when you take it out of the pan, you'll find out it still has so much potency left - and you rid yourself of the flavor. I think it is just a fashion trend with putting the garlic in as whole and perhaps with the peel too (which does not have much taste to be honest).
I also like to keep the garlic in the dish. However, I finely grate it instead of using a garlic press. The grated garlic then flavours the olive oil and completely disappears while cooking.
In Italy the use of garlic has gradually decreased over the years. When you have excellent quality ingredients, the flavor must not be covered by garlic.
I will provide a bit of pushback on your basil suggestions. If it is in fact so delicate, it doesn’t matter whether you cut it or tear it, because the flavor remains on either the cutting board or your fingers. Might I suggest a cocktail technique of adding them in whole and mushing them, or “muddling”, to quote the mixologist, into the sauce. And later either blending the whole sauce or removing the wilted leaves.
This is a great suggestion. I still strongly believe tearing the basil with your fingers is the most delicate way but your suggestion might be the best way to go in order to get 100% out of the basil. Love to get these type pf comments where we all get to learn
Well, what to say about nonna style.. when I cook a simple spaghetto al pomodoro, I too use garlic and a thick and creamy sause. The fact that he chopped the basil is not an issue.. he had basil in the sauce anyway.. I also don't overcook the sauce.. 15 mins is enough for a top quality passata.. I prefer a fresh tomato flavour.. I don't use a 'trito misto' for a spaghetto al pomodoro. I used it for a meat sauce, like a ragù.. In the end he didn't do nothing weird.. apart for the toasted cherry tomatoes.. In the end it was simple stuff.. semplice semplice..
That basil looks like rosemary which is weird on a pasta dish but I wont knock it till I try it. Also cherry tomatoes look well burned but again I will try it as I can see how that flavor would integrate well with a thick sweet tomato sauce. On a first glance you are tempted to say "ahhh nah thanks" but the difference between a home or a regular chef and a Michelin one is that the last one is pushing boundaries.
Great video, but I must say I'm not burning to visit his restaurant to try this pasta. There simply is something to it that doesn't trigger the "wow" response. As you say Vincenzo, I'd press the garlic, tear the basil, and ultimately make this myself.
In answer to Your pinned question, I don’t think I could choose. In a restaurant, I would choose carbonara (if it’s made with real cheese and no cream). Carlo Cracco didn’t put any pecorino on his spaghetti pomodoro. I would not pay a lot of money to eat at his restaurant. I’d rather visit Luciano Monosillio. About the garlic, it seems like north of Rome they flavor the oil with garlic, then remove. South of Rome, we eat the garlic. My people came from Campania, so we eat the garlic. ❤🇮🇹🍝❤ I love Your videos, Enzo.
Thank you my friend for taking the time and writing your answer to my question. I completely agree that he should have added a touch of pecorino at the end! 👨🍳🍝🧀
I prefer Vincenzo's way to prepare this recipe. Caramelized cherry tomatoes, no way. Then the passata with soffritto is best. Vincenzo is more sticking to the Italian pasta tradition. Anyway, thank you Vincenzo showing us this.
This is my go to tomato sauce recipe. I love the simplicity, tomato, garlic, basil. Need to have really good tomatoes as there is no onion to add sweetness.
Something i have noticed... Italians always say "Extra virgin olive oil" I have never ever seen anything else than "extra virgin" olive oil. So around here its just "Olive oil." You add olive oil.
Would you choose?
1) Spaghetti al Pomodoro
2) Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
Very unfair to Pomodoro to have to compete with the best dish in the world tbf hehehe
Roasted aromas. Not Burn flavor! Burnt is bitter and unhealthy! Roasted aromas are tasty and delicious!
Still, you're right, at least about his tomatoes. They were clearly burned.
Pomodoro!
Vincenzo! Those cherry tomatoes were downright burnt! Capisco se li stufi un po' ma quelli erano bruciati da un lato e crudi dall'altro, che sapore possono dare? Acido. Ammetto che non ho ancora finito di vedere il video ma gia' mi sento outraged! Meglio che pensare alla geopolitica comunque. 😘
I'm from Rome and I do carbonara so often that I now prefer pomodoro just for variety, especially in the summer when I can find good tomatoes here in the UK 😊
When basil is chopped with a knife, especially if the knife is not very sharp, it can bruise the leaves, which might lead to a more rapid oxidation and browning. This process can slightly alter the flavor, making it somewhat bitter. Tearing the basil by hand, on the other hand, tends to be gentler and can help preserve the essential oils within the leaves, maintaining a fresher flavor.
However, the difference in flavor is often subtle and may not be noticeable in many dishes, especially when basil is just one of several ingredients. In recipes where basil is a prominent flavor, such as in a Caprese salad or pesto, you might notice a slight difference.
Vincenzo has made this point in multiple videos re Basil. It's nice to have it confirmed. The more we learn the better.
Thanks for providing a more detailed insight! Tearing the basil is the way to go if we want to preserve its freshness and delicious aroma 😊
@@vincenzosplate Thanks mate! My wife and I love your channel 🙂
@@Smoshy16 The difference is most of the time unnoticable. If you are using the basil within the next 15 minutes you will not taste any difference whatsoever. In fact cutting the basil in some cases might even be beneficial because the release of the oil will perfume the dish. People get this false impression because picking the basil by hand usually results in bigger and over all more pieces in the dish. So of course if you get half a leaf in a bite the taste will be stronger and leave a more lasting impression. If you pick the basil as thinly as he cut it it will literally not taste any different.
Sorry but...serve fresh (10-15 mins)..cut it! Your nose not your mouth is eager to accept it. The basil and the cut you can smell it...wonderful
My grandma says: "Never trust a skinny chef". I almost fell out of my chair when I heard you say something similar, lol!
Probably because fancy Italian restaurants serve only a spoonful of pasta.
Hahahah well it's true 😂
😂😂😂
He probably is only taste-testing his food and spending most of his time serving it to paying customers instead of to himself. He's also on his feet, moving rapidly and sweating for hours at a time; up early to get ingredients and begin prep the next day. His body may also be fat-adapted (i.e. carnivore) and thus he burns like crazy. It isn't a mystery why some chefs are fit.
Massimo Bottura (who's the skinny chef behind 3 stars Osteria Francescana restaurant in Modena) used that as the title of one of his recipes books =)
Vincenzo, two things. First, thank you for posting your reaction to this video. I had watched this on Italia Squisita and wondered what well-known cooks thought of this creative technique. Second, and most important, it is so nice and refreshing to hear that I am not the only one who disagrees with the quintesentially Italian technique of keeping garlic whole and then discarding it. Yes, garlic flavour is great, but you lose so much when you do not keep it in the dish being prepared. I do not know why so many people from Italy are so afraid and conflicted about garlic; if you cook it the right way it will be sweet and not overpowering. Thank you again.
As someone who likes to cook with my grandpas homegrown garlic I can say the sharpness of the garlic can vary greatly per yield.
So my guess is that this method is used to remove the uncertainty how much sharpenss is in the final dish.
First of all I want to thank you for all the love and support! It means the world to me!
How do you like to cook your garlic my friend! Chopped or chrushed like I do? 😊
Many people don’t really digest garlic and/or and some of them don’t want to have a stinky breath. Those could be the main reasons.
The character of garlic also changes with how it is "treated". A whole bulb roasted is sweet. Slice it and you start to get its aroma and flavor. Mince it and its character gets stronger. Crush it in a garlic press and it can become quite fierce and needs to be tempered with other strong flavors. Over the years I have found that a LOT of Italian dishes are quite "conservative" in their use of garlic. It is there but nowhere near the forefront! @@vincenzosplate
@@GrinseberT The character of garlic also changes with how it is "treated". A whole bulb roasted is sweet. Slice it and you start to get its aroma and flavor. Mince it and its character gets stronger. Crush it in a garlic press and it can become quite fierce and needs to be tempered with other strong flavors.
One of the thing I appreciate with this real Italian TH-cam channel showcasing high end Italian chefs like Signor Cracco or Monosilio among others is, they show how dry "what Americans consider as supermarket" pasta is actually used.
It doesn't have to follow that weird English obssession with following singular principle "fresh is better" (or among others, "we eat to live") - like how they obliged fresh pasta in everything "high-end". I dined at Tom's, and they use fresh pasta in Marinara, it just doesn't taste right. They serve other typical dry pasta sauce like aglio e olio, exclusively with fresh semolina pasta. I can imagine them British celebs, especially those "food advocates" like Jamie Oliver using fresh pasta with Carbonara sauce. Yep, egg on top of eggy sauce just because freshness.
And yet, on things when they have to use fresh egg pasta, like Bolognese sauce, they popularised "spagbol", which is usually dry spaghetti.
As the high-end Italian chefs have shown, yes, you may stray from traditions, unlike a lot of Italian stereotypes of how gate-keeping they are about their own nonna's recipes. You kinda have to make easy rustic Italian home cooking somehow worth EUR 20 a plate by being fancy. But there are things you don't have to be overly pretentious about - like making "pasta" from scratch.
Spaghetti al pomodoro is such an underrated dish. People either want more (mostly unnecessary) ingredients added to simple dishes like this or they want 'premium' and rare ingredients. When I make spaghetti al pomodoro its just canned tomatoes, sometimes some cherry/fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and oregano, salt and pepper. Optionally some basil leaves at the end. That's it. Next to bolognese and lemon pasta is this my favorite dish
I completely agree! It's a simple but very tasty recipe and so easy to put together 👨🍳🍝
No Garlic or Basil!?? That is entirely a different dish.
@@cbxxb4841 Yes sorry, garlic as well and at the end some basil, you got me there! 😂 I edited garlic and basil into the comment
Agree, but many people think tinned tomatoes are tinned tomatoes and have never tried using some of the fantastic, high-quality ones produced in Italy, which of course are quite expensive because, well, quality isn't cheap. That said, if you happen to come across good _fresh_ tomatoes then things go next level. I house-sat for a friend of mine (SW UK) some years ago and he had a greenhouse experimentally dedicated to toms I had to tend (1995? A long hot summer) - they went berserk, and were just frikking sublime. Pasta pomodoro to kill for, sliced onto toast in the morning - God they were good.
@@EliteRock I use La Molisana canned tomatoes and if possible Mutti San Marzano. They are quite expensive here in the Netherlands but I wait until they are discount and then I buy those in bulk
Vincenzo shaking his head while the chef finely cuts the basil....don't blame you...I was doing the same thing while saying you're supposed to tear it with your fingers. *LOL* Another great and honest reaction video. :)
You know how the basil should be treated my friend! 👨🍳🌿 Thank you for your love and support, it means a lot to me❤
@@vincenzosplate Any decent chef knows how to chiffonade some basil without bruising it...come on now 🤦♂
Glad you made a video of Italia Squisita :) I suggested to review thses guys a while ago and now I finally get to see it! so nice.
I love that channel!! Their risotto video is amazing too!!
Glad to hear that I posted a video that you had been waiting for! 😄 What would you like ti see next?
@@vincenzosplate Saffron Risotto by Carlo Cracco, but really any other receipes on that channel.
''The REAL Best Tomato Sauce You'll Ever Make with Italian Chef Paolo Lopriore''
Love the thumbnail and this recipe! I was thinking about this recipe for you to review the other day hahaha 🤣🤣
The one and only legend himself. What do you think of it?
Hahah glad I have posted a video that you were looking forward to! I hope you enjoyed 😊
Some of Vincenzo’s comments lead me to believe he’s comparing Cracco’s sauce to a more internationalized Italian tomato sauce. For example, Vincenzo uses way more garlic (and leaves it in) than a classic authentic tomato and basil Italian sauce. Also, his 150 grams/person comment is a nonsense in any Italian household. That’s why they call pasta dishes “Primi”. Finally, pasta e pomodoro, as it is done in all of Italy has nothing to do with the soffritto version he’s referring to, which he suggests a nonna would cook for an hour. We’re talking about a sauce that has quality tomatoes and basil, at the height of their growing season, in their simplest and best form. As for the basil, I agree with the comments about cutting and presentation. Always a pleasure to watch Vincenzo’s videos.
Every time I julienne my basil, I hear Vincenzo's voice in my head "You don't cut the basil, you use your fingers!" 😆😅
😂😂😂
I follow this exact recipe for my regular pasta dish! I actually really like the thinly sliced basil, it adds a nice texture and as long as you use a sharp knife you dont bruise the basil
Thanks for sharing how you like to make this pasta my friend! It sounds delicious 👨🍳🍝
Vincenzo, give it up with the basil. Flavours stay on the cutting board? Tearing, they stay on your fingers. I've done both and NO difference. Why tear it? Eat it whole if you want to save all the flavours. The chiffonade method assures a delicate, background flavour with each bite.
If you say it we definitely believe it!!!😂😂
It was fun to watch this . . . I found this same video around a year ago or so, studied it closely and made it for myself. It was very tasty and I really like getting to see your reaction, especially considering how I used it to learn to make this dish at home . . . Thanks Vincenzo!!
Carlo Cracco - what a legend. He once made a risotto with basmati rice and instant coffee in Milan 😅
Risotto with coffee? That's very strange 😅
@@vincenzosplate
He meant Risotto with Basmati rice variety not with coffee.
Basmati isn't the best rice variety to make risotto as it is not starchy enough to make risotto creamy, but if you don't have any other rice, it does the job but for me personally I wouldn't do it, just use the basmati rice to cook the legendary biryani.
@@vincenzosplatehe had a signature dish where he cooked basmati rice with cream to make a risotto, and at the bottom of the plate he would put some instant coffee granules at the bottom of the bowl, then his basmati risotto, olive oil and sea urchin. At the time I was thinking I don’t know which one is more blasphemous - instant coffee or basmati rice. However the dish tasted amazing - def not a risotto as described but amazing. Btw Vincenzo - huge fan and only your channel has perfected my Roman pasta cooking ❤
@@AgentkayyChef Carlo uses a slow cooker that constantly spins to extract the maximum amount of starch but still have some of the aroma compounds found in basmati - the guy is a genius
@@hammalamiri12
Interesting 🤔, I'll add some Pandan leaves next time I cook risotto to achieve the same result without resorting to use the slow cooker.
The biochemical that gives basmati its flavour is also found in the Pandan leaves anyway.
I think there is a detail that needs more discussion: the basil. Yes, you are right to say you should rip it apart, because cutting will make the aroma leak out to the cutting board. However: there is a important exclusion from this rule. Using a very sharp blade with a very thin blade geometry and also using the right technique will not result in this problem. That's why trained chefs can cut a 1000 onions without ever shedding a tear. If you hack the onion with your knife - like almost everybody - instead of cutting it: you will cry. If you use the right knife and technique, there is just nothing. It's not like the onion is releasing some kind of gas. Its fluid being squished out. The same is true for cutting herbs.
Thank you for this detailed insight my friend! 🌿👨🍳
I made this on our vacation in Italy after I watched the video. It was very good. But the second time, instead of cutting the basil I made a fresh pesto out of it and put some drops of it onto the pasta. I really liked that better, because it added some freshness to the otherwise rather heavy and sticky sauce
Remember that a Michelin starred chef is also overly concerned with presentation, which is why he fishes out the garlic and ribbon-cuts the basil. I agree with Vincenzo on both counts. I think both those things, which the chef does to make the dish look prettier, have a cost to the taste of the dish-although the chef must think it’s a fair trade-off.
And that's why homemade food is the most tasty! Because we focus on the flavors and cook it with lots of love ❤
I still prefer your version of spaghetti pomodoro. It is now a mainstay in my house. I have enjoyed experimenting with different tinned tomatoes. You have made me appreciate that not all tinned tomatoes are the same. Loving Mutti at the moment.
In my opinion the best canned tomatoes are those produced by a small factory in Sardinia called CASAR. They are by far the tastiest canned peeled tomatoes I've tried.
I agree with you on the garlic. I watched other Italians remove the garlic from the sauce, so obviously I wanted to try that method to see how it works for me, because I like learning new things. I did it a few times, but the taste of garlic in the sauce was then way too subtle for me to feel it at all. I decided to switch to keeping the garlic in. I don't use a crusher, but what I do is first crush the whole clove slightly with a knife, then chop it finely and then crush the chopped garlic with the knife again with a sliding motion to almost "creamify" it and that works really well.
It sounds like too much work my friend! Give a try to my method, you'll see that the result is the same and only takes a second 😁🧄
Some people indeed prefer a milder flavor of garlic as I do, so in my opinion, it's wonderful to have a hint of garlic aroma rather than something too strong. However, this is all subjective, and everyone is free to do as they please.
@@vincenzosplate I'd have to buy another kitchen utensil, haha. Maybe. ;)
Yep. That's the way I do it too and it's not much work at all. And it saves you the money for a garlic crusher and the time you need to clean that thing.
@@fransbuijs808 Glad I'm not the only one. It's a matter of practice. It doesn't have to take much time.
Love the reacting video vincenzo love your content your a amazing TH-camr I love watching your videos they are the greatest and the best and the coolest your content is the greatest and the best and the coolest it always brings a smile to my face watching your content your a amazing and fantastic cook vincenzo😊❤️
Thank you so much for all the love and support mate! 👨🍳
I love the respect for the ingredients and the product. You can tell it's in his DNA. That's something you apparently cannot learn (there's a British chef out there who has Michelin stars but he doesn't have this skill)
You need very high quality tomatoes to do it the way he does it. Supermarket quality won't do. Even if it's labelled "organic" - especially not in the US where vegetable quality is way below the quality in Southern Europe. Unless you've grown them yourself or you know the farmer don't even try. It will never be as good as you've seen it in a video on the internet.
When fresh high quality tomatoes are not available, I use premium canned tomatoes as the base and some fresh cocktail tomatoes. And I usually cheat by melting 2 or 3 anchovies filets at low-medium heat. You won't taste the anchovies. All this does is give you a huge amount of umami. 3 anchovies for 500ml sauce is enough and will put smiles on peoples faces and raise questions how you made it.
Excellent idea to put a fee anchovied in the sauce to get that beautiful umami flavor! Wow, you truly are a pro at this my friend! 👨🍳🍝
At 2:26 the chef starts talking about how he reduces the tomato sauce by half, so from 1 kg he ends up with 500 gm. My understanding of sauce reduction is when you make the sauce less watery and more thicker. Is this what the chef in the video means by this? Wouldn't reducing your sauce from 1 kg to 500 gm require a super long cooking time? Somebody help! And please excuse my ignorance if this seems like a silly question. It's just that reducing a sauce by such a huge amount doesn't make sense, so I believe I may be missing something here. Thanks in advance for your explanations.
Reducing the sauce make the flavor more intense.
So... Tomatoes (especially if very fresh like those used in this recipe) contain a notable percentage of water. Reducing 1kg of tomatoes into half a kilo of sauce isn't that strange. The only aspect to take into consideration is to avoid dehydrating the sauce too much. Tomato sauce cooked too long tends to quickly become acidic.
@@s1lv3rr So how long does it take to reduce tomatoes (or a sauce) from 1 kg to 500 gm? Are we talking 5-10 min.? half an hour? an hour?
@@TheConcertmaster
Very low heat, cover over the pan and in about half an hour the sauce is reduced by half.
Testing shows that ceramic knives really do not cause any change in oxidation, the sharpness of the knife does.
His criticism of the basil is that a lot of flavor is left on the cutting board. But that's only a problem if the basil isn't tasting enough. I personally think big leaves of fresh basil is overpowering, so I think this thinly sliced basil may very well be a better solution that to tear big chunks. I will try and find out.
Kindly explain to me how the flavor of the basil changes if you cut the same quantity finely or tear it by hand into larger pieces.
@@s1lv3rr It'll get milder, as a lot of the flavor stays on the cutting board.
@@rasmusrasmusson
And does that sound like a good thing to you?? Not a good thing in the philosophy of Italian cuisine. Basil must be smelt, it is a much appreciated scent in our dishes. Test it by breaking it up by hand and putting it in your tomato sauce. I think you will appreciate it more, I bet on it. But the basil must be fresh, this is important.
@@s1lv3rr Yes, milder sounds good to me as I think leaves of fresh basil over powers the dish, which is why I rarely use it.
@@rasmusrasmusson
In my opinion (like all ingredients) basil should also be used "cum grano salis" (judiciously) and with the correct recipes. It goes perfectly with tomato sauce and believe me, it makes the sauce absolutely special. The same precaution applies to parsley, even this herb is not perfect on every dish. There are dishes with which parsley goes perfectly, others where it is absolutely terrible. The same principle applies to basil.
Is there a difference between using pomodoro vs San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes (and running them through the food mill)?
you are so right Vincenzo the simpler the pasta sauce the better it is i learned from a nonna who lives in germany to cook pomodorosauce( from pasata) only with pepper down(by half) and then add olive oil an per portion combine the sauce with the pasta in the pan with a bit of starchy salted water and if you want tear basil over it so simple so good
You know what I am talking about my friend! Nonna's recipes are always the kost delicious! 😊
@@vincenzosplate i cook it now over 10 years like that an never got a complain
Man, great commentary! I like this video because it is shorter than your usuak commentary/reaction vids. Love your recipes Vincenzo! Hello from Mexico
Greetings from Italy my friend! 🇮🇹 Thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this video😊
Tearing is great but there is no problem with slicing basil providing that your knife is razor sharp (and it probably isn't). You notice how sharp his knife is? There is no "burning" of the basil and no "flavours on the board". Obviously, if your knife is not razor sharp it will crush your basil and it will turn black.
However, you lose far more flavours to the board when you cut things like garlic--what do you think all the juice on your board is?
Garlic in Italian cuisine is an ingredient that is used with extreme moderation. I really don't understand this obsession with garlic that Anglo-Saxon countries have.
Neah, John Smith, believe me, YOU NEVER CUT BASIL WITH A KNIFE, no matter how sharp the knife.
@@dncviorel Get over yourself. A chiffonnade of basil is great, just learn to sharpen your knives.
🎉Vincenzo, you have taught this grandma to make cherry tomato/basil sauce and it’s the best! I still make my canned whole plum tomato sauce, a Napolitano Ragu, and my favorite Carbonara (no cream, piacere). But your cherry tomato sauce is light, fresh, quick to prepare and always delicious. Buonissima❣️
This message makes me so happy! You're right, it's an easy and quick recipe but very tasty 😊
Grant granma!!! No cream on carbonara!!!!!
Vicenzo I agree with you concerning the basil. For my taste I dont need garlic in a min. 1 hour cooked sauce.
I always reduce the tomato with basil (and maybe garlic) _without ever touching it_ once it reaches a nice, gentle bubble for the minimum 45 mins of reduction (as per Vincenzo, usually longer), the olive oil separating out and forming a layer on the top so the air never gets to it or the basil/garlic added at the beginning (moar basil added later!). I kind of agree with Vincenzo about chopping basil (oxidation and leaving a lot of the flavour on the board) but I sometimes chop it rolled into a tight little cigar _immediately_ before it goes into the dish. In fact I'm OCD about oxidation and pretty much any ingredient that has to be chopped in advance I'll add oil to to protect it.
You sound like a pro at cooking my friend! Which Italian recipe is your absolute favorite? 😁👨🍳
How much reducing the sauce ? When reach half of the initial amount
@@seanchao7622 Matter of taste, but I go for maybe 60% by volume, takes 45-60 mins at a very low heat/simmer/bubble in a frying pan, longer in a saucepan . Don't ever let it get to an actual boil!
@@vincenzosplate Appreciated! No, not a pro, I've just always taken a 'scientific'/'empirical' approach to food and cooking (now in my 6th decade) and this always worked for me, whether using good tinned or fresh chopped toms.
Hi Vincenzo - I agree with you! Is the chef using a square spaghetti for this? I like the shape of it! It looks good!
Yes he was using a square shaped spaghetti!
Always love watching your videos. My pasta greatly improved by following your advices. Thanks a lot 🥂
This message makes me so happy❤ Stay tuned for more delicious recipes my friend 😊
@@vincenzosplate O yes,my pasta are far more flavorful and i can say more simple since im following you.tnx !
How do you reduce acidic tomatoes. When making marinara sauce
Is there a way to sort of.. "tone down" if the Pomodoro sauce I make feels it has a bit too much "acidity" or "sharp"?
Sauce Tomat is one of the French mother sauces, similar to béchamel and hollandaise. So it’s not surprising that he can adapt it for Italian flavors.
Vincenzo Sono d'accordo - I agree that one should not cut basil. I'm a chef at a NY pizzeria - We always tear the fresh basil with our hands - He may be a Michelin Chef but you are the GOODYEAR chef!!! LOL
Hahah thank you so much for all the love and support my friend! It means a lot 😊
@@vincenzosplate what brand saute pan is that you are using please - Giovanni
He's probably cutting the basil for presentation purposes like he does at this restaurant, because of that "evenly cut" expectation most people have when dining at a Michelin star restaurant (which is silly, I know). I bet at home he's just tearing the basil leaves.
I can only talk about what I see 😅
@@vincenzosplate No, devi fare delle ipotesi, amico mio!
Vincenzo, on skinny chefs: I noticed that right away! One of my other favorite channels is Chef Jean-Pierre, he definitely is into food! That said, and you may find this odd, but while watching an episode of Chef Jean-Pierre I had an epiphany! The white chef jacket looks like a sow's belly! Two rows of buttons... do you see it? Or am I being weird? Anyway, Chef Carlo is one scrawny sow! I'm just having some fun, but thought you might enjoy that. Otherwise, for a scrawny chef, he made a a beautiful spaghetti al pomodoro, except for the disrespected basil. Great video!
Thank you my friend for sharing your opinion about this recipe! Do you like ti add any special twist to your tomato pasta? 😊
I gave this recipe a go (without cutting up the basil and making it look like seaweed) and liked it. You don't really need the fried cherry tomatoes, but they give it a nice extra touch.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the twists that the chef added! 🌿🍝👨🍳
Is it ok to add a bit of sugar to pasata? Sometimes it feels quite sour.
Love Italia Squisita. Learned tons from them. The ragù napoletano recipe was great to try
Great analysis Vincenzo. And I might try caramelizing the cherry tomatoes next time just for fun.
Let me know how it goes my friend 👨🍳🍅
May god bless you much vincenzo, the love you show to food is written all over your face its easy to see! I shall keep you and your family in my prayers always!
Cooking with love is the only way for me! Thank you for the love and support, it means a lot! 😊
Vincenzo did you mean to call the "Date" Tomatoes the chef used as Cherry Tomatoes? Are they the same or different types of tomatoes?
It looked the same to me to be honest 😅
It looks nice but that portion is so small. Is that a normal serving? I could eat 5 or 6 of those servings!
The normal serving is 100 grams per person. But uou can always ask for a second a plate, we don't judge here 😂😃
Every time I try to do a cherry tomato sauce it comes out really sour. Is there a trick to this?
Do they have to be super fresh ? I tend to keep them out on the benchtop for a few days before I get to them.
I don't know if the sourness depends on the freshness of the tomatoes...
You can also reduce the sourness of the tomato sauce with a large piece of carrot, then throw it away. Of course, the carrots will be somewhat noticeable in the sauce.
When your cherry tomatoes are too sour, you can combine it with pulm tomatoes or with another type of tomatos. Or with canned tomatoes.
These Italian recipes show the diversity of the flavors of the ingredients. Even if these good ingredients are really available.
Of course, the worse the ingredients, more spices are needed... :(
You can try to make this nonna's style, add a bit of sofritto to the recipe!
@@vincenzosplate Grazie mille Vincenzo
I absolutely love that kitchen, except for the induction hobs (shudders). Great to see you as always, Vincenzo!
Hey there my friend ❤ What did you think of this tomato pasta recipe?
I would also like to point out the size of the portion. I know it's a michelin star restaurant and you're supposed to order, like, 20 different dishes to seem all fancy and all, but I still can't take this guy seriously when he puts a tablespoon of pasta into a giant serving dish and presents it like it's such a masterpiece. Come on, man, I've been to Italy, italians are generous people, and a dish of pasta is usually enough to fill two people up, not this ridiculous tasting sample!
Bravo! Very good point.
@@cbxxb4841 Bad point. If you eat a big plate of pasta, you will have no room left in your stomach fot the next 3-5 dishes
It's a michelin star restaurant thing my friend! I've seen even smaller portions 😂
@@japanesesamurai4945 suits me, it looks fantastic. I can go without the other dishes.
In Italy u eat pasta a a first dish ... primo piatto ... before you eat then fish or meat or both and salat sweets etc. Normal pasta portion when u dont eat anything else is 125 gr.
For me, cutting the basil could get the advantage in condition of textures (the texture of basil will not interupt the al dente texture of the pasta and the richness consistency of the sauce). The flavour may be a little droped but if you use enough, it should not be the problem. (Moreover, I think they might release more flavour because they have more surface area after cutting. Who knows?)
Being 1/4 of romagnolo extraction, I repeatedly made an old variant from there: It's made with homemade kind of spaghettini, lard, onions, tomato puree and parsley. I think it tastes OK, it's a good solution if you have parsley leftovers. But for my palate I would rather choose arabbiata, with enough garlic and peperoncino.
We call this sauce "sugo finto" (fake sauce) 'cause there is no meat inside.
I make it quite often, it's health, simple and fast.
I use squeezed garlic in EVO oil and peeled cherry tomatoes (30 sec in boiling water and then in ice water) without tomatoes purè; during the cooking of the sauce, 15' minutes are enough, I smash some tomatoes and if they are not very red I add a little of triple tomato concentrate for the color. At the end fresh basil and Pecorino or Parmigiano to finish.
A less fast sauce I made with "soffritto" made of onion, carrot and celery, a little of white wine to deglaze, tomatoes purè and Pecorino or Parmigiano.
Most complicate sauce I make putting pieces of different kind of fresh tomatoes in the oven at 140° for 15 min, then blended, filtered and put in a pan with EVO oil and garlic, everything to be creamed with Parmigiano or Pecorino.
Buon appetito!
I love this dish it’s my all time favorite! But no need of passata just use more cherry tomatoes and let the garlic inside!! So delicious
The classic tomato spaghetti is a crowd's favorite for a reason: easy to make, quick and very delicious!
Da Italiano, quello che ha fatto vedere Vincenzo e’ quello che facciamo nelle nostre cuciine in Italia. Quello di Cracco e’ un (sicuramente ottimo) virtuosismo sul tema.
Yes, I totally agree with you Vincenzo, crush the garlic and eat it, it is very good for you!
The one thing i "dislike" (too strong a word) about italian cuisine is it´s unwillingness to try new things.
Like... how do you think these dishes came to be? Experiments.
Just keep the spirit:
It needs to be simple, the ingredients are the star, make them shine.
It´s honest cooking without bullshit.
Good things make good food
Carlo Cracco is also one of the craziest chefs in Italy. He's a bit of a rulebreaker.
The funny thing is tomatoes and pasta aren’t even Italian…
You can find modern cuisine in Italy too, but in my opinion nothing beats the classic
@@vincenzosplate i see it like this: respect the classics, they are classics for a reason. But some new things may become classics in the future. That being said, i will make some rather classic italian pasta tonight. Love ya Vincenco
I made this recently, but I salted the tomatoes beforehand to get the juice out. I added that juice back at the very end which made it seem fresher. Not sure how authentic that is.
Thanks for sharing your trick!
I've made a tomato sauce with tomatoes that I roasted in the oven and the flavor was excellent. It had the richness you'd expect from a Bolognese
A must try trick for sure! 😊
Completamente d'accordo con te Vincenzo! I totally agree with your review. Basil like that on top is kinda wasted, about the garlic i usually left in the sauce (but i remove the "Animella", the center part of the garlic), and the roasted tomatoes on top are fancy, but i personally would never spend around 40 euros for a Spaghetti al Pomodoro pasta!
Vincenzo,
Do you do any recipes with angel hair pasta? Just curious as I have not seen you do anything with that style.
I haven't till now my friend, but stay tuned 😊
@@vincenzosplate I look forward to it!
@@vincenzosplate that would be wonderful. As I get older the heavier pastas tend to upset my stomach. For whatever reason the lightness of the angel hair tends not to have the same effect. Especially when I make it fresh at home. But there are not to many good recipes
I always use the garlic in the food never out, is just a wasted and also the farmer who cultivated the garlic worked so hard to get it out.
Haha it's good to be thoughtful of the farmers! 😊
@@vincenzosplate
This seems like a really good reason to overpower the flavor of dishes with a flavor as strong as garlic. Good idea!! 😂
when you add basil without ripping it apart, will there be enough flavor? in your recipe you do both if im not mistaken. why is that?
THE point is precisely this, basil broken by hand according to Vincenzo (it's like that for me too) has more flavor and does not oxidize due to contact with the blade.
@@s1lv3rr true, but in his Pomodoro video he first adds basil with the stems, removes them before blending the sauce and then adds crushed basil again
At around 4:11 min, removes it at 6:13 min
th-cam.com/video/NIgKvlAYOdU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=skI-NJZeHn1O2Dx-
@@Christian-of1tz
Each person has their preferences, I'll tell you my idea.
Personally I would have added only the basil stems to the sautéed garlic to flavor the oil even better, then I would have removed the withered basil stems (obviously they are not edible). I would have put the basil leaves only at the end on the hot pasta and its splendid tomato sauce. It seems like something that makes more sense to my taste.
But Vincenzo is great and his version will certainly be excellent. Personally I hate the skin of tomatoes and usually before using them I blanch them for a few minutes in hot water to be able to peel them easily, however many people really like the sauce with tomato skins... OMG 😂
Take my suggestions as an indication, not as an obligation and enjoy your passion for cooking!!! 😉😉😉
@@s1lv3rr thank you for your input. What I don't understand is why the basil is put into the sauce with the stems at all, since it releases much more flavor when chopped.
I will try your suggestion as well. So far I had the best experience with fresh tomatoes, which leaves the skin as you said and with peeled tomatoes from Mutti's. The latter one usually produces more sauce itself.
@@Christian-of1tz
I wouldn't put the stems, just the leaves. I think Vincenzo uses the entire stem with leaves to maximize the scent of the basil, but this is not my choice.
Fresh tomatoes are basically a concentrate of water and for this reason you get less sauce from them for the same weight, but the sauce obtained from fresh tomatoes is certainly much tastier. Mutti is also absolutely my favorite among the producers usually found in supermarkets.
If I can suggest you an excellent chef to watch on TH-cam and who I personally find amazing, this is Max Mariola, for me he is really good, but I'm not sure if his videos have English subtitles...
i love adding roasted tomatoes in my spaghetti ai pomodoro. but i do make to sauce fresh out of cherry tomatos or sometimes meat tomatos. i add basil and garlic and before i serve, i replace the cooked basil with fresh one. the less ingredients you chose, the more you have to wath their quality. the tomatoes have to be rich in flavour.
"Fancy" doesn't mean GOOD all the time. How many of us have recipes from our Grandmothers that were simple, but incredibly flavorful? Simple, made with love will always win out for me at least.
A nonnas cooking beats a master chef any day.
Fancy means it is very popular and people are willing to put a lot of effort and money to go there. Usually means it's good.
Our nonnas' recipes are the absolute best my friend, nothing tops them ❤
Vincenzo! You’ve got some nerve passing judgment on a Michelin star chef, but actually I agree with pretty much all your comments. I have cooked your tomato sauce for spaghetti many times and it is fantastic!
Ma come si permette di giudicare in questa maniera uno dei migliori chef al mondo!!!!!!
What is the make and model of the chopper he is using????
I don't know mate 😅
For dinner I ate a chicken leg with potatoes…. I love the sound when you are tossing the pasta in the pan…
Thank you very much, Vincenzo, for sharing your video with us.
My pleasure! I hope you stay tuned for more 😊
That Michelin star chef's final portion was tiny! I would be starving after that. I am sure there are smaller, more informal establishments in Italy that would serve much larger servings for a tiny fraction of the price at Cracco's.
There is NO such thing as a _"Michelin Star Chef"_ .... never was and never will be! The only _"Michelin Star"_ is an 'Award' which goes to a restaurant and NEVER EVER to a Chef, and even when that certain Chef leaves that restaurant, the "Michelin Star" will stay at the restaurant!
@@Johnny_Guitar I agree. It's a lot of hype. The Nonnas never heard of Michelin stars and can put these 'celebrities' to shame. But to clarify, when people use the expression 'Michelin Star Chef' they are referring to a Chef whose cooking earned a Michelin star for their restaurant. Yes the award stays with the restaurant even when the Chef leaves, but the standard was set with the Chef in question that successors are expected to match.
Lol so many experts… Pasta is seldomly served as a main course in Italy. And yeah pasta portions are usually way smaller than in the U.S.
Hahah you should see the portions of other Michelin star chefs 😂
I already saw this video by Carlo Cracco so when I saw you are reacting to this video I knew you will be angry because of the basil cutting 😂😂
You know me well my friend! 😅😂
Hi Vincenzo! I made lots from your pasta recipes. I would like to see one with Gorgonzola sauce!
Vincenzo, I would love to see a reaction video (and maybe recreation in your own style) to Eastern European sweet pastas and sweet gnocchis. My grandma always made fresh poopy seed pasta (mákos tészta, if you wish to Google it) from scratch to my grandpa. The simpler the food the more you need to choose your ingredients carefully and work more professionally with them.
what part of Italy are you from Vincenzo?
Abruzzo my friend! 😊
The caramelized tomatoes are an extra special touch👍😊
I bet they add depth to the flavors! 😊
I like your fine crushing garlic a lot more. I see many few chefs only hurt garlic a bit but I don't believe this is going to release all its flavor; maybe if you cooked it in a stew / goulash for an hour... If you taste the garlic from this preparation when you take it out of the pan, you'll find out it still has so much potency left - and you rid yourself of the flavor. I think it is just a fashion trend with putting the garlic in as whole and perhaps with the peel too (which does not have much taste to be honest).
Ma quanti Chef stellati ci sono tra i commentatori!
I also like to keep the garlic in the dish. However, I finely grate it instead of using a garlic press. The grated garlic then flavours the olive oil and completely disappears while cooking.
Excellent technique for who doesn't want to bite on the garlic! 😊
They should make a car odorized with basil smell, so the entire car always smells like basil 😉
I see that you're a fan of basil! 😊
Please think about the pedestrians, we would like basil to be added to the fuel.
@@kcsi1 🤣🤣
Whats the brand of the sauté pan? Not that I could afford one!
I don't know what brands he's using my friend
In Italy the use of garlic has gradually decreased over the years. When you have excellent quality ingredients, the flavor must not be covered by garlic.
I will provide a bit of pushback on your basil suggestions. If it is in fact so delicate, it doesn’t matter whether you cut it or tear it, because the flavor remains on either the cutting board or your fingers. Might I suggest a cocktail technique of adding them in whole and mushing them, or “muddling”, to quote the mixologist, into the sauce. And later either blending the whole sauce or removing the wilted leaves.
This is a great suggestion. I still strongly believe tearing the basil with your fingers is the most delicate way but your suggestion might be the best way to go in order to get 100% out of the basil. Love to get these type pf comments where we all get to learn
Well, what to say about nonna style.. when I cook a simple spaghetto al pomodoro, I too use garlic and a thick and creamy sause. The fact that he chopped the basil is not an issue.. he had basil in the sauce anyway.. I also don't overcook the sauce.. 15 mins is enough for a top quality passata.. I prefer a fresh tomato flavour.. I don't use a 'trito misto' for a spaghetto al pomodoro. I used it for a meat sauce, like a ragù..
In the end he didn't do nothing weird.. apart for the toasted cherry tomatoes.. In the end it was simple stuff.. semplice semplice..
is it 100 grams of cooked pasta, or uncooked pasta?
100 grams per person
@@vincenzosplate do you weigh the 100g before or after you cook them?
@@svsguru2000 it would be before you cook it, otherwise the other way would be almost impossible to ascertain exact weight & not get wastage
when you say double the sauce, i assume you mean the sauce before reduction?
Correct!
Nice. Clean. Great commentary. Needed cheese. Beautiful.
Vincenzo you are the best ! Thank you
And thank you for all the love and support my friend ❤
That basil looks like rosemary which is weird on a pasta dish but I wont knock it till I try it. Also cherry tomatoes look well burned but again I will try it as I can see how that flavor would integrate well with a thick sweet tomato sauce. On a first glance you are tempted to say "ahhh nah thanks" but the difference between a home or a regular chef and a Michelin one is that the last one is pushing boundaries.
You're right! The only way to know is to try it, but we can always comments on some things!
Great video, but I must say I'm not burning to visit his restaurant to try this pasta. There simply is something to it that doesn't trigger the "wow" response.
As you say Vincenzo, I'd press the garlic, tear the basil, and ultimately make this myself.
Homemade is always the best option my friend, if there's not love in the dish it won't taste good ❤🍝🇮🇹
I don't know why but i trust Vincenzo♥️
In answer to Your pinned question, I don’t think I could choose. In a restaurant, I would choose carbonara (if it’s made with real cheese and no cream). Carlo Cracco didn’t put any pecorino on his spaghetti pomodoro. I would not pay a lot of money to eat at his restaurant. I’d rather visit Luciano Monosillio.
About the garlic, it seems like north of Rome they flavor the oil with garlic, then remove. South of Rome, we eat the garlic. My people came from Campania, so we eat the garlic. ❤🇮🇹🍝❤ I love Your videos, Enzo.
Thank you my friend for taking the time and writing your answer to my question. I completely agree that he should have added a touch of pecorino at the end! 👨🍳🍝🧀
One interesting difference between Spanish and Italian cuisine, both mediterranean brothers. Keeping or removing the garlic.
1:19 With Vincenzo's accent at first I heard "He's using all his braindead products" :D
😂😂😂😂
I prefer Vincenzo's way to prepare this recipe. Caramelized cherry tomatoes, no way. Then the passata with soffritto is best. Vincenzo is more sticking to the Italian pasta tradition. Anyway, thank you Vincenzo showing us this.
I prefer yours, Vincenzo. 100% agree about tearing not cutting Basil.
it's probably for appearence, looks "fancier".
Thanks for the support mate ❤
Italian chef: anyone who knows how to open a package of pasta.
The standards aren't that low 😅😂
This is my go to tomato sauce recipe. I love the simplicity, tomato, garlic, basil. Need to have really good tomatoes as there is no onion to add sweetness.
It's such a quick and easy recipe but very delicious ❤
what pan is he using? You never told us. 😋
Funny how a healthy looking man is considered "skinny" while most overweight looking people are rather considered healthy :D
I was just joking, I'm against body shaming people 😊
Something i have noticed... Italians always say "Extra virgin olive oil" I have never ever seen anything else than "extra virgin" olive oil. So around here its just "Olive oil." You add olive oil.
Evoo is the highest quality of olive oil that's why Italians always go for it👨🍳🫒