America's Test Kitchen Season 9, Episode 5: Perfecting Pasta Sauces

1

Best Blueberry Pie

Our sure-fire recipe makes a sliceable pie with bright, fresh berry flavor. Recipes - Blueberry Pie - Foolproof Pie Dough Equipment Center - Baking Sheets Science Desk - Pie Crust

25 min

2

French Classics Reimagined

We demystify French cooking by streamlining two classic—and often poorly executed—recipes. Recipes - Best French Onion Soup - Quicker French Onion Soup - French Chicken in a Pot Tasting Lab - Gruyere Equipment Center - Mandolines

25 min

3

Dinner with a Spanish Accent

Great Arroz con Pollo, or “chicken with rice,” can take the better part of a day. We developed one that is small on time but big on flavor, and paired it with another quick and flavorful recipe: Sizzling Garlic Shrimp. Recipes - Latino-Style Chicken and Rice aka Arroz con Pollo - Latino-Style Chicken and Rice with Ham, Peas, and Orange - Latino-Style Chicken and Rice with Bacon and Roasted Red Peppers - Sizzling Garlic Shrimp

25 min

4

The Crunchiest Pork Chops Ever

Flavorless bread-crumb coatings ruin many pork chops. We show you how to achieve that elusive combination of juicy chop and crunchy coating. Recipes - Crunchy Baked Pork Chops - Crunchy Baked Pork Chops with Prosciutto and Asiago Cheese - Simple Applesauce Tasting Lab - Dijon Mustard Equipment Center - Nonstick Skillets

25 min

5

Perfecting Pasta Sauces

Join us as we fix two flexible pasta toppings: a quick meat sauce with a lush texture and depth that tastes like it’s been simmering all day, and a creamy tomato sauce that’s enriched, not overwhelmed, with cream. Recipes - Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce - Simple Italian-Style Meat Sauce Tasting Lab - Supermarket Extra-Virgin Olive Oils Science Desk - Panades

25 min

6

Easy Apple Deserts

With our no-frills approach to apple pie, you can convert this special-occasion dish to an everyday dessert. And our technique for making moist, rich applesauce cake produces a tender crumb with pronounced apple flavor. Recipes - Skillet Apple Pie - Ginger-Cardamom Applesauce Snack Cake - Applesauce Snack Cake with Oat-Nut Streusel - Applesauce Snack Cake Equipment Center - Drip Coffee Makers

25 min

7

One Great Thanksgiving

By tweaking our traditional Thanksgiving bird, we created a recipe for moist roast turkey that’s packed with bright herb flavor in every bite. As for the potatoes, we focused on a new technique to make creamy, fluffy potatoes even easier. Recipes - Herbed Roast Turkey - Fluffy Mashed Potatoes - Best Turkey Gravy Equipment Center - Potato Ricers Science Desk - Mashed Potatoes

25 min

8

Soups of the Day

Think it takes all day to make a flavorful soup? Think again. We set out to disprove this misconception with our intense, meaty-flavored beef and vegetable soup that’s on the table in under an hour. And if you’d like to take more time cooking, our classic Tuscan bean soup is a rustic stew worthy of the effort. Recipes - Beef and Vegetable Soup - Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew - Quick Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew - Vegetarian Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew - Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew with Sausage and Cabbage Tasting Lab - Beef Broth Science Desk - In Search of Glutamates - Brining Beans

25 min

9

Bringing Home Italian Favorites

Saltimbocca and tiramisu are two Italian restaurant favorites that are rarely served at home. Here we prepare our saltimbocca with chicken rather than the more traditional veal and streamline its preparation to make it a welcome weeknight meal. For dessert, we developed a tiramisú that highlights the luxurious combination of flavors and textures that makes this dish so popular. Recipes - Tiramisu - Tiramisu Without Raw Eggs - Chicken Saltimbocca Tasting Lab - Prosciutto Equipment Center - Refrigerator and Freezer Thermometers

25 min

10

Everyone's Favorite Cake

Leave that boxed cake mix on the shelf. We prove that you can create an extremely fluffy yellow cake with entirely natural ingredients. Recipes - Foolproof Chocolate Frosting - Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake Tasting Lab - Dark Chocolate

25 min

11

Resurrecting The Roast Beef Dinner

Join us as we uncover the secret to turning an inexpensive cut of beef into a tender roast worthy of Sunday dinner. Recipes - Horseradish Cream Sauce - Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetables with Bacon and Thyme - Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetables - Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetables with Paprika and Parsley - Slow-Roasted Beef Equipment Center - Meat-Probe Thermometers Science Desk - Salting Meat

25 min

12

South Of The Border Supper

We demonstrate how to make two Mexican restaurant classics—Enchiladas Verdes, and Steak Tacos—in your home kitchen. Recipes - Steak Tacos - Enchiladas Verdes - Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onions Tasting Lab - Jarred Hot Salsas Equipment Center - Silicone Spatulas

25 min

13

Lunchtime Specials

Our Pizza Bianca, with its crisp exterior and chewy, bubbly middle, pairs perfectly with the velvety smoothness and bright tomato flavor of our Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup. Recipes - Pizza Bianca with Tomatoes, Sausage, and Fontina - Croutons - Pizza Bianca with Tomatoes and Mozzarella Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup - Pizza Bianca Equipment Center - Digital Scales

25 min

14

Fish Made Easy

Discover our alternative method for poaching salmon and the test kitchen’s secrets for moist and flavorful oven-baked, crunchy-coated fish fillets. Recipes - Poached Salmon with Herb and Caper Vinaigrette - Poached Salmon with Bourbon and Maple - Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish - Poached Salmon with Dill and Sour Cream Sauce - Sweet and Tangy Tartar Sauce Equipment Center - Fish Spatulas

25 min

15

A Grand, Sweet Finale

We take the fear out of soufflés and show you our foolproof methods for making this showstopping dessert. Recipes - Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle - Grand Marnier Souffle - Grand Marnier Souffle with Shaved Chocolate Equipment Center - Balloon Whisks Science Desk - Souffles

25 min

16

Holiday Ham And Biscuits

We reveal the test kitchen’s technique to make a holiday ham that’s moist and tender, with a glaze that complements but doesn’t overwhelm the meat. We then pair it with the perfect drop biscuits—simple, no-fuss, but as buttery and satisfying as their rolled-out counterparts. Recipes - Cheddar and Scallion Drop Biscuits - Black Pepper and Bacon Drop Biscuits - Rosemary and Parmesan Drop Biscuits - Best Drop Biscuits - Glazed Spiral-Sliced Ham Tasting Lab - Orange Marmalade Equipment Center - Cutting Boards Science Desk - Bacteria on Board

25 min

17

Let's Do Chinese

Prepare your own version of Chinese take-out classics using our recipes for great stir-fries. Recipes - Tangerine Stir-Fried Beef with Onions and Snow Peas - Stir-Fried Red Curry Beef and Eggplant - Teriyaki Stir-Fried Beef with Green Beans and Shiitakes - Pork Stir-Fry with Noodles (Lo Mein) - Stir-Fried Beef with Snap Peas and Red Peppers Equipment Center - Rice Cookers

25 min

18

Pork on the Grill

We found a sure-fire method to keep a grilled, stuffed pork loin moist without brining. And we paired the pork with a host of great sautéed spinach recipes. Recipes - Sautéed Spinach with Chickpeas and Sun-Dried Tomatoes - Sauteed Spinach with Almonds and Golden Raisins - Sauteed Spinach with Pecans and Feta - Sautéed Spinach with Leeks and Hazelnuts - Grilled Pork Loin with Apple-Cranberry Filling on a Charcoal Grill - Grilled Pork Loin with Apple-Cherry Filling with Caraway on a Gas Grill - Grilled Pork Loin with Apple-Cranberry Filling on a Gas Grill - Grilled Pork Loin with Apple-Cherry Filling with Caraway on a Charcoal Grill Tasting Lab - Artisanal Bacon

25 min

19

Old Fashioned Snack Cakes

We give two classic snack cakes moist, flavorful makeovers. Recipes - Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Icing - Spice Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Equipment Center - Dry Measuring Cups Science Desk - Goodbye to Gumminess

25 min

20

Backyard Steak and Potatoes

Our recipe for marinated flank steak is packed with flavor but still retains is beefy chew, and our grilled potatoes are enlivened with the bold tastes of garlic and rosemary. Marinating steak in bottled Italian dressing ruins its rich, full beefy flavor. Our fresh marinade is easy to prepare and boosts flavor without over-tenderizing the meat. We also reveal our secrets for achieving potent garlic and rosemary flavors in grilled potatoes without bitterness and charring. Recipes - Grilled Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary on a Gas Grill - Charcoal-Grilled Flank Steak - Gas-Grilled Flank Steak - Grilled Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary on a Charcoal Grill - Mediterranean Marinade Tasting Lab - Mail-Order Porterhouse Steaks Science Desk - Salting Meat

25 min

21

Grilled Rack of Lamb Dinner

At $20 a pound, rack of lamb had better be good. We show you how to make the most of this prime piece of meat, and reveal a foolproof version of the French casserole Vegetable Gratin. Recipes - Gas-Grilled Rack of Lamb with Garlic and Herbs Summer Vegetable Gratin - Charcoal-Grilled Rack of Lamb with Garlic and Herbs - Summer Vegetable Gratin with Roasted Peppers and Smoked Mozzarella Equipment Center - Broiler-Safe Gratin Dishes

25 min

22

Four-Star Stuffed Chicken Breasts

The French technique of stuffing a chicken breast yields four-star results — but requires hours of labor. Our take uses a much simpler procedure with the same results. When matched with another French classic, green beans amandine, it’s a great menu for entertaining guests. The French technique of stuffing a chicken breast with forcemeat is a labor that includes skinning and boning a whole chicken, stuffing the breasts with the leg meat, and then wrapping them up in the skin. We’ll show you an abbreviated version of this French dish and teach you our foolproof version of green beans amandine, to accompany it. Recipes - Stuffed Chicken Breasts - Green Beans Amandine Tasting Lab - Black Peppercorns Equipment Center - Meat Pounders

25 min

23

Breadmaking Simplified

We’ve taken the trouble out of breadmaking with our Almost No Knead Bread and Soda Bread recipes. A no-knead approach to bread baking produces loaves that look like they’ve been baked in a professional bakery, but the bread varies in size and shape and the crumb lacks the complex yeasty, tangy flavor of a true artisanal loaf. We loved the ease of this approach—and the extraordinary crust on the bread—but we wanted our loaves to have a consistent shape and deeper flavor. The result is a tasty bread that rises high each time. We also reveal our Irish Soda Bread recipe, which is less sweet and easier to make than most American versions. Recipes - Almost No-Knead Bread - Skillet Soda Bread Equipment Center - Serrated Knives Science Desk - Kneading and Autolysis

25 min

24

Weeknight Summer Supper

A lot can go wrong with grilled bone-in chicken breasts. Join us to learn our technique for perfect grilled chicken breasts with tender meat and crisp skin. We also show you the method for making an intensely flavored, not waterlogged, tomato salad. Recipes - Greek Cherry Tomato Salad - Gas-Grilled Bone-In Chicken Breasts - Charcoal-Grilled Bone-In Chicken Breasts Equipment Center - Solar Cookers

25 min

25

French Country Cooking

With our flavorful beef stew, we translate the bold, robust flavors of Provence to the home kitchen. And as a finale, we balance the richness of the stew with our light, airy, melt-in-your-mouth meringues. Recipes - Meringue Cookies - Daube Provencal - Orange Meringue Cookies - Chocolate Meringue Cookies - Toasted Almond Meringue Cookies Equipment Center - Pastry Bags Science Desk - Twin Stabilizers—Sugar and Cornstarch

25 min

26

Puddings—from Simple to Spectacular

Uncover the test kitchen’s secrets to achieving a creamy crème caramel and subtly sweet stovetop rice pudding. Recipes - Classic Crème Caramel - Espresso Creme Caramel - Simple Stovetop Rice Pudding Equipment Center - Electric Kettles

25 min