I Couldn't Stop Thinking About The Famous Spaghetti From "The Bear," So I Made It At Home (And Have Been Eating It Ever Since)

OK, yes, it's cooked by an "award-winning chef" on the show — but in real life, it couldn't be easier to make.

I Couldn’t Stop Thinking About The Famous Spaghetti From “The Bear,” So I Made It At Home (And Have Been Eating It Ever Since)

If you, like me, recently binged The Bear on Hulu so damn fast your head is still spinning, I’m willing to bet you’re one of these three things: exhausted (Episode 7, am I right?!), fulfilled as all hell, or hungry. For me, it’s definitely that last one — or honestly, a bit of all three — and I can’t imagine I’m alone.

I thought to myself, If that pasta is delicious enough to make someone see dead people, it’s gotta be next-level. So, yep, I decided to recreate it at home…and I’m very, very glad I did. Now that I’ve tried it, I can confidently say it’s my new go-to marinara sauce.

To come up with a recipe that was more than just three ingredients [lovingly] scribbled on an index card, I basically watched the scene in which he makes it a zillion-and-five times. While a few elements are filmed, most of the spaghetti-making actually happens off camera — so I donned my recipe developer hat to fill in the many, many blanks.

Ross Yoder

Now, I have a vague theory: As a result of two of the techniques used in Carmy’s preparation (steeping basil in olive oil and simmering the sauce with a halved tomato), it feels like this recipe is inspired by two pretty iconic tomato sauces — Scarpetta’s Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil, and Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter, respectively. I could be wrong! But the inspiration here feels…very intentional. ?

Here’s what I came up with. First, the ingredients.

The canned San Marzano tomatoes themselves are also pretty darn ~key~ to The Bear‘s plot — again, IYKYK — but if you can’t find ’em or don’t want to splurge on the imported stuff, use whatever canned tomatoes you can find. The results will be just as delicious.

STEP #1: Make your basil- and garlic-infused oil.

Ross Yoder

Combine the 1/2 cup of olive oil, 5 smashed and peeled garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and your handful of fresh basil (stems and all!) in a small saucepan.

Turn the heat to medium-low. Once the mixture comes up to a boil, let it simmer for 1–2 minutes or until the basil is wilted. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to steep while you start the sauce.

You’ll want your basil and garlic oil to look like this before you take it off the heat.

STEP #2: Brown your butter and sear the onion.

(How golden brown? This golden brown.)

STEP #3: Start your tomato sauce.

STEP #4: Purée the basil oil.

Ross Yoder

I’ll admit that this is the biggest liberty I’m taking with this recipe, but I think it’s an important one. Scarpetta’s tomato sauce recipe implements this basil-garlic oil, too, but the aromatics only steep in the oil briefly before they’re strained out. For maximum flavor (and minimal food waste), I choose to keep the aromatics in, and I think it makes a major difference in the end result.

Once the oil mixture has cooled — warm is OK, just make sure it’s not piping hot — pour it into the bowl of a food processor. Process for 20–30 seconds or until the basil and garlic are chopped into tiny pieces. If you don’t have a food processor, you can mince the basil and garlic by hand and then return to the oil.

In terms of texture, you’ll want the mixture to look something like this once it’s processed.

STEP #5: Last step, y’all! Combine the basil oil mixture with the sauce for the final 10 minutes of cook time.

Ross Yoder

Add the processed basil oil to the simmering tomato sauce, and stir until thoroughly combined. Now’s a great time to taste and season with additional salt, as needed. Not all canned tomatoes taste the same, so if your sauce tastes a little too acidic, you can add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to raise the pH a bit and cut some of that bite.

Let the sauce continue to simmer, uncovered, for 10 more minutes. Once it’s thickened to your liking, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.