Cook Like a Rock Star - Anne Burrell [32]
But before you jump in and start whipping up a bowl of carbonara, there’s something you have to understand: Pasta deserves respect. It’s not mashed potatoes; you don’t serve it as a side dish. PASTA IS ITS OWN COURSE. And you don’t pile a plate with mounds of spaghetti covered in red sauce. You eat small portions of pasta that have been lovingly tossed with a delicious sauce to create the perfect marriage. Sometimes in Italy you’ll be served multiple pasta courses, but they’re always small so you can savor the flavors and enjoy how the noodles and sauce work together. Remember, pasta is its own special thing, and it needs to be treated that way.
This is true when it comes to cooking the pasta as well. It’s not just about boiling some salted water and tossing in the noodles; it’s about how you cook the noodle, about the aroma and consistency of the pasta when it’s done, the scent of the sauce, and the taste of the two together once they’re intertwined in the bowl. Every sauce acts differently—cream sauces are totally different from vegetable sauces; seafood sauces are completely unlike meat sauces. Yes, they’re all condiments to go with the pasta, but they each bring something sparkly and wonderful and all their own to the party.
Knowing how to make pasta—and make it well—is an essential part of Italian cooking. Endless dishes can be created around pasta, and once you know how to make it the right way, you’ll never be at a loss for something delicious to eat.
Chef Anne’s All-Purpose Pasta Dough
Chef Anne’s Light-as-a-Cloud Gnocchi
Wild Mushroom Ragù
Sweet & Spicy Sausage Ragù
Pasta Carbonara
Pasta Fagioli
Bucatini all’Amatriciana
Raviolo al’Uovo (Ricotta-Nestled Egg Yolk)
Spaghetti with Olive-Oil-Poached Tuna in Tomato-Fennel Sauce
Tagliolini with Arugula-Walnut Sauce
Spag & Excellent “Meatbawls”
Tagliatelle with Bacon, Sweet Corn, Burst Cherry Tomatoes & Arugula
Tagliolini with Salsa Cruda & Ricotta Salata
Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe Pesto & Sausage
Spring Pea & Ricotta Ravioli with Fava Beans
Whole Wheat Pappardelle with Roasted Butternut Squash, Broccoli Rabe & Pumpkin Seeds
Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi with Fontina Fonduta
Chef Anne’s Risotto-Without-a-Recipe
Risotto with Rock Shrimp, Lemon & Herbs
Farrotto with Lobster, Peas, Mint & Oregano
Killer Mac & Cheese with Bacon
SERVES: 4 TO 6 • TIME: ABOUT 2 HOURS
Making fresh pasta doesn’t have to be a big to-do. Yes, it can be a lot of work, but the possibilities that await you are endlessly exciting. I love what can be done with just a few basic ingredients and a little bit of skill. Depending on the season, the amount of time you have, or the mood you’re in, you can make short pasta, long pasta, stuffed pasta, whatever you like. As your skill and confidence grow, you’ll realize that a whole new world is open to you with fresh pasta. What I offer here is a way for you to dip your toe in the pool of well-salted pasta water and see where the noodles take you!
MISE EN PLACE
1 pound all-purpose flour (about 3¾ cups), plus more for dusting
4 large eggs plus 1 yolk
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 Mound the flour on a clean, dry work surface. Make a big hole (called a well) in the center of the flour pile—bigger is definitely better here. Crack the eggs into the hole along with the extra yolk, olive oil, and 2 tablespoons water; season with salt. Using a fork, beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water, and salt and begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. Be careful not to break the well or the egg mixture will run everywhere and you’ll have a big fat mess on your hands (and your board). When enough flour is incorporated