Pasta Day Pasta

• adagok: Serves 4
• aktív idő: 45 mins

Hozzávalók

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for boiling the pasta

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil

5 garlic cloves, smashed

1/4 cup (10 g) loosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving (optional)

3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes,* plus more for serving (optional)

1(28-ounce/794 g) can good-quality whole peeled tomatoes*

1pound (455 g spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni"

2 tablespoons good-quality salted butter, plus more for serving

Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

"INSTEAD OF...

Red pepper flakes, use fresh chilis, Aleppo chili flakes, or black pepper

Whole peeled tomatoes, use crushed tomatoes Spaghetti or rigatoni, use any long or tube pasta

Parmesan cheese, use another

Italian cheese, like burrata, pecorino, romano, or ricotta salata

Útmutatók

METHOD

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fra- grant and browned around the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the basil and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook until the basil is wilted, 30 sec- onds to 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the salt and crush the tomatoes using the back of a wooden spoon until they are broken down. Finally, add ½ cup (120 ml) water and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors come together, 18 to 23 minutes.

When the sauce is cooked halfway through, drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes less than the package direc- tions, or until nearly al dente. Transfer the cooked pasta directly from the pot into the sauce along with ½ cup (120 ml) pasta water and the butter. Reduce the heat to low and toss vigorously to coat the pasta in the sauce, gradually adding more pasta water as needed to forma silky sauce. Taste for salt and adjust to your preference.

Serve with a pat of butter and top with cheese, basil leaves, and more red pepper flakes, if desired.

Jegyzetek

For most people, Friday is the best day of the week. Growing up, this was true for a couple reasons. Yes, it meant the end of the school week, but it was also the best day for school lunches: pasta day.

Picture massive foil trays stacked and filled with penne (a sight for sore eyes) prepared two ways: with red sauce or with butter. Each Friday, ld get on line, grab my white paper plate, and wait in agony over making the decision between the two. The truth is, I wanted half of each. I'd tried my luck a few times, but they never obliged. So, I did what any sOon-to-be recipe developer would do: I asked for an extra butter packet for my slice of Italian loaf and headed to the table ready to stir it into my pasta. I've been partial to a buttery red sauce ever since.

Silkier than a classic marinara, this pasta day pasta features a full-bodied but clean red sauce. The key to achieving that unique, lusciously rich umph is simply using a great salted butter (nostalgically, for me, like the kind you'd use on bread).