Burnt Pasta Recipes

GARLIC-BUTTERED PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook garlic in butter over medium-low heat until mixture is fragrant, 4-5 minutes; remove from heat. Drain pasta; add to garlic butter. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper; toss to coat.

PASTA WITH BROWN BUTTER AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, but don't shake it fully dry.
• In a skillet or Dutch oven large enough to hold the pasta (and preferably with a light-colored bottom so you can see the butter solids brown), melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the foam subsides, the milk solids turn golden-brown and it smells nutty and toasty, 3 to 4 minutes. (Watch carefully to see that it does not burn. If it does, start over.) Remove from heat immediately.
• Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss with the brown butter. Stir in the cheese until melted. Stir in pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the pasta is glossy with sauce (you probably won't need the full 1/2 cup).
• Serve with black pepper and more Parmesan on top.

PASTA WITH BURST CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 15 seconds, then add the oil and heat until it thins out and easily coats the pan when swirled. Add pancetta and cook until it starts to render its fat, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until they burst, turn golden at the edges and shrivel up slightly, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add pasta to pan and toss with tomato-pancetta mixture; if the mixture looks dry add a little pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time. Cook over high heat until the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce. Add the butter and toss until it melts and coats everything.
• Divide pasta among warmed pasta bowls. Garnish with dollops of ricotta if desired, and top with a generous mound of fresh mint and scallions. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and more pepper before serving.

PASTA WITH 15-MINUTE BURST CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12" skillet or wide heavy saucepan over medium-high. Add garlic, then tomatoes, pepper, sugar, and 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes burst and release their juices to form a sauce, 6-8 minutes.
• Toss pasta with tomato sauce and basil. Top with Parmesan.

MIZITHRA BROWNED BUTTER PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta in large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain.
• When pasta is almost done, start slowly melting butter over medium heat until golden. Skim butter solids off top. Toss pasta with butter. Sprinkle with cheese to taste.

PASTA AND BURNT BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with plenty of cold water, about 3/4 capacity and bring to a boil over high heat. When at a boil, add in the pasta, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 to 2 teaspoons oil. Stir pasta continuously until the water returns to a boil. Boil pasta according to packaging, or your preference, stirring occasionally.
• Drain pasta well in colander. Wipe the pot dry with a paper towel and then add in the butter. Melt the butter over high heat until frothy, and until its color has turned to an amber golden brown color, but not dark brown or black.
• Remove the pot from the heat and add in the drained pasta, and then quickly toss it well, as to prevent the pasta from sticking to the pot, coating pasta evenly with butter. Sprinkle in the garlic powder, crushed basil, oregano and grated cheese of choice. Add salt and pepper according to taste and toss well again.
• Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley (optional) and serve.

BROWN BUTTER SPAGHETTI WITH GREEK (MIZITHRA) CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti until al dente.
• Drain spaghetti and leave in colander or drainer.
• Put butter (and garlic and oregano, if using) into hot pan and put it back on the burner, making sure heat is medium to medium-high.
• Stirring constantly, cook butter until it's a nice, light to medium brown.
• Remove pan from heat.
• Quickly return spaghetti to pan, turning to coat the strands with the butter; the spaghetti should glisten with the light coating of butter.
• At this point, you can add a bit more butter if you like.
• Once butter coats spaghetti, add cheese and mix well, so that bits of the mizithra are sticking to the spaghetti evenly.
• Grind a bit of pepper over the dish and mix again.
• Serve with extra mizithra and pepper.