The pasta lovers among Moosewood cooks stock their home pantries with a variety of imported Italian pastas. Here’s why made in Italy matters: Pasta has been produced commercially in Italy since 1400, and still today, most of the best pastas are made there because the Italian government enforces strict national standards for ingredients and manufacturing processes, which results in a high-quality product, superior to most of our domestic pastas. Old ways are the best ways with pasta making, it seems. For instance, when pasta is extruded through bronze rather than Teflon dies, it has a rougher, more porous texture. When pasta is dried slowly at low temperatures, the protein is not denatured and the pasta is firmer when cooked. We recommend DeCecco, Barilla, and Bionaturae brands.
Cook pasta following these basic guidelines: Serve about one-fourth pound of pasta per person. Cook pasta in a large pot with plenty of water so that it quickly returns to a boil after the pasta is added and so that the pasta has room to float freely, which helps it cook evenly. Use about 4 or 5 quarts of salted water per pound of pasta. Ease the pasta into rapidly boiling water, stir to separate, and cover the pot. When the water returns to a boil, remove the lid and stir again.
Fresh pasta cooks in just a minute or two. The time needed to cook dried pasta depends on its thickness; don’t trust the time suggested on the pasta box—it’s sometimes too long. The only way to know when pasta is ready is to taste it. Several minutes before you expect the pasta to be done, start testing it every minute so you’ll catch it when it is al dente—that is, tender but with a firm bite. Drain it in a colander and transfer to a serving bowl.
Pasta is best eaten while it is hot, so it’s nice to heat the serving bowl. The simplest way to do that is to place a colander in your serving bowl in the sink. When the pasta is done, pour it into the colander, lift the colander, and leave the hot water in the bowl for a minute. Then just pour the water down the drain and transfer the pasta to the now warm bowl. The bowl can also be warmed in a 200° oven while the pasta cooks.
creamy lemon pasta
In Comfort Me with Apples, Ruth Reichl attributes the original recipe to Danny Kaye, but lemon and cream seems such a simple, natural combination that we suppose people were putting it on pasta long before Danny Kaye was born.
SERVES 4
TIME: 15 MINUTES
1 lemon
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound fresh fettuccine or dried spaghettini
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Bring a large covered pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, grate the lemon peel (about 2 teaspoons of zest) and squeeze the lemon (about 3 tablespoons of juice).
In a small skillet or saucepan on low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the cream and heat gently. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Turn off the heat.
When the water boils, cook the pasta until al dente (2 or 3 minutes for fresh pasta, longer for dried). Set aside a cup of the hot pasta-cooking water and drain the pasta.
Place the hot drained pasta in a large serving bowl, add the lemon cream sauce, and toss. Add some or all of the reserved hot water if more liquid is needed. Toss in the grated Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
variations
Add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives, about a cup of hot, cooked green peas, and some red pepper flakes when you add the cheese.
For a lighter version, use olive oil in place of butter and half-and-half instead of cream. If you have some arugula in your refrigerator, here’s a great way to use it up: Put about 3 cups of loosely packed arugula leaves in the bottom of the serving bowl; it will wilt when you add the hot pasta.
pasta with olives piquant
So easy to make, yet simply delectable—if you keep an assortment of good deli olives on hand, supper is only minutes away. (See photo)
SERVES 4 TO 6
TIME: 25 MINUTES
1 pound spaghetti or other pasta
1½ cups assorted pitted olives
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup minced fresh parsley
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (optional)
Bring a large covered pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Meanwhile, mince the olives by hand or in a food processor. If you use a food processor, pulse the olives for only a few seconds—until finely chopped but not pasty.
In a heavy skillet on low heat, cook the garlic in the oil until golden. Add the parsley, red pepper flakes, and chopped olives. Cook, stirring constantly, just until the parsley is wilted and the olives are heated through. Remove from the heat.
When the pasta is done, reserve a cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and place it in a serving bowl. Add the olive mixture (swirl some of the cooking water in the skillet to get the last bits of olive out). Toss, and if the pasta needs more moisture, add more of the cooking water. Serve topped with grated cheese if you wish.
INGREDIENT NOTE Choose a selection of olives, being sure
