GASTRONORMOUS

Yes, loads of oil, butter, and salt, it turns out, are the keys to tasty eating.

You know when you watch a cooking show and the host just sautees some stuff and then throws in some pasta and a few ladles-full of pasta water and they have this really delicious looking dish. But then you try something similar at home and you end up with a bowl full of bland sogg? I found out recently that lots of olive oil, butter, and salt are the antidotes to pasty pasta. Oh, and a mountain of Parmesan doesn’t hurt either.

Twice recently I have made a variation on this pasta dish, and both times it was really incredibly delicious. As with many of my “recipes,” what follows are really just general guidelines; please play with proportions to suit your taste, this recipe is hard to mess up. Just be sure to use more salt and fat you are probably comfortable with if you want it to taste really spectacular!

Firstly, you need to pretty heavily salt the pasta water. The water should be salty, not merely salted. Use whatever type of pasta you’d like. The first time I made it I used spinach rotini, the second time I used whole wheat linguini. You can also use various different types of vegetables, but ones that cook relatively quickly probably work best (think green and leafy/flowery). The first time I used broccolini (or, broccoli: the good parts), which I sliced into long, thin pieces. The second time I used Brussels sprouts, which I sliced into c. 1/8-inch disks lengthwise (ie, on the axis of the stem).

Due to all the fat in this recipe, you probably shouldn’t eat it too often, but considering how easy to make and tasty it is, you might want to!

Pasta with Garlicky Green-leafies in an Oil and Butter Sauce

pasta
as many cloves of garlic as you want, sliced very thin
veggie of choice (I suggest broccoli, broccolini, brussels sprouts)
salt, pepper
a few sprinkles of dried/powdered sage
red pepper flakes, if you want them
butter!
Parmesan or Romano cheese, shredded (with a microplane if you have one)

While your salty water is heating, do all your cleaning, chopping, and prep (including putting your sautee pan on the stove). When you put your pasta in the water, work quickly:  Heat up a good amount, at least two tablespoons, of olive oil in a sautee pan over high heat. Add your veggie of choice, along with some thinly sliced garlic (don’t add the garlic first, it will burn). Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, then turn the heat down to medium. Add some salt, pepper, sage, and hot pepper flakes if you want ‘em. Cook for a few more minutes.

The pasta should be almost done now. Ignore package cooking instructions. Cook until almost al dente (if you cook according to package instructions, the pasta will be over-done). Add pasta to the veggies, along with a couple of big pats of butter and a couple of ladles of pasta water. Cook until butter is melted and a thick-ish sauce is formed. By this time the pasta will be perfectly chewy and tender. Turn off the heat and dump in a bunch of cheese. I mention a microplane grater above because when you grate Parmesan with one, you create this luscious salty cloud of cheese that just melts immediately upon hitting the soft pasta. Toss and enjoy!

And, seriously, you will enjoy.