A Very Simple Pasta

This is simple and as deeply satisfying as it gets.

You have probably come across a recipe or two similar to this. This is the “Oh no, I am starving and I haven’t gone grocery shopping, and there is nothing to eat.” recipe.

Nothing to eat? Au contraire, my friend. This recipe utilizes pantry item ingredients but it is driven by technique. Learning to use your pasta water as the foundation of your sauce is crucial to good pasta cookery. Master this skill and you will never go hungry, and everyone will acknowledge that your pasta is superior.

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Ingredients

• 3 tbsp good salted butter

• 1 shallot diced

• 1 clove of garlic chopped

• 1 calabrian chili in oil, or 1 tsp dried chili flakes

• 1 anchovy

• juice of 1 lemon

• 100 grams pasta (per person)

• any herbs that are on the verge of dying and need to get used up (optional)

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1. in a boiling pot of salted water add pasta and cook according to specifications

2. In a pan add 1.5 tbsp salted butter and let melt until it starts to bubble and smell a little nutty

3. add shallot, garlic, anchovy, and chili to pan and cook on medium, while you’re pasta cooks

4. prevent garlic and shallots from browning by adding a 1/4 cup to 1/2 a cup of pasta water at a time. Continue adding small doses of pasta water and let reduce until your pasta is done cooking. (note. This step is important because the starch from the pasta water is going to act as a binding agent that is going to give you a glossy pasta sauce.)

5. just before pasta is done cooking add juice of one lemon to pan

6. add pasta to pan, and add 1.5 tbsp of remaining butter

7. toss pasta until everything is incorporated and glossy, if pasta seems too dry add small doses of pasta water. If it is too wet, turn heat to high in pan and let reduce, continue to stir and toss pasta in pan so it doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn.

8. plate, sprinkle with some herbs you have lying around, maybe crack some fresh black pepper over it

That’s it. Enjoy.