Bobby Flay Teaches Ina Garten His Favourite Straightforward Pasta Dish

I’m all the time searching for one other go-to weeknight pasta dish — who isn’t? — and the newest addition to my repertoire of simple dinner concepts comes (unsurprisingly) from movie star chef, restaurateur, and Meals Community star Bobby Flay.

Whereas showing on a latest episode of Be My Visitor, Ina Garten’s podcast and tv present, Flay shared with the Barefoot Contessa what his favourite simple pasta is. The truth is, it’s really easy that he declares, “This pasta dish actually couldn’t be easier,” and it’s undoubtedly the type of no-recipe recipe that everybody ought to preserve of their again pocket — particularly as a result of it depends on only one flavor-packed pantry staple.

What’s Bobby Flay whipping up? Don’t cease studying when you hear the star ingredient, simply hear me out. The movie star chef teaches Ina Garten the right way to make recent pasta with anchovy butter and chives. If you happen to’re not already transformed to loving these tinned umami-filled fish, this meal can be a good way to learn the way scrumptious they are often (there are zero large chunks of anchovy concerned, and it’s onerous to not like every kind of buttery pasta).

If you happen to don’t belief me, belief the restaurant that impressed Flay’s favourite dish — he tells Garten that his anchovy pasta relies on one from Roscioli, an acclaimed restaurant in Rome that’s identified for the whole lot from its salumi to cocktails and conventional plates of pasta. (To present you an image of simply how beloved the restaurant is, Flay notes that it’s extremely troublesome to get a reservation — though I’d think about he wouldn’t have bother buying one.) The Meals Community star truly made this pasta alongside the chef at Roscioli, so he is aware of precisely how they do it, however he’s altered the method — not the substances — to go well with his style.

There are 4 parts on this free-form recipe: the pasta, anchovy butter, breadcrumbs, and chives. Flay begins with the breadcrumbs. And he has a intelligent method for seasoning them; the chef explains that he prefers to crush garlic right into a paste, as a substitute of finely mincing it. One thing as small as breadcrumbs helps the fragrant extra evenly coat and taste.

To interrupt down the garlic, Flay recommends roughly chopping it after which sprinkling kosher salt on prime. Use the flat facet of the knife to then press down and crush the garlic, rubbing the salt into it. (The coarse granules will assist grind the salt right into a paste.)

How a lot garlic or salt must you be utilizing? Once more, this can be a no-recipe recipe, and it’s a good way to train your skill to style and season as you go. If you happen to like a variety of garlic, add extra! If you happen to don’t, use much less.

From there, warmth some olive oil and somewhat butter in a pan — the oil will assist forestall the butter from burning — add your garlic, then the breadcrumbs, and prepare dinner them till they’re toasted and golden brown. As Flay factors out, you don’t need some breadcrumbs to burn whereas others are nonetheless pale, so watch them rigorously and stir commonly to make sure they’re uniformly cooked. 

As soon as the breadcrumbs have taken on a golden hue, end them with some recent lemon zest, take away the combination from the pan, and put aside (I’d suggest placing them on a paper towel-lined plate so any extra oil can drain). 

Subsequent up, the star of the present: anchovy butter. You’ll want room temperature butter for this, as a result of it’s simpler to combine. Mix the butter, anchovies (it’s in all probability finest to make use of oil-packed anchovies, not salt-packed, on this case, so you’ll be able to handle the salt ranges extra simply), black pepper, and salt in a meals processor, and mix to mix.

That is one other level the place you’ll have to style for seasoning. Modify the quantity of anchovies within the butter to your liking, and be sure you begin by including solely somewhat salt. The fish might be salty too, so when you style the blended butter, you’ll be able to resolve for those who want extra — it’s all the time higher to start with much less and add extra later, since you’ll be able to’t take away salt after you incorporate it. When the butter is completely seasoned, with the anchovies totally puréed and dispersed all through, set it apart.

Now it’s time to make the pasta. Bobby Flay is utilizing recent fettuccine, however I’m sure you could possibly use dried pasta, and any noodle form ought to work. (Though an extended noodle would possibly pair finest with the silky, easy sauce.) 

Convey salted water to a boil, then prepare dinner your pasta in response to the bundle instructions till al dente — the latter half is necessary as a result of the pasta will proceed cooking in a pan later, and you do not need it to change into mushy. If you happen to’re utilizing recent pasta, because the host of Beat Bobby Flay mentions, it’ll prepare dinner extremely shortly, possible in about 90 seconds. Whereas the pasta is boiling away, finely chop rather a lot of chives.

As soon as the pasta is cooked, add it to a big sauté pan together with a beneficiant splash of the pasta water. (Garten and Flay emphasize the significance of using the starchy nature of pasta water to thicken your sauce as they’re chatting collectively — and as they level out, it’s a free ingredient!) Soften the anchovy butter onto the pasta, flip the warmth to low, and begin tossing the whole lot collectively till a shiny, thick sauce types. 

Flip off the warmth when the pasta water and butter have emulsified and thickened, after which add within the chives and toss the whole lot somewhat bit extra to include them. Serve every plate of pasta and prime with loads of lemony, garlicky breadcrumbs!

Whereas the 2 well-known cooks and TV stars are having fun with their plates of pasta, Bobby Flay says that his favourite meal to host is definitely lunch. Ina Garten notes that she’s been to some of his mid-day gatherings — and loves them — which Flay describes as all the time a “stunning, leisurely, three-and-a-half-hour, lots-of-wine lunch.”

That appears like a wonderful technique to spend a Saturday afternoon to me, and I’m fairly certain anchovy pasta can be a straightforward technique to feed all the chums I am going to have over subsequent weekend.