Quick Pasta by Gigi Hadid
Impressively fancy but easy to prepare.
Buy or find
Olive oil, 1/4 cup
Green onion, 1 diced *
Garlic, 1 clove, crushed
Tomato paste, 1/4 cup
Thickened cream, 1/2 cup**
Vodka, 1 tbs
Chilli flakes, 1 tsp (optional)
Short pasta, 225g pasta (penne or pennette or orecchiette work well)
Butter, 1 tbs/15g
Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup, grated
Basil leaves, handful, washed and finely sliced, to serve
Salt and pepper to taste
Do
Fry the onions and garlic.
Frying the onions and garlic
Place a large frying pan on the stove.
Add the olive oil.
Turn the heat to medium high.
Add the onion and gently fry until softened (This will take about 5-8 minutes).
Add the garlic and stir for 5 seconds. (Garlic easily burns which is why it is added after the onion is cooked but while the frying pan is still hot).
Remove from the heat.
Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, (Remember that pasta works best if cooked in water as salty as the sea. (1 tbs of rock salt in the pot of water will do this for you). While the pasta is cooking, move on to the next step.
Caramelise the tomato paste and onions.
Caramelising the tomato paste and onion
Add the tomato paste to the frying pan.
Place it over medium-high heat.
Cook until it has caramelised. (This takes between 2-5 minutes. A clue that the tomato sauce has caramelised is that it will have become darker.)
Finish the sauce
Finishing the sauce
Add the vodka and cook for a minute or two to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
Add the cream and stir.
Add the chilli.
Stir until combined.
Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat.
Assemble the dish.
Assembling the dish
Save 1/4 cup pasta water before draining the pasta.
Drain the pasta and return to the saucepan.
Add the butter and stir.
Add the pasta and pasta water to the sauce.
Add the parmesan and stir.
Add more salt and pepper if required.
Top with a little more parmesan and the basil.
Serve alongside a green salad, chunky guacamole and garlic bread or bruschetta. It’s also brilliant on its own.
* Green onion is also sometimes known as spring onion, green onions have a bulb at the end and a long green shoot. Using extra green onion also works but is not necessary. * Shallots also work, use what you have in the fridge. Even a brown or white onion will do.
** Thick cream is different from thickened cream. Thick cream is often also referred to as dollop cream, double thick cream or double cream. All are available from the supermarket.
