Sweater weather gives us the excuse to indulge in creamy pasta dishes. Adding vegetables to the pasta and cream takes away a bit of the guilt and adds a boatload of flavor and color.
The advantage of cream sauces is their speed—a delicious sauce comes together in less than the time it takes to cook the pasta. Since these tend to be rich dishes, boost the vegetable content and keep animal proteins to a small quantity of highly-flavored bits, such as prosciutto, pancetta ham, or smoked fish.
Like most recipes, but especially true of the simplest dishes, the better the ingredient quality, the better the final dish. Let’s start with the pasta. Look for imported pastas made with high-quality durum wheat semolina flour and allowed to dry slowly (the package will boast of this attribute). Less expensive dried pastas tend to easily overcook, meaning soft and mushy.
As for the creamy ingredients, mascarpone cheese and creme fraiche melt beautifully and can take a lot of heat. The same goes for heavy whipping cream, although it’s not quite as luxurious as the previous two options. Milk and half-and-half cannot take much heat lest they break.
You can spend a lot of money on cheese. Use freshly shredded cheese here—not grated cheese packed with fillers and/or anti-clumping additives. Trust me, Italy’s Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded or grated fresh by the cook, proves a stellar ingredient. True confession: A stockpile of shredded Parmesan saves time. Finely grated parmesan melts nicely, so it’s best for adding to the sauce. Long, skinny shreds of cheese make the prettiest garnish.
Always remember to save a cupful of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta. Rather than adding extra cream, this starch-heavy water beautifully loosens up the finished pasta dish.
The bright, fresh citrus flavors in the first recipe remind diners that spring is on the horizon. Thin slices of bright green zucchini and fresh cilantro do the same for the gemelli recipe that follows.
Creamy Fettuccini With Citrus, Prosciutto, and Herbs
Serves 4- Salt
- 1 carton (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese or creme fraiche or 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/3 cup (1.5 ounces) finely grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
- Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
- Finely grated zest of 1/2 small orange
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 package (3 ounces) thinly sliced prosciutto or 6 thin slices ham
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced herb leaves, such as a combination of Italian parsley, basil, mint
- 2 to 4 tablespoons finely shredded parmesan or asiago cheese, for serving
- 12 ounces dried fettuccine noodles
2. Meanwhile, whisk together cheese or cream and egg yolk in the bottom of a large bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, the citrus rinds, pepper, crushed red pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut the prosciutto or ham slices crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips; fluff to separate the strips. Set near the cooking surface along with the herbs and shredded Parmesan.
3. When water boils, add fettuccini. Cook, stirring often, and tasting a noodle once in a while, until al dente (pasta should be tender with a bit of texture left in the center of the noodle), about 10 minutes.
Gemelli With Butternut Squash, Pancetta, and Zucchini
Serves 4- 1 medium-sized leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, well rinsed
- 1 medium (8 ounces) zucchini, ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) finely chopped pancetta or ham
- 2 cups (8 ounces) butternut squash, 1/2-inch cubes peeled fresh or frozen (slightly thawed)
- Salt
- 12 ounces gemelli, penne, small shells, or other pasta shape
- 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream or creme fraiche
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, for serving
- Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add leek and pancetta. Cook and stir over medium heat until leek softens, about 3 minutes. Stir in butternut squash. Cook and stir until squash starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring often, and tasting a noodle once in a while, until al dente (pasta should be tender with a bit of texture left in the center of the noodle), about 10 minutes. Scoop out and save 1 cup cooking water and set it aside. Drain pasta and put into a bowl.
4. While pasta cooks, stir cream, 1/4 teaspoon each salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes into butternut squash mixture. Cook until butternut squash is fork-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in zucchini slices to coat them well; keep warm.
5. Pour warm squash-cream mixture over pasta. Toss to coat everything with the sauce. Add 1/4 to 1/22 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen up the mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with cilantro. Pass cheese.
