Asparagus Date Pasta
Let’s talk about the pasta formula that has had it’s foot on my NECK. Now this formula isn’t new or innovative, but it is what I gravitate toward on those snoozy weeknights when I’m head empty and indecisive about what to cook.
Pantry pasta can be made using what’s in your pantry. Think canned peas/veggies, stocks, beans, spices, etc. You can also add in any fresh herbs or veggies you have lying around deep in the depths of your crusty dusty fridge.
Pantry Pasta Formula
Step 1
FAT: You need a source of fat that will bring all of the following ingredients together. I usually like this to be one that will also be used later on to add a little more gloss, depth, and flavor to the dish. Some examples of fat would be olive oil, butter, coconut oil, etc.
Step 2
AROMATICS: These are a myriad of veggies, alliums, etc that had a base layer to a dish. Think of them as a the flavor foundation to your dish. It’ll ground it. It’s like your natal chart’s “sun sign”. Some combinatons of aromatics are: French Mirepoix: onions, leeks, carrots and celery, Sofrito: onions, garlic and tomato, South Asian: onions, ginger, garlic, spices.
These will be sauteed in whatever fat was chosen in Step 1. You want to blister, bloom, and enhance the aromas of the aromatics to help extract the peak flavor potential they have for the dish
Step 3:
FLAVOR BOMBS and SPICES: This is by far my favorite step. I love to add many spices to my dishes but usually gravitate towards MY holy trinity of cumin, ginger, and coriander. The combination adds a little nuttiness, effervescence, and floral notes to each dish. You can also add premade spice mixtures you find at your local grocery store or spice mixes that play an integral role in certain cultures like garam masala in South Asian cuisine.
You can also add sauces/flavor bombs to the dish during this step like harissa, gochujang, miso, preserved lemon paste, sofrito, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, etc.
Step 4
PROTEIN: This step is optional depending on what your needs are during this time. I love adding seafood to my pasta since it’s pretty light and cooks quickly! Although some great alternatives to animal-based protein would be canned beans, tofu, tempeh, or vegan mince meat. Adding the protein during this step will inject some of the flavors already curated into each bite of your protein source. You can also add in any pre-cooked protein you have lying around like that $8 rotisserie chicken or leftover steak/fish from the dinner the night prior.
Step 5
PASTA!! This is obviously an integral part of this formula! Certain pasta shapes work great for certain sauces or dishes. With pantry pasta, I prefer shorter pasta shapes with ridges and rivets that help collect any of the other ingredients used in the prior steps. Some favorite’s would be garganelli, orecchiette, farfalle, fusilli, gemelli, and cavatappi.
You also want to ensure that you’re cooking your pasta in heavily salted water. This ensures that the pasta is seasoned from within. This will also help us season the dish as a whole when we save the liquid gold aka the reserved pasta cooking liquid. I always like to set aside 1/2 cup of pasta liquid prior to draining the pasta to help bring the dish together toward the end.
Step 6
ACID! ACID! MORE ACID! I learned about the importance of acidity from Samin Nosrat’s ICONIC cookbook (my culinary bible) “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat”. Acid can be found in the form of lemon juice, zest, preserved lemons, limes, and different kinds of vinegar. This helps balance the dish between the fat used, and the saltiness. If a dish, especially pasta, is missing that je ne se quois, it’s probably missing a form of acidity- it’s like extra credit!
Step 7
ACCESSORIZATION: I’m talking about boots the house down. No minimalism here. I want more. These are little accessories of flavor and brightness that can elevate a dish! I love adding these towards the end of the cooking process to help preserved the flavor, brightness, and shape/form of the accessory/layer being added. For a pantry pasta, I love adding a cheese like parmigiano reggiano, feta, or goat cheese. These will add a layer of umami that is integral for a well-balanced meal. I also love adding herbs during this time. Some of my favorites to elevate a pasta are dill, parsley, and mint. Lastly, a little extra spice action to ensure those flavors added toward the beginning of the cooking process really SHINE! Sumac, cumin, coriander, cardamom. These are all spices that are a little more floral and effervescent that stand beautifully on their own, and especially when added to something like a pantry pasta. When adding these “accessories” to the dish, I love to throw in another splash of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to really bring everything together once more.
Accessorization is also important during the plating process. I’m no stranger to eating from the pot or throwing everything into a crusty bowl and chowing down on the sofa immediately, but when I spend a little extra time (a couple of minutes) on styling my meal, it makes me feel pretty like how I made the dish looks. I think the process of styling the dish helps you consume what you made with so much more intention. It’s like passing by the mirror once more before you leave the house to confirm that, yes, you look phenomenal and you should feel that way too. As I always say when serving a meal to my loved ones, take the pic because I want you to know that you’re eating pretty to feel pretty like the pretty bitch you are—and then you can dive in!
Asparagus Date Pasta
Time: about 35 minutes
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
1-pint cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch asparagus, sliced in half cut diagonally
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon aleppo pepper
4-ounces garganelli pasta
1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano reggiano
4 pitted dates, chopped
zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
20 mint leaves, chiffonaded
2 tablespoons parsley
DIRECTIONS
Prep, clean, and cut your vegetables, herbs, and aromatics and set them aside (this process is known as mise en place) Bring a pot of water with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
While pasta cooks, in a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the whole cherry tomatoes and saute for 3-4 mins until blistered. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 min.
Add the asparagus (could also substitute with peas, leeks, etc). Saute until the asparagus is vibrant. Add cumin and Aleppo pepper and saute until fragrant, about 1 min.
At this point, pasta should be done. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta into the pan with the veggies along with about 1/4 cup of pasta cooking liquid. Add the grated cheese and chopped dates—carefully toss to bring everything together over medium heat. The dates should “melt” into the pasta, making a glossy sauce.
Add the lemon juice/zest, mint, and parsley (save some on the side to garnish, about 1 tablespoon each). Toss everything together until combined. Taste and season with more salt/pepper or Aleppo pepper.
Plate and garnish with more cheese, fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, and some sumac.
