Food & Wine
Lyndey Milan’s perfect pasta with quick cherry tomato sauce
For perfect pasta it is imperative to have plenty of salted boiling water. Do not add oil to the water as it stops the sauce adhering to the pasta.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 250g pappardelle pasta
- 2 punnets (500g) ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
- 100 g black olives, stoned (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional, to taste)
- 1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and torn
- ½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup shaved parmesan
Method:
- For the sauce, place tomatoes, olives, garlic and vinegar (and chilli if using) in a large bowl and break up with a potato masher. Mix in the basil and olive oil. Season to taste. Leave for flavours to develop. This can be made up to an hour in advance.
- For the pasta,Bring at least 3 litres water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add a good tablespoon of salt and then ease in the pasta until it is all submerged. Stir until the water comes back to the boil. Then give another good stir, remove the lid and cook 4-5 minutes only (time is indicative of homemade pasta, please refer to the cooking instructions on the back of the pasta packet).
- Drain pasta (reserving ½ cup cooking water) and toss with the tomato mixture. Add reserved liquid if you want a wetter sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve immediately.
Lyndey Milan is an acclaimed Australian Chef and Philips Kitchen Appliances ambassador.