I am not usually up to date with what's trendy, and when I am, I don't usually care much, but this has been an exception. Of all the food-related topics to go viral, this is one of the few that has managed to do this because it is good (my family can attest to this flavor combination working remarkably well-- this is the crux of the flavor profile of one of our favorite pizzas), so it not only merits my attention but also my promotion.
Feta comes in a variety of textures and it can be made from a variety of kinds of milk (i.e., from different animals). Cow, sheep, and goat milk are all used for feta, but 70% sheep-30% goat is the most traditional. Feta’s texture depends on how long it ages, usually no less than 3 months. It is commonly sold either as a block or already crumbled. For this recipe, buy the highest-quality majority-sheep block feta you can find. As a second choice, if no sheep feta is available, go for goat feta, leaving cow feta only as a last resort. Whatever milk your feta is from, make sure to buy it as a block and not pre-crumbled.
Place the block of feta in the center of a baking dish and surround it with an equal amount of cherry tomatoes (1 pint). Drizzle olive oil over the cheese and tomatoes. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Do not add salt. (Traditionally made feta is already salty enough.) Place in a 400-degree oven for 25 minutes or until the feta melts and the tomatoes burst out of their skins, releasing their juices. While the feta is in the oven, bring 1 gallon of water to a boil in a large pot. Cook 1 pound of short pasta (penne, rigatoni, farfalle, casarecce, etc.) and cook according to the package instructions. Time the pasta so it finishes at the same time as the tomatoes and the cheese finish in the oven. Using a short pasta rather than a long one will allow the feta and tomatoes to get into the shape of the pasta in a way that is next-to-impossible when using a long pasta. Not all shapes of pasta work for all sauces.
Feta comes in a variety of textures and it can be made from a variety of kinds of milk (i.e., from different animals). Cow, sheep, and goat milk are all used for feta, but 70% sheep-30% goat is the most traditional. Feta’s texture depends on how long it ages, usually no less than 3 months. It is commonly sold either as a block or already crumbled. For this recipe, buy the highest-quality majority-sheep block feta you can find. As a second choice, if no sheep feta is available, go for goat feta, leaving cow feta only as a last resort. Whatever milk your feta is from, make sure to buy it as a block and not pre-crumbled.
Place the block of feta in the center of a baking dish and surround it with an equal amount of cherry tomatoes (1 pint). Drizzle olive oil over the cheese and tomatoes. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Do not add salt. (Traditionally made feta is already salty enough.) Place in a 400-degree oven for 25 minutes or until the feta melts and the tomatoes burst out of their skins, releasing their juices. While the feta is in the oven, bring 1 gallon of water to a boil in a large pot. Cook 1 pound of short pasta (penne, rigatoni, farfalle, casarecce, etc.) and cook according to the package instructions. Time the pasta so it finishes at the same time as the tomatoes and the cheese finish in the oven. Using a short pasta rather than a long one will allow the feta and tomatoes to get into the shape of the pasta in a way that is next-to-impossible when using a long pasta. Not all shapes of pasta work for all sauces.
Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water in a heat-proof container. This water contains starches that leeched out from the pasta. Together with the proteins in the milk in the feta and the pectin in the tomatoes, this will emulsify the sauce. Drain the pasta, having reserved that cup of water. Combine the cheese and tomatoes with the pasta. Stir and create your sauce. It should emulsify on its own, but if it doesn’t, or if it does and is still too thick, take advantage of the leftover pasta water to adjust the consistency and create/maintain/reestablish an emulsified sauce.
If desired, chiffonade some basil (gather up several leaves and roll them into a bunch, then cut the bunch narrow ribbons) or simply tear it into the pasta and mix. Optionally, crack more black pepper. Serve.
If you make this, be sure to leave a comment down below letting me know!
If desired, chiffonade some basil (gather up several leaves and roll them into a bunch, then cut the bunch narrow ribbons) or simply tear it into the pasta and mix. Optionally, crack more black pepper. Serve.
If you make this, be sure to leave a comment down below letting me know!
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Oh yeah! I know this trend pasta in one pot!
ReplyDeleteSo easy, right? And so good! No wonder it went viral earlier this year!
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