C A R R O T P A S T A
I was recently watching Top Chef and one of the contestants made a carrot pasta and something clicked in my brain. ‘what about making a carrot pasta but make it kind of like cacio e pepe but take it to the Mideast with carrot and za’atar with some heat?’
I couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks. Then, as our next cookout approached, i decided it was time to take it for a spin and it was a hit. I’ve modified it since that first cook to make it more carrot-y
CARROT CAMPANELLE + ZA’ATAR
serves 4
1 Lb Campanelle pasta
1 hunk of Pecorino Romano
3 tbsp za’atar
Chives
Rosi’s hot oil (go to their website and order some now! In our house we put it on next to everything)
CARROT SAUCE
6 carrots sliced at an angle about 1/2 inch thick
1 shallot diced
3 cloves of garlic sliced
2 tbsp butter
A couple glugs of olive oil
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/3 cup veg broth
4-6 ice cubes
Add butter and a glug of olive oil to a heavy bottomed pot.
Add shallot, garlic, half of the carrots, spices, and a pinch of salt and sautee for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat.
Add the veg stock and simmer for another 3-5 minutes to reduce.
You want the shallot and garlic to sweat and become aromatic, but not burn while the carrots should soften a bit but still have a bit of snap.
Add to a blender with the remaining uncooked carrots, ice, around 1/3 cup of Pecorino Romano, and another glug of olive oil - puree until smooth, taste and season with salt to taste reminding yourself that you’re going to add more salt when you grate more Pecorino all over this.
Set aside to cool at room temperature.
Getting a pot of salted water boiling should have been the first step here, because you need to cook your pasta. But I like to make the sauce ahead and fire the pasta when I’m really ready.
Boil the campanelle according to the instructions - probably around 8 minutes.
Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water before straining pasta.
In the same heavy bottomed pot from earlier warm your sauce, add the pasta, three to four healthy pinches of za’atar, and grate another bit of pecorino. Taste. Taste. Taste.
Plate, hit with another healthy pinch of za’atar, drizzle with Rosi’s hot oil, grate more pecorino on top, and garnish with finely copped chives and a few cracks of black pepper.