Making great pasta is something every aspiring home cook should know how to do, and chef Bobby Flay has recently given some advice on how to do just that. Pasta is an iconic dish, and knowing how to do it right will impress even the pickiest of house guests!
Tips from Bobby Flay for Your Pasta
According to Bobby Flay, squid ink will add a unique taste and color to the pasta while hiding any oxidation that may be present. He recommends using a food processor to quickly mix eggs, flour, and even squid ink to form a dough and offers several tips on how to make the pasta a truly wonderful dish.
After the dough is ready, it should be kneaded for a bit and then wrapped in plastic and left to rest for 30 minutes or a full day. Flay recommends forming the pasta into loose nests on a floured sheet pan to keep it moist enough.
Enriching the Flavors
Another tip by Bobby Flay is to saute the ingredients for the pasta sauces with avocado oil. It has a high smoke point and neutral flavor that makes it perfect for cooking garlic and onion, which are at the base of many sauces. Flay highly recommends using extra virgin olive oil to complete the dish.
When it comes to the tomato sauce, Bobby Flay recommends to cook it long enough to keep its fresh taste. Crushed canned tomatoes can be used for a rustic texture while adding some sugar can balance the acidity of the tomatoes. All of this will lead to a chunky sauce that will add texture to any pasta dish. Another good idea is to make the sauce a day in advance so that the flavors can meld together well.
Pasta With Seafood
There are other tricks Bobby Flay recommends for making the perfect pasta, including using peeled shrimp and using their shells for more flavor. The shells have to be simmered with water, tomato paste, some onions, and a bay leaf for 30 minutes. Using bottled clam juice is also an option.
Another crucial tip is to add butter and Parmesan cheese to the pasta and sauce to boost flavor and allow the sauce to cling to the pasta. While mixing cheese with seafood may seem unconventional, finely grated Parmesan is perfect for that purpose, and butter adds richness to the flavor.