Late Night Pasta

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Time: 30 minutes
  • Tools: large skillet, large pot, colander

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp (30ml) olive oil
  • 2 shallots (120g) minced
  • 4 cloves (12g) garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 Tbsp (30ml) tomato paste
  • 8 oz (225g) cherry tomatoes, washed
  • 1-2 Tbsp (15-30ml) dry red wine
  • 1 Tbsp (18g) + more to taste kosher salt
  • 12 oz (340g) dried pasta of choice
  • 3 Tbsp (5.3g) chopped basil + more to garnish
  • 3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter
  • ½ Cup (50g) grated parmesan cheese + more to garnish
  • To taste freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 oz (225g) fresh mozzarella cheese, ripped/cut into cubes

Instructions

  1. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat then add the oil.
  2. Add the shallots and cook until they turn translucent, about 1-3 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and tomato paste, then cook for an additional 1-2 minutes while stirring or until an orange fond forms at the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook for 5-15 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down and burst. Add the wine to the pan to deglaze the pan and help break down the tomatoes.
  5. Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water to a boil. Season with 1 tablespoon of salt, then add the dried pasta and cook until the pasta is about 2 minutes shy of al dente.
  6. Once the pasta is par-cooked and the tomatoes are burst, add the pasta to the tomato mixture along with ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
  7. Cover the skillet and finish cooking the pasta to al dente in the tomato sauce. If the mixture gets too dry before the pasta is done, add more pasta cooking water as needed.
  8. Turn off the heat and uncover the skillet. Add the basil, butter and parmesan cheese, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
  9. Finally, add the mozzarella to the pasta and cover the pan once more. Allow the cheese to melt for 2-3 minutes using the residual heat from the pasta.
  10. Once the cheese has melted, rigorously stir the pasta to incorporate the cheese, then garnish with more parmesan cheese and chopped basil.

Personal Recipe Notes

Inspired by Basics with Babish's "Late Night Pasta" with some small tweaks. This is a BIG portion when serving two and can easily make 4 small servings. Often I will saute mushrooms, zuchinni, sliced bell peppers, or any other combination of heartier vegetables if I want to pretend to be healthy. Sausage cooked and set aside, then added pack in before the pasta is another good addition.

Late Night Pasta

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Time: 30 minutes
  • Tools: large skillet, large pot, colander

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp (30ml) olive oil
  • 2 shallots (120g) minced
  • 4 cloves (12g) garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 Tbsp (30ml) tomato paste
  • 8 oz (225g) cherry tomatoes, washed
  • 1-2 Tbsp (15-30ml) dry red wine
  • 1 Tbsp (18g) + more to taste kosher salt
  • 12 oz (340g) dried pasta of choice
  • 3 Tbsp (5.3g) chopped basil + more to garnish
  • 3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter
  • ½ Cup (50g) grated parmesan cheese + more to garnish
  • To taste freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 oz (225g) fresh mozzarella cheese, ripped/cut into cubes

Instructions

  1. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat then add the oil.
  2. Add the shallots and cook until they turn translucent, about 1-3 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and tomato paste, then cook for an additional 1-2 minutes while stirring or until an orange fond forms at the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook for 5-15 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down and burst. Add the wine to the pan to deglaze the pan and help break down the tomatoes.
  5. Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water to a boil. Season with 1 tablespoon of salt, then add the dried pasta and cook until the pasta is about 2 minutes shy of al dente.
  6. Once the pasta is par-cooked and the tomatoes are burst, add the pasta to the tomato mixture along with ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
  7. Cover the skillet and finish cooking the pasta to al dente in the tomato sauce. If the mixture gets too dry before the pasta is done, add more pasta cooking water as needed.
  8. Turn off the heat and uncover the skillet. Add the basil, butter and parmesan cheese, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
  9. Finally, add the mozzarella to the pasta and cover the pan once more. Allow the cheese to melt for 2-3 minutes using the residual heat from the pasta.
  10. Once the cheese has melted, rigorously stir the pasta to incorporate the cheese, then garnish with more parmesan cheese and chopped basil.

Personal Recipe Notes

Inspired by Basics with Babish's "Late Night Pasta" with some small tweaks. This is a BIG portion when serving two and can easily make 4 small servings. Often I will saute mushrooms, zuchinni, sliced bell peppers, or any other combination of heartier vegetables if I want to pretend to be healthy. Sausage cooked and set aside, then added pack in before the pasta is another good addition.