Cookaholics Bulletin Board

All,

When I was in Rome, at a Calabrian restaurant I had an excellent pasta dish with a cheese-rosemary sauce (rotelli). I've cased my cookbooks and the great google, but I'm not turning up any even similar recipes; there's a few with rosemary & pasta, but none involve an significant amount of cheese. The pasta I had did not involve any tomato.

I knew I should have spend longer at the library today.

Anyone have anything like this in one of your cookbooks?

Sounds great. Was it a cream-based sauce?

Amy

Amy,

No. As far as I know, Italians don't do cream sauces for pasta, unless they're cooking for tourists. Most of your "creamy" Italian sauces, traditionally, have raw eggs and/or cheese instead.

I'm going to attempt it tonight; my guess is butter, cheese, rosemary and pasta water. I'm just worried that the sauce will clump or separate, but here goes.

BTW, the restaurant was "Il Boom" in Trastavere. If anybody visits Rome, I recommend it highly.

Folks,

Well, not exactly like what I had in Rome, but good nonetheless:

6 tbs butter
2 tbs minced fresh rosemary leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced, about 1 tbs
1 lbs rotelli or radiatore pasta
3-4 oz finely grated pecorino romano
10-12 oz taleggio cheese, cut into cubes
salt, lots of water
pepper grinder
pasta pot, small saucepan, colander or later strainer

Fill the pasta pot with water and plenty (1 heaping tbs) of salt. Set to boil.

Put the butter, rosemary and garlic in the small saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt the butter and simmer (don't let the butter boil or brown) for 10 minutes or so.

In the meantime, the water has boiled. Add the pasta. Cook for 8-10 minutes; reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain the pasta.

Off heat, put the pasta back in the warm pasta pot. Pour the butter & seasonings over the pasta. Add the taleggio, then the romano. Toss the pasta. Add a little pasta water at a time, tossing, until the sauce seems creamy and not dry. You might not use the whole cup.

Serve immediately, do not allow to cool.

You're right of course, and I clearly need to get back to Italy for a refresher cucina lesson or two!

Amy