RECIPE: Middle Eastern spice blend maximizes flavor of Italian classic
Everyone is on a hunt for maximum flavor these days. Consider the titles of some terrific fall cookbook releases. There’s Atlanta chef Asha Gomez’s “I Cook in Color: Bright Flavors From My Kitchen and Around the World” (Running Press, $32.50), molecular biologist turned food blogger Nik Sharma’s “The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained” (Chronicle, $35) and renowned chef and author Yotam Ottolenghi’s “Ottolenghi Flavor” (Ten Speed, $35) that seeks to find the full flavor potential for vegetarian dishes.
What’s exciting about books such as these — particularly those by Gomez and Ottolenghi — is that they encourage liberated cooking, a style that isn’t confined to culinary traditions. Both chefs embrace a global pantry, uncommon ingredient pairings and cooking processes that ramp up flavors. The end result is often a fresh take on familiar dishes.
One example is Ottolenghi’s adaptation of cacio e pepe, the Roman pasta dish starring cheese and pepper. He breaks with custom by introducing into the mix za’atar, a Middle Eastern flavoring blend consisting of dried thyme, oregano, sumac and toasted sesame seeds.
“Messing with an Italian classic is not something we do lightly,” Ottolenghi writes in the headnote, “but adding za’atar really doesn’t take anything away from the much-admired simplicity of this dish. All it does is add a layer of delicious herbiness that goes hand in hand with the pepper and the cheese.”
If you don’t have a jar of za’atar in your spice collection, the blend is common enough these days that you’ll find it in the spice aisle of most supermarkets.
And since we’re talking about seasonings, cacio e pepe is one dish where freshly ground pepper makes a difference. Get out the pepper mill and start cracking.
Ottolenghi also offers some guidance about the technique. To achieve a rich, smooth sauce, use a wide pan and some of the pasta cooking water, which ensures enough starch to allow the sauce to emulsify. Finely grate the cheeses and keep them separated so that they “melt happily” when added to the sauce. Lastly, have all the ingredients measured before you start cooking. It’s a dish that comes together in a jiffy.
- Table salt
- 14 ounces dried bucatini (or other long pasta, cooking time adjusted if necessary)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons za’atar, divided
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 4 1/2 ounces Parmesan, very finely grated
- 1 ounce pecorino, very finely grated
- 7 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons whole marjoram leaves (optional)
- Bring 5 1/2 cups water to a boil in a wide pan on medium-high heat, then season with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Add the bucatini and cook 9 minutes (or per package instructions) until al dente, stirring every now and then so they don’t stick together or to the bottom of the pan, and to ensure they are submerged. Drain, reserving all the cooking water (you should have about 2 1/4 cups — if not, top up with a little hot water).
- Melt the butter in a large, high-sided, nonstick saute pan on high heat until bubbling, then add the 1 tablespoon za’atar and pepper and cook 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant. Add the reserved cooking water, bring to a rapid boil, and cook 5 minutes, until silky and reduced a little. Add the pasta and stir vigorously into the sauce. Add the Parmesan in two batches, continuing to stir vigorously as you go and waiting until the first half has melted before adding the next. Once the Parmesan has all melted, add the pecorino, continuing to stir until it has also melted and the sauce is smooth and silky.
- Transfer the pasta to a lipped platter and finish with the olive oil, marjoram (if using), remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons za’atar, and a small pinch of salt. Serve at once. Serves 4.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 698 calories (percent of calories from fat, 42), 24 grams protein, 80 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 33 grams total fat (14 grams saturated), 65 milligrams cholesterol, 814 milligrams sodium.Reprinted from “Ottolenghi Flavor.” Copyright 2020 by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
Ligaya Figueras is the AJC's senior editor for Food & Dining. Prior to joining the AJC in 2015, she was the executive editor for St. Louis-based culinary magazine Sauce. She has worked in the publishing industry since 1999 and holds degrees from St. Louis University and the University of Michigan.
