Caramelized Shallot Pasta With Spicy Breadcrumbs Food

CARAMELIZED ONION PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium until butter is melted. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and deeply golden brown, about 30 minutes. (Stop before the onions become dry and shriveled.) Add red pepper flakes (if using) and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Remove pot from heat.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
• Add pasta and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid to onion mixture and stir to combine. Add a small handful of cheese and stir until melted. Repeat with remaining cheese, adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed to create a glossy sauce that coats the pasta. Stir in parsley (if using).
• Divide pasta among bowls. Top with Parmesan, parsley, and a few cranks of pepper.

CARAMELIZED SHALLOT PASTA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium high. Add shallots and thinly sliced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have become totally softened and caramelized with golden-brown fried edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add red-pepper flakes and anchovies. (No need to chop the anchovies; they will dissolve on their own.) Stir to melt the anchovies into the shallots, about 2 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent any scorching, until the tomato paste has started to cook in the oil a bit, caramelizing at the edges and going from bright red to a deeper brick red color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer about half the mixture to a resealable container, leaving the rest behind. (These are your leftovers to be used elsewhere: in another batch of pasta or smeared onto roasted vegetables, spooned over fried eggs or spread underneath crispy chicken thighs.)
• To serve, cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until very al dente (perhaps more al dente than usual). Transfer to Dutch oven with remaining shallot mixture (or a skillet if you are using the leftover portion) and 1 cup pasta water. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the skillet to coat each piece of pasta, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any bits on the bottom, until pasta is thick and sauce has reduced and is sticky, but not saucy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine parsley and finely chopped garlic clove, and season with flaky salt and pepper. Divide pasta among bowls, or transfer to one large serving bowl, and top with parsley mixture and a bit more red-pepper flakes, if you like.

CARAMELIZED GARLIC AND SHALLOT PASTA

Steps:

• Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and garlic cloves, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper, and stir to combine. Cook until very soft and golden, about 1 hour, adding water 2 tablespoons at a time if the pan seems dry.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic and shallots to a bowl, and set aside. Add chicken stock, and bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by one quarter, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, return garlic and shallots to pan, and keep warm while cooking pasta.
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.
• Drain pasta, and return to saucepan. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, reserved garlic and shallots, and sauce. Cut basil leaves into thin strips. Divide the pasta and sauce among six serving bowls, and serve immediately garnished with basil and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.