Penne Pasta With Alex Guarnaschelli Food

CORN PASTA WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the coriander and garlic and let it toast until you smell it, 30 to 45 seconds. Add half of the corn and cook for a couple of minutes to soften. Add the sugar, scallions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer until the cream reduces slightly, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour the mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. If the corn is "stringy" or the sauce grainy, strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer the sauce to a large skillet and stir in the sun-dried tomatoes. Keep warm.
• In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt. The pasta water should taste like sea water. Add the pasta to the pot and stir so it doesn't stick to the bottom as it cooks. Cook the pasta until al dente (chewy but not hard or raw tasting), 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve a little of the pasta cooking liquid in case you need it later, then drain the pasta in a colander.
• Toss the pasta in the skillet with the sauce and remaining corn. Add some basil leaves and salt and pepper. Scoop into bowls and top with Parmesan and more basil leaves.

BLUSHING ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, warm the olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons water. Simmer until the water cooks out and the garlic becomes tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste with 2 more tablespoons water and cook to "fry" the paste for a minute in the oil, stirring. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook over medium heat until they soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream. Season with salt to taste. Keep warm.
• In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil. Add a generous handful of salt. Bring the water back up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring with a slotted spoon to make sure it does not clump or stick to the bottom, until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta in a large colander.
• Add the hot pasta right from the colander to the skillet and toss to coat with the cream. Shut the heat off and allow the pasta to rest for 2 minutes. If too thin, gently warm and reduce over low heat for 1 to 2 additional minutes. If it becomes too thick, simply thin it out with some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Serve topped with the cheese.

GARLIC PENNE PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, and return to pot.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and parsley for about 1 minute. Season with red pepper flakes and black pepper. Stir into cooked pasta, along with remaining olive oil. Top with Parmesan.