Recipe information
Yield
for 1 pound of pasta
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Toast the bread crumbs in a small skillet (see page 93), tossing and stirring them, until they start to color. When they are almost completely browned, drop in 2 tablespoons of butter. Take the pan off the heat, and swirl it to melt the butter and stop the crumbs from darkening further.
Step 2
Melt the remaining butter in a big skillet over medium heat; grind pepper in generously.
Step 3
Ladle in 1 cup hot pasta water and cook actively for a couple of minutes, reducing the sauce slightly. Keep at low simmer until the pasta is ready.
Step 4
Toss cooked pasta and sauce together in the skillet. Off the heat, toss in the cheese and sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs on top of the pasta, just before serving.
Toasted Poppy Seed and Butter
Step 5
Follow the recipe for Toasted Bread Crumb and Butter Sauce above, but substitute 2 tablespoons poppy seeds for the crumbs. Toast them in the dry pan until they are fragrant, reserve some for topping if you like, then add the butter and swirl them together.
Step 6
Toss cooked pasta and sauce together in the skillet. Off the heat, toss in grated cheese and sprinkle the reserved toasted poppy seeds on top, just before serving. This sauce is especially good with Ricotta Ravioli.
Good With . . .
Step 7
Egg pasta—tagliatelle
Step 8
Cornmeal pasta
Step 9
Ricotta Ravioli (page 181)
Step 10
Potato, Leek, and Bacon Ravioli (page 186)
Step 11
A simple pasta such as rigatoni or linguine
