Creamy Garlic Penne

Creamy but not overwhelming, garlicky pasta with lots of flavor.

Creamy Garlic Penne

Serves 4 - 5

Growing up, fettuccine alfredo was my favorite pasta when ordering at an Italian restaurant. Looking back, I don’t think the appeal was in the flavor because more often than not it was lacking, but something about the rich creamy overabundance of sauce held my heart. As an adult, thinking about the amount of cream and butter in the alfredo I loved so much scares me. This creamy garlic pasta is my attempt at lightening up the sauce of my childhood and giving it some real flavor.

The base of the sauce is a veloute enriched with milk, which gives a creamy sauce while not being as rich or heavy as a bechamel. Lots of garlic features in the sauce along with scallion whites to enhance the garlic. Cook the sauce to nape, add the cooked pasta and finish by stirring through the scallion greens. While I have not used it myself, I can see a bit of a cheesy addition to the sauce being amazing. You can achieve this by finishing the sauce with 1.5 - 2 T nutritional yeast or 60g (1/3 c) of grated hard cheese (or more if you want) off heat before mixing into the pasta.

I like to serve this with pickled chilis and soy glazed chickpeas on the side spooning a little of the pickle brine over the top to add a spicy brightness to the pasta.

“Recipe Tips:

*1. My broth was 200ml (1 c) water mixed with 15g (1 T) mushroom bullion however, chicken or vegetable broth can also be used.

**Note: If using soju instead of wine, the vinegar adds some of the acidity that the wine would have. If you are using wine, do not use vinegar.”

Ingredients

*200ml (1 c) broth

**45ml (3 T) soju or white wine

***7ml (1.5 t) rice vinegar

37ml (2.5 T) olive oil

100g (4 large) scallions, sliced, greens and whites separated

12 large garlic cloves, minced

3g (0.75 t) ground black pepper

2g (0.50 t) garlic powder

2g (0.50 t) onion powder

2g (0.50 t) kosher salt

0.25 t dried thyme, rubbed

24g (3 T) all purpose flour

275ml (1.25 c + 2 T) milk

500g (1 box) penne

Method

1.      Place a large pot of water on high heat to come to a boil.

• Stir together the broth, alcohol and vinegar if using. Set aside.

2.      Heat a large saute pan over medium-high.

• Add the oil and warm for 30 seconds.

• Add the scallion whites, garlic, spices and herbs.

• Saute for 2.5 – 3 minutes or until starting to brown slightly.

• Sprinkle over the flour and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute.

• While stirring constantly add the broth in 2 - 3 additions.

When making a roux in this way, it may seem like the liquid is clumping however, continue to stir vigorously to break up the lumps and smoothen out. A whisk can be used to help prevent lumps.

• Continue to stir constantly for 2 minutes.

• Add the milk into the mix in 2 - 3 additions.

• Continue to cook stirring constantly for 5 – 6 minutes or until thickened.

• Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

• Keep warm.

3.      Salt the pot of water once boiling.

• Add the penne and cook for 2 minutes shorter than package directions.

• Before draining, reserve 400ml (2 c) pasta water.

• Drain.

• Return the pot to medium-low heat adding about 100ml (0.50 c) of the reserved pasta water.

• Add the drained pasta to the pot and pour over the sauce.

• Stirring constantly cook with the sauce for 90 seconds adding more pasta water as necessary to maintain sauciness.

• Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

• Stir through the reserved scallion greens.

4.      Serve.