Cheesy Pasta with Nutmeg

By lindsayvk

My process has always been very basic. I bring a large pot of water to boil and then add a bunch of kosher salt. I put in half a box of pasta and let it cook for the appropriate time, making sure the pasta's just cooked through so it's still al dente. I drain it in the sink and then melt 3 or 4 Tbs of unsalted butter in the pot. Here's where things get interesting...

Up until this point, I've always done it the same way. I add the pasta back to the butter, grate nutmeg on top and grate Parmesan on top and then stir it all through. All this happens over heat and when it comes off it's a buttery, gloppy, flavorful sinful mess.

Then Lidia Bastianich entered the picture. Watching her show, I noticed that she uses pasta water to make sauces stick. Then I read her book and she has a recipe for pasta with parmesan and butter where after you melt the butter you add pasta water and let it reduce. Which leads directly to our eureka moment.

Last night, upon my return from Florida, I made the best bowl of pasta with butter, parmesan and nutmeg I've ever had. Keep in mind I've probably made 50 bowls of this. But this was the best. Here's what you do:

- You've boiled your pasta as suggested above.
- While the pasta's cooking, grate 1 cup of parmesan into a bowl. The reason you do this is because if you do it right over the pasta like I'd been doing, you'll never add enough Parmesan. Because the energy it takes to grate 1 cup on a microplane grater is more than you're willing to do when you're eyeballing it, it's worth to do in a separate process.
- Now this is key. Take out a mug or a small glass. When draining the pasta, fill the mug or small glass with some of the pasta water and then drain the rest.
- Melt 3 Tbs of butter in the pasta pot. (This works with half a box of pasta.) Once melted, add about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup (depending on how you feel) of the pasta water. It will sizzle. Let reduce for a few seconds and grate fresh nutmeg over it. Now add the pasta, toss around, and add the cup of Parmesan. Stir and serve.

Ingredients

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Preparation

Step 1

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