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Recipe Detail Page
Spaghetti with Fontina Cream and Chili Oil
Spring 2013
Burritt Room’s spaghetti is house-made and fresh. I found the best substitute to be a linguine-sized dried egg pasta. This is a similar but much more sophisticated version of macaroni and cheese.
Serves 4
FONTINA CREAM SAUCE
2 tsp (10 mL) minced garlic
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped shallots
1 cup (250 mL) white wine
3 cups (750 mL) vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
6 thyme sprigs
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
1 cup (250 mL) grated fontina, about 3 oz (90 g)
¼ cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan
BREAD CRUMBS
1 cup (250 mL) bread torn in small pieces
2 tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp (30 mL) minced parsley
PASTA
¼ cup (60 mL) diced pancetta
2 green onions, white and green part sliced separately
8 oz (250 g) egg pasta
GARNISH
¼ cup (60 mL) shaved Pecorino
Few drops chili oil
1 Combine garlic, shallots and white wine in a large pot. Bring to a boil on high heat then reduce until 2 tbsp (30 mL) wine remains, 10 to 12 minutes. Add stock, bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Reduce to 1½ cups (375 mL), about 20 minutes.
2 Remove from heat and spoon out thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Purée stock using a stick blender. Add whipping cream and return to medium-high heat. Reduce to 1 cup (250 mL), about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in fontina and Parmesan until smooth. Remove from heat. Reheat cream over low heat when needed.
3 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
4 Toss bread with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. When cooled, crumble and toss with parsley.
5 Sauté pancetta to render fat in a large saucepan over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Add white part of the green onion and sauté until limp, about 1 minute.
6 Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water, until just al dente. Drain, reserving about ½ cup (125 mL) pasta water, and add pasta to pan with pancetta. Add cream sauce and green part of onions. Stir until well coated, adding a little pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
7 Serve on 4 plates, garnishing with a dusting of bread crumbs, shaved Pecorino and chili oil.
Serves 4
