From the kitchen of Angie Rito
Pasta Memories
This winter, we photographed Chef Angie Rito at her acclaimed restaurant, Don Angie, located in the heart of West Village. Angie wears our Pasta Letter charms along with Catbird Classics, and shares with you Don Angie's take on a childhood favorite, a recipe for Cacio e Pepe Pastina.
Make a batch - or two or three - and take a closer look at our Pasta Letter collection — inspired by the classics we grew up with.
Cacio e Pepe Pastina
By Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli
Serves 4
Pastina is literally “tiny pasta,” the most common shape being a little star, making it very popular with kids. Every Italian-American grandmother makes some version of this for her grandchildren, and ours were no different. Scott’s family served pastina with escarole soup or chicken broth; Angie’s in a tomato broth with carrots and eggs. Both of our mothers made us buttered pastina as kids when we were sick; it’s a very easy, comforting dish that comes from a peasant food tradition and cooks up in minutes.
This is our (no pun intended) souped-up version, loaded with parmesan and a lot of freshly cracked pepper, resulting in a flavor similar to Roman cacio e pepe. It’s rich, comforting, and a little more interesting than your typical buttered pastina. Serve it as a main course with roasted vegetables or chicken on top; as a side dish; or simply on its own, à la risotto.
NOTE: Be mindful here of salting the cooking water – since pastina is so small, you can actually overseason the water. We give specific measurement of salt to water in the procedure that follows for best results.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces (half of a 12-ounce box) pastina
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅔ cup finely grated Parmigaino-Reggiano cheese
½ cup mascarpone cheese
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water plus 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil over high heat. Add the pastina and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserving ⅓ cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and return to the pot along with the cooking water.
Add the oil, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, the black pepper, parmesan, mascarpone, and butter. Over medium-high heat, stir vigorously with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. As the pastina comes to a boil, the starch will release from the pasta, and it should become very thick and creamy, like a risotto.
Serve immediately. This dish is best made and eaten day-of, but if you do have leftovers, reheat them in a pan over low heat with a few tablespoons of water to make the pastina creamy again.
Photo by Christopher Testani
