Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook promises easy carbonara and other tasty bites.
The premise of Oscarwinning actress and lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow’s new book is simple: “It’s All Easy: Delicious Weekday Recipes for the Super-Busy Home Cook” (Grand Central Life & Style, $35) promises 125 recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less.
Paltrow says a stocked pantry is the secret to making good food quickly and easily — and her pantry is extremely stocked, right down to anchovies, coconut flour, gochujang paste and kimchi. She’s also obsessed with spiralizers, the gadget that transforms vegetables into wheat-free “noodles.”
If your grocery store sells already-spiralized zucchini, Paltrow’s Zucchini Cacio e Pepe, with lots of black pepper and grated Parmesan, is even easier.
Ditte Isager’s beautiful photographs illustrate these recipes, from the savory Fried Egg Sandwich and tasty Sesame Noodles, to a colorful Pan Bagnat sandwich and creamy, comforting Carbonara, all doable in under 30 minutes. What’s not doable in 30 minutes are the ramen recipes.
Good ramen takes hours to develop the broth’s signature flavor. Paltrow says you can make her three ramen recipes in 30 minutes (45 for her pork belly ramen), but the prep time alone for cooking noodles and chopping ingredients
Carbonara
Serves 4 Salt 4 ounces pancetta or bacon, cut into small dice 2 egg yolks (or 3 to make it extra creamy) 1 large egg 1 ½ cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more as needed 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed ¾ pound bucatini 1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, in an 8-inch saute pan, cook the pancetta over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Combine the egg yolks, egg, parmesan and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta — reserving 1 cup of the hot pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the bowl with the cheese and eggs, tossing immediately to mix.
4. Add the pancetta and any rendered fat from the pan to the bowl; toss to coat. Add the hot pasta water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency (about ¼ cup). Adjust with extra cheese, pepper and salt to taste. for Spicy Shrimp Ramen took 25 minutes. Cooking and assembly added another 24 minutes. And honestly, the broth lacked any rich flavor.
Skip that and head straight for the Carbonara — easy and delicious, too.