Chef’s pasta divinely simple
It’s a sign that a chef is outstanding when he or she takes ordinary, inexpensive ingredients and stirs up something exceptional.
This pasta dish is from Trevor Bird, a chef who started at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, went on to work at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Market and Daniel Boulud’s Lumière, both in Vancouver, was runner-up on Top Chef Canada and now owns his own restaurant, Fable, in Vancouver.
This humble recipe, which he developed for Catelli, reminds me of Marcella Hazan’s famous threeingredient tomato sauce and her mantra: Why not make it simple?
The key to the depth of flavour in this sauce is onion and garlic, slow-simmered in olive oil and a little water.
Bird recommends that, if you have the time, you cook them for up to an hour, but even the 30 minutes or so that it takes to fill a big pot with cold water, bring it to a boil and cook the pasta, renders the garlic and onion sweet, soft and full of rich flavour.
Bird offsets that brilliantly with the fresh taste of arugula tossed in a lemon vinaigrette, and topped with salty Parmesan.
You’ll make this again and again.
TREVOR BIRD’S RIGATONI WITH TOMATOES, ARUGULA AND PARMESAN
Makes: 4 servings Preparation time: About 40 minutes (or longer hands-off simmering time) 1 large onion 4 cloves garlic Salt to taste 1/3 cup (80 mL) olive oil 1 tbsp (15 mL) water 1 pkg. (500 g) rigatoni pasta One 28-oz (794-g) can San Marzano tomatoes 3 tbsp (45 mL) chopped olives 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped herbs (such as parsley and chives) 2 large handfuls baby arugula For the garnish: 1 tbsp (15 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil (additional amount) Pinch salt 2 more handfuls baby arugula Grated Parmesan cheese Slice the onion and garlic, place in a heavy-bottom pot with a pinch of salt and olive oil, add 1 tbsp (15 mL) water and place a lid on top. Turn to very low heat and let cook for up to an hour, if time permits. Alternatively, if you’re in more of a hurry, start cooking over medium-high, then lower heat and simmer mixture, covered, while pasta water comes to a boil, then while pasta is cooking. Cook until onions and garlic are translucent and soft.
2. Cook pasta according to the package instructions. (Bird recommends 1 cup (250 mL) of salt for every gallon (4 L) of pastacooking water. “It seems like a lot of salt,” he admits. “But how do you think restaurants make pasta taste so good?”)
3. A minute or two before the pasta is fully cooked, strain and set aside. You can toss the pasta in a little olive oil and let cool.
4. Open the can of San Marzano tomatoes, dump into a bowl and, with your hands, crush the tomatoes, then add to the onions and garlic. Add salt to taste.
5. Place the cooked pasta and the tomato-onion-garlic mixture in a pan and simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare garnish: Whisk the lemon juice, 3 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil and salt together to make a vinaigrette. (You can wing this: Bird doesn’t actually specify quantities; he just says 1 part lemon juice to 3 parts oil and a pinch of salt).
7. Toss with the arugula. Add the olives, herbs and arugula to the simmering pasta. Toss once, then transfer to a bowl. Top with the dressed arugula and grated Parmesan to taste.