- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 410 kcal
Quick summary
“Linguine served with sweetened cherry tomatoes sautéed in olive oil, garlic, and white wine reduced in a saucier pan. The technical emulsion with the cooking water and grated parmesan creates a shiny and velvety sauce without heavy cream.”
What you need to know
- The curved shape of the saucier facilitates continuous circular motions to emulsify fat and starch.
- The reduction of white wine with cherry tomatoes concentrates balanced acidity and natural sweetness at the base of the dish.
- The final mantecatura with hot pasta water and Parmesan off the heat produces a velvety consistency without lumps.
Ingredients
Main
- g Linguine pasta
- tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- cloves Garlic
- g Tomates cereja
- cup (120 ml) Vinho branco seco
- cup (240 ml) Homemade or high-quality vegetable broth
- cup Fresh basil
- cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- teaspoon Calabrian chili pepper flakes
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Principal
- Cook the pasta in a large pot with plenty of salted water, following the package instructions until al dente. Reserve one cup of the cooking water before draining completely.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in the saucier over medium-low heat.
- Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Sauté for about 1 minute, stirring, taking care not to brown the garlic excessively, as it can become bitter.
- Incorporate the halved cherry tomatoes into the saucier. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to release their juices and soften.
- Pour the dry white wine into the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and let it boil for 2-3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release the caramelized flavors.
- Add the vegetable broth and let it boil for another 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce slightly and the flavors to deepen.
- Transfer the al dente cooked pasta directly to the saucier with the sauce. Add about half a cup of the reserved pasta cooking water.
- Mix everything vigorously, stirring and sautéing the pasta in the saucier for 1-2 minutes. This technique emulsifies the sauce with the pasta starch, creating a creamy and clinging texture.
- Incorporate the torn fresh basil leaves. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper to taste, adding more cooking water if the sauce is too thick.
- Serve immediately on warmed plates, finishing with a generous portion of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and, if desired, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Chef's tips
- Cook the linguine 2 minutes less than the package indicates to finish cooking directly in the saucier.
- Lightly crush some tomatoes with the spoon during cooking to release abundant juice in the skillet.
- Remove the pan from direct heat before adding the grated parmesan to prevent the cheese from curdling into strings.
Variations
- Seafood version: sauté medium cleaned shrimp in olive oil before the garlic and return at the time of assembly.
- Version with black olives: add two tablespoons of sliced black olives and desalted capers to the sauté.
- Accentuated spicy version: fold in the red pepper flakes and add a sliced fresh finger chili.
Substitutions
- The linguine can be replaced by traditional durum wheat spaghetti, fresh fettuccine, or bucatini-type pasta.
- Dry white wine can be replaced by an equivalent amount of vegetable broth with half a lemon's juice.
- Parmesan cheese can be replaced by freshly grated pecorino romano or grana padano cheese.
How to store
Store leftover dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When reheating, take to the skillet over low heat with two tablespoons of water or vegetable broth, stirring gently to reactivate the shine of the sauce.
Can it be frozen?
Freezing this ready-made pasta is not recommended, as the linguine loses its al dente firmness and the cherry tomatoes become wilted and watery. Immediate preparation and consumption are recommended to enjoy the texture of the fresh emulsion.
What to serve with
Serve with slices of toasted ciabatta bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil, a glass of chilled dry white wine, and a green salad of bitter greens.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use mild white table wine in the recipe?
Avoid mild or sweet wines; use exclusively dry white wine to provide the precise aromatic acidity without sweetness.
How to prevent cherry tomatoes from having tough skin in the sauce?
Cook them over medium-low heat in the saucier until they burst and wilt, allowing the skin to soften in the wine reduction.
What is a saucier and why is it recommended for pasta?
The saucier is a pan with rounded sides and a wide bottom that facilitates the continuous movement of sauces and the mantecatura of the pasta.
Why should we never drain all the pasta water in the sink?
The hot water concentrates the starch released by the wheat, a key ingredient to bind the fat of the olive oil with the cheese in the form of a sauce.
