Penne alla Ouzo
(Tasty drops courtesy of Wise Child Wines)
Forget Penne alla Vodka, Penne alla Ouzo is WHERE IT’S AT!
If you haven’t tried Ouzo before, it’s a white, anise-flavoured spirit that originates from Greece. I guess it’s a little like Sambuca but much less sickly sweet. Basically it’s great. And it turns out it’s a fantastic way to add a whole new depth of flavour and creaminess to a basic tomato pasta sauce. So it was very convenient when Luke decided to make several litres of his own Ouzo and just leave it lying around for me to play with!
This dish is super simple but is made outstanding by the richness of the tomato sauce (use this recipe to make a great base sauce from homegrown tomatoes), and by the spicy, herbaceous flavours imparted by the Ouzo. One important side note: if you add the Ouzo and then immediately taste your sauce you’ll think I’ve lost my mind (or broken my tongue by eating too much salt/chilli/tequila). Don’t stress. The Ouzo is a very strong flavour that will make the sauce taste pretty weird until it cooks off. But once it has simmered for ~15 minutes the Ouzo mellows magically, leaving just a hint of anise and fennel. So good. Plus the pouring cream makes the sauce silky smooth so it kind of coats every piece of penne like an indulgent tomato flavour-blanket.
Penne alla Ouzo
Serves 3
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups crushed and cooked San Marzano Tomatoes*
1/2 cup pouring cream
1/4 cup Ouzo
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
A big bunch of basil (1-2 cups)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp brown sugar
3 serves of penne
Pecorino cheese and chilli flakes, to serve
Method
Cook the pasta in a pot of very salty water, following the cooking recommendations on the packet.
While the pasta is cooking, put the tomatoes, pouring cream, Ouzo and garlic in a deep frying pan and simmer gently until the Ouzo loses its sharp flavour and the sauce thickens slightly (about 10-15 minutes). Add the lemon juice and brown sugar and continue to cook. If the sauce begins to dry out before the pasta is cooked, add add 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
Drain the pasta and add to the frying pan with the sauce. Add the basil and stir everything gently over moderate heat until the basil has wilted slightly and the pasta is well covered by the sauce.
Serve at once, sprinkled with chilli flakes and grated pecorino cheese
* Note: San Marzano tomatoes are reputed to be some of the best cooking tomatoes you can get. Closely related to the Roma tomato, they are the tomato of choice for traditional pizzas in Naples and, when grown properly, are packed with flavour. You can often find tinned San Marzano tomatoes, but ultimately the best tomato sauces are made from homegrown tomatoes, whatever the variety. So, while you can use tinned tomatoes and beef their flavour up with a bit of brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and salt, I recommend making your own tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes out of the garden or from a local farmers’ market - the flavour they bring to the dish is everything! If you’re lucky enough to have fresh tomatoes to cook with, follow this recipe to turn them into a delicious sauce that can be used as a base for pizzas, pasta sauces, lasagnes and pretty much anything else you can dream up!
