I’m flabbergasted at the number of ingredients in some recipes. I have a Chicken Noodle Soup recipe that I love. But it calls for 21 items! Needless to say, I don’t make it too often, because it takes time just to measure all the herbs and spices, plus the inevitable run to the grocery store.
That’s why I’m always on the lookout for a tasty recipe using a few, on-hand ingredients. This Pasta with Brown Butter popped onto my radar screen because of its simplicity.
Using a microplane, I give the dish a final layer of flavor with Parmesan cheese.
A Nutty Outcome
The process of separating the milk solids from the liquid fat occurs quite naturally in a pan over medium heat. You start with unsalted butter. The browning is better done in a light-colored pan rather than a cast iron skillet. In the pan you can see the darkening take place.
As the butter heats up, watch it go through the various stages of foaming, bubbling, and browning as you cook out the water. Care should be given not to over brown the butter. The French call the toasty, nutty outcome Hazelnut Butter.
An Addictive Noodle Dish
Time to twirl the tasty noodles.
Housewives of yore had few available spices. They learned to add more flavor to meats and vegetables by using brow butter. After tasting a dish given the browning treatment, I regret it took me so long to uncover this lost art.
If you want to give brown butter a try, start with this simple recipe from the New York Times.
