1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,618 ♪♪ 2 00:00:07,618 --> 00:00:15,237 ♪♪ 3 00:00:15,237 --> 00:00:22,856 ♪♪ 4 00:00:22,856 --> 00:00:30,475 ♪♪ 5 00:00:30,475 --> 00:00:38,094 -Today on "America's Test Kitchen," 6 00:00:38,100 --> 00:00:39,990 I make Julia cacio e pepe. 7 00:00:41,039 --> 00:00:43,259 Jack talks all about store-bought gnocchi 8 00:00:43,259 --> 00:00:44,909 and tortellini, 9 00:00:44,909 --> 00:00:48,420 and Erin makes me a batch of pasta alla vodka. 10 00:00:48,420 --> 00:00:53,198 It's all coming up right here on "America's Test Kitchen." 11 00:00:53,198 --> 00:00:57,976 ♪♪ 12 00:00:57,976 --> 00:01:02,756 -Cacio e pepe is a traditional Roman pasta 13 00:01:02,759 --> 00:01:04,560 and it only has three ingredients. 14 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,040 Pasta, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. 15 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,019 So how you put those ingredients together 16 00:01:10,019 --> 00:01:11,609 makes all the difference. 17 00:01:11,609 --> 00:01:13,709 And today Bridget's going to show us how it's done. 18 00:01:13,709 --> 00:01:15,629 -Yeah, with so few ingredients, 19 00:01:15,629 --> 00:01:17,730 a little strategy goes a long way 20 00:01:17,730 --> 00:01:20,760 because we want a super smooth sauce at the end. 21 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,310 -I think the simplest recipes are the hardest 22 00:01:23,310 --> 00:01:25,200 because there's nothing you can 23 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:26,459 cover up any mistakes with. 24 00:01:26,459 --> 00:01:27,540 It's all there to see. 25 00:01:27,540 --> 00:01:28,590 -That's exactly it. 26 00:01:28,590 --> 00:01:30,989 So let's get started with the pepe. 27 00:01:30,989 --> 00:01:32,760 So we are using black peppercorns, 28 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:33,930 as is tradition. 29 00:01:33,930 --> 00:01:36,750 This is 4 teaspoons of black peppercorns. 30 00:01:36,750 --> 00:01:38,069 And we're going to toast them a little bit 31 00:01:38,069 --> 00:01:39,359 to really draw out their flavor. 32 00:01:39,359 --> 00:01:40,439 So I've got my Dutch oven, 33 00:01:40,439 --> 00:01:42,750 which I'm going to use a few times here, 34 00:01:42,750 --> 00:01:45,090 and just cook this over medium heat. 35 00:01:45,090 --> 00:01:47,334 Now there's obviously no visual cue here. 36 00:01:47,334 --> 00:01:49,109 They're going to look exactly the same, 37 00:01:49,109 --> 00:01:50,879 but three or four minutes is what we want. 38 00:01:50,879 --> 00:01:52,980 We want the aroma to start to be released. 39 00:01:52,980 --> 00:01:55,980 And that really does force the aromatic compounds, 40 00:01:55,980 --> 00:01:57,239 the oils in there 41 00:01:57,239 --> 00:02:00,540 to go from the center of the peppercorns towards the outside. 42 00:02:00,540 --> 00:02:03,090 So when we crack them, there's so much more flavor. 43 00:02:03,090 --> 00:02:05,849 All right, we're starting to get a whiff of that peppercorn. 44 00:02:05,849 --> 00:02:06,930 Gorgeous, gorgeous. 45 00:02:06,930 --> 00:02:09,210 It's released some of its flavor. 46 00:02:09,210 --> 00:02:09,599 All right. 47 00:02:09,599 --> 00:02:11,520 So now I want to get these out of the pan 48 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,879 and into my mortar and pestle over here. 49 00:02:14,879 --> 00:02:16,770 We're going to coarsely grind these. 50 00:02:16,770 --> 00:02:17,639 And we're doing this -- 51 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:18,930 you could do it in a spice grinder, 52 00:02:18,930 --> 00:02:21,810 but I feel like you get a lot more control using this. 53 00:02:21,810 --> 00:02:24,180 -I feel like you get more evenly sized pieces. 54 00:02:24,180 --> 00:02:25,530 -Yes. -When you use a spice grinder, 55 00:02:25,530 --> 00:02:27,834 you get fine dust and then some big pieces. 56 00:02:29,430 --> 00:02:30,300 -Get a whiff of that. 57 00:02:31,349 --> 00:02:34,349 -Oh, you really get the aromas. 58 00:02:34,349 --> 00:02:36,419 -Completely different aroma 59 00:02:36,419 --> 00:02:39,810 and really just a much more roasted flavor. 60 00:02:39,810 --> 00:02:40,229 All right. 61 00:02:40,229 --> 00:02:43,800 So that's pretty much as far as I want to go here. 62 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:45,360 Again coarse grind. -Mm-hmm. 63 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,930 -I'm going to take out 1 1/2 teaspoons of this 64 00:02:48,930 --> 00:02:51,330 and just set that aside for a second. 65 00:02:51,330 --> 00:02:54,300 And then this we're going to save for garnish at the end. 66 00:02:54,300 --> 00:02:55,650 -Okay. -All right. 67 00:02:55,650 --> 00:02:58,650 So on to the cacio. -Mm-hmm. 68 00:02:58,650 --> 00:03:00,120 -And Pecorino Romano 69 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,819 only comes from three areas of Italy, 70 00:03:02,819 --> 00:03:05,550 in order for it to be true Pecorino Romano. 71 00:03:05,550 --> 00:03:08,340 Now the cheese that's made over here can only be called Romano. 72 00:03:08,340 --> 00:03:09,990 -Yes. -And it's often made 73 00:03:09,990 --> 00:03:11,639 with cow's milk. 74 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:13,889 Pecorino Romano should be sheep's milk. 75 00:03:13,889 --> 00:03:17,250 It's got that funk, that salty, briny flavor. 76 00:03:17,250 --> 00:03:18,180 It really can't be beat. 77 00:03:18,180 --> 00:03:21,389 So this is 7 ounces of Pecorino Romano 78 00:03:21,389 --> 00:03:23,370 and just cut it into half inch cubes. 79 00:03:23,370 --> 00:03:24,629 -Okay. -And we're going to use 80 00:03:24,629 --> 00:03:26,699 our food processor here. 81 00:03:26,699 --> 00:03:27,990 We're going to pulverize this 82 00:03:27,990 --> 00:03:29,849 until it's really finely ground. 83 00:03:29,849 --> 00:03:30,870 In the food processor, 84 00:03:30,870 --> 00:03:32,699 I'm going to let this run for about two minutes 85 00:03:32,699 --> 00:03:34,116 until it's pulverized. 86 00:03:34,116 --> 00:03:34,650 -Okay. 87 00:03:39,060 --> 00:03:41,129 -All right, let's take a look at this. 88 00:03:41,129 --> 00:03:42,960 I'm going to gingerly reach in there. 89 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,120 Now you can see it's almost a powder. 90 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:46,225 -Yeah. It's fluffy. -All right. 91 00:03:46,225 --> 00:03:48,030 So I'm going to put the lid back on. 92 00:03:48,030 --> 00:03:48,719 There we go. 93 00:03:48,719 --> 00:03:51,270 I'm going to go back here and get a little bit of water. 94 00:03:51,270 --> 00:03:52,590 So this is hot water. 95 00:03:52,590 --> 00:03:54,810 Doesn't need to be boiling water just hot water. 96 00:03:54,810 --> 00:03:57,389 I like to avoid hot water straight out of the tap. 97 00:03:57,389 --> 00:04:00,210 I'm going to measure 1/4 cup here. 98 00:04:00,210 --> 00:04:00,840 All right. 99 00:04:01,979 --> 00:04:06,240 So what we want to do is start to pre-melt the cheese 100 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:07,500 in a way, yes. -Really? 101 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:10,830 -So rather than rely on the hot pasta water later, 102 00:04:10,830 --> 00:04:12,539 we're going to start the process now. 103 00:04:12,539 --> 00:04:14,370 And by doing this it's going to start the emulsification. 104 00:04:15,629 --> 00:04:17,374 And it's going to end up in a beautiful paste. 105 00:04:17,374 --> 00:04:18,689 So I'm going to turn this on, 106 00:04:18,689 --> 00:04:20,879 pour it in gradually and let it go for about a minute. 107 00:04:20,879 --> 00:04:21,360 -Okay. 108 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:31,350 -All right, so I think that's been about a minute. 109 00:04:31,350 --> 00:04:32,310 Let's turn this off 110 00:04:32,310 --> 00:04:34,620 and I'm going to show you what I'm looking for. 111 00:04:34,620 --> 00:04:37,920 This does not have enough water in it. 112 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:39,839 So what we're looking for is a texture, 113 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,180 kind of like sour cream or really thick yogurt. 114 00:04:42,180 --> 00:04:44,850 Spoonable. Dollopable. -Okay. Gotcha. 115 00:04:44,850 --> 00:04:45,660 So a little creamier. 116 00:04:45,660 --> 00:04:46,500 -A little creamier. 117 00:04:46,500 --> 00:04:48,060 This doesn't have quite enough water. 118 00:04:48,060 --> 00:04:51,024 So I'm going to get a little bit of more water. 119 00:04:54,149 --> 00:04:55,139 Up to 1/4 cup. 120 00:04:55,139 --> 00:04:56,550 So I'll go ahead and pour that in. 121 00:04:58,500 --> 00:05:01,019 Now I'm going to put the lid back on. 122 00:05:01,019 --> 00:05:03,509 And you can add up to 1/4 cup. 123 00:05:03,509 --> 00:05:05,009 You just want to check it. 124 00:05:05,009 --> 00:05:08,250 But a couple teaspoons at a time and let it go another minute. 125 00:05:08,250 --> 00:05:09,089 So that's what I'm going to do. 126 00:05:09,089 --> 00:05:11,267 Just pour a little bit in and let it go. 127 00:05:13,290 --> 00:05:14,519 About 2 teaspoons...ish. 128 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:17,339 -Ah. 129 00:05:18,810 --> 00:05:22,560 -And I think this is pretty close to the texture we want. 130 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:23,189 All right. 131 00:05:23,189 --> 00:05:26,670 So yeah, you can see how much softer, it's dollopable. 132 00:05:26,670 --> 00:05:28,769 You don't have to spread it around. 133 00:05:28,769 --> 00:05:30,180 -I could see that being the base for a lot 134 00:05:30,180 --> 00:05:31,920 of cool sauces actually. -Oh, yeah. 135 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:33,120 You're just going to do this all the time. 136 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:34,139 -I am. 137 00:05:34,139 --> 00:05:36,120 -What other cheese can I make into a paste? 138 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:37,079 -That's what I was thinking. 139 00:05:37,079 --> 00:05:39,120 -So I'm going to let this go for another minute 140 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:40,694 to make sure everything is incorporated. 141 00:05:44,189 --> 00:05:46,170 And I just want to scrape down the sides here 142 00:05:46,170 --> 00:05:48,569 just to make sure everything's in the bottom of that bowl. 143 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:56,100 All right. 144 00:05:56,100 --> 00:05:58,319 So I'm just going to scrape this back into the bowl 145 00:05:58,319 --> 00:05:59,699 that had the cheese to begin with. 146 00:05:59,699 --> 00:06:02,279 And you can see how light and fluffy that is. 147 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:04,709 -That is such a cool technique. 148 00:06:04,709 --> 00:06:05,204 -It really is. 149 00:06:05,204 --> 00:06:07,379 -Some of the readers on our website 150 00:06:07,379 --> 00:06:08,970 also love this technique. 151 00:06:08,970 --> 00:06:11,129 Lauren M. said -- well, first she said, 152 00:06:11,129 --> 00:06:15,149 "This is nearly identical to the restaurant quality cacio e pepe" 153 00:06:15,149 --> 00:06:16,740 she had in Italy. 154 00:06:16,740 --> 00:06:18,540 "Thanks for the brilliant food tip regarding 155 00:06:18,540 --> 00:06:19,709 processing the cheese." 156 00:06:19,709 --> 00:06:22,379 -Yay! -Yeah, it is brilliant. 157 00:06:22,379 --> 00:06:24,000 -All right, so we've got our cacio. 158 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,040 -Mm-hmm. -We've got our pepe. 159 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:27,329 Just need the pasta. -Okay. 160 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:32,189 -All right. It's time to boil our pasta, Julia. 161 00:06:32,189 --> 00:06:33,269 It's not a lot of water in there. 162 00:06:33,269 --> 00:06:35,459 -No, it doesn't look like the usual amount. 163 00:06:35,459 --> 00:06:38,970 -It's 2 quarts of water, 12 ounces of pasta, 164 00:06:38,970 --> 00:06:40,470 and just a little bit of salt. 165 00:06:40,470 --> 00:06:42,240 The reason that we don't have a lot of water in here 166 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,339 is we want to really concentrate the amount 167 00:06:44,339 --> 00:06:47,819 of pasta starch that comes out during the cooking process 168 00:06:47,819 --> 00:06:50,550 and use that to help emulsify the sauce itself. 169 00:06:50,550 --> 00:06:52,709 -Makes sense. -So this is 12 ounces 170 00:06:52,709 --> 00:06:54,389 of thick spaghetti. 171 00:06:54,389 --> 00:06:56,009 Sometimes called spaghettoni. 172 00:06:56,009 --> 00:06:59,100 I'm going to add this right in to our 2 quarts of water 173 00:06:59,100 --> 00:07:02,610 along with just 1/2 teaspoon of table salt. 174 00:07:02,610 --> 00:07:04,920 Not a lot, but there's a lot of salt in that cheese. 175 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:05,519 -Yes, there is. 176 00:07:05,519 --> 00:07:08,430 -So I'm going to give this a quick stir around. 177 00:07:09,509 --> 00:07:11,759 So we're going to let this go until it's al dente. 178 00:07:11,759 --> 00:07:15,149 All right. 179 00:07:15,149 --> 00:07:17,939 This has a few more seconds to go before I do want to test it. 180 00:07:17,939 --> 00:07:19,620 But I want to get some of the water out of there. 181 00:07:19,620 --> 00:07:22,050 That super starchy pasta cooking water. 182 00:07:22,050 --> 00:07:23,699 So I'm going to use a ladle. 183 00:07:23,699 --> 00:07:25,500 You can see how starchy it is. -Oh, yeah. 184 00:07:25,500 --> 00:07:26,310 It's almost yellow. 185 00:07:26,310 --> 00:07:28,199 -Yeah. -It looks like broth. 186 00:07:28,199 --> 00:07:31,069 -And I'm going to harvest out a cup of that water. 187 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,009 So I'm going to take 2 tablespoons 188 00:07:35,009 --> 00:07:38,250 of this pasta cooking water and add it directly to -- 189 00:07:38,250 --> 00:07:40,680 this is the 1 1/2 teaspoons of cracked peppercorns 190 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:42,360 from earlier. -Yeah. 191 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:44,670 So that's going to help release that pepper flavor. 192 00:07:44,670 --> 00:07:45,899 -Definitely. -Mm-hmm. 193 00:07:45,899 --> 00:07:47,730 -All right. So let's check the pasta. 194 00:07:52,230 --> 00:07:53,670 Want half? -Yeah, sure. 195 00:07:53,670 --> 00:07:54,348 -You get that half. 196 00:07:57,329 --> 00:07:58,829 -Mmm! Perfect. 197 00:07:58,829 --> 00:08:00,930 Just a hair al dente in the center. 198 00:08:00,930 --> 00:08:02,220 -Is it to your tooth? 199 00:08:02,220 --> 00:08:03,449 -It is to my tooth. 200 00:08:03,449 --> 00:08:04,920 -All right. It's to my tooth, too. 201 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:06,810 So I just killed the heat there. 202 00:08:06,810 --> 00:08:08,910 So now I don't want to dump this pasta water 203 00:08:08,910 --> 00:08:10,920 because we can use it a little bit later, 204 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:12,029 and I'll show you how. 205 00:08:12,029 --> 00:08:15,269 But I am going to get all this pasta quickly into the bowl 206 00:08:15,269 --> 00:08:17,009 with the cracked peppercorns. 207 00:08:17,009 --> 00:08:19,199 -Taking it out with tongs. -Definitely. 208 00:08:19,199 --> 00:08:20,699 There's a method to my madness. 209 00:08:22,740 --> 00:08:27,209 So now I'm going to add 1/4 cup of that pasta water 210 00:08:27,209 --> 00:08:28,050 right in there. 211 00:08:29,879 --> 00:08:32,215 And half of this cheese mixture. 212 00:08:33,509 --> 00:08:36,509 -So this is where the details matter 213 00:08:36,509 --> 00:08:38,190 because there's only three ingredients, 214 00:08:38,190 --> 00:08:40,558 but you're not adding them all together at the same time. 215 00:08:40,558 --> 00:08:42,360 You've got some of the pepper, some of the cheese, 216 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:44,158 some of the water. -That's exactly right. 217 00:08:44,158 --> 00:08:45,990 And we're only adding some of the cheese at this point 218 00:08:45,990 --> 00:08:48,450 because we want to make sure that this is hot 219 00:08:48,450 --> 00:08:50,879 and it really incorporates, emulsifies 220 00:08:50,879 --> 00:08:53,159 that cheese paste into the pasta. 221 00:08:53,159 --> 00:08:55,019 And I'm being pretty vigorous about this here, 222 00:08:55,019 --> 00:08:57,029 getting a good workout 223 00:08:57,029 --> 00:08:59,879 and really releasing the starch from the noodles as well. 224 00:08:59,879 --> 00:09:02,970 So it's about one to two minutes of this stirring. 225 00:09:02,970 --> 00:09:04,470 -Okay. -What we found was that 226 00:09:04,470 --> 00:09:06,059 Pecorino Romano really likes 227 00:09:06,059 --> 00:09:09,120 to be in a certain temperature range to melt fully, 228 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,299 and that's between 145 to 180. 229 00:09:12,299 --> 00:09:15,090 That's why we took that extra step of hot water earlier. 230 00:09:15,090 --> 00:09:16,799 -Right. -And then also this step 231 00:09:16,799 --> 00:09:18,720 with the hot pasta water going in there 232 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:20,340 and really tossing it. 233 00:09:20,340 --> 00:09:21,269 And it's that time 234 00:09:21,269 --> 00:09:24,659 that the protein strands start to unravel and relax 235 00:09:24,659 --> 00:09:26,549 and get beautifully creamy like that. 236 00:09:26,549 --> 00:09:28,649 I mean, this is looking gorgeous. 237 00:09:28,649 --> 00:09:29,340 -Yeah. 238 00:09:29,340 --> 00:09:32,850 -All right. So that looks great. 239 00:09:32,850 --> 00:09:35,129 Now I'm going to add the rest of the pecorino. 240 00:09:35,129 --> 00:09:38,009 Nothing smells as good as Pecorino Romano. 241 00:09:38,009 --> 00:09:41,639 It's just so funky and so delightful and tangy. 242 00:09:41,639 --> 00:09:43,649 -That smells incredible, Bridget. 243 00:09:43,649 --> 00:09:44,580 -Isn't that crazy? -Yeah. 244 00:09:44,580 --> 00:09:48,870 -All right, I do want to just thin this out a little bit. 245 00:09:48,870 --> 00:09:51,059 And you can use the pasta water for this. 246 00:09:51,059 --> 00:09:53,759 But if it sits too long, it might start to set up. 247 00:09:53,759 --> 00:09:54,960 -And cool down. -Yes. 248 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,120 Like, you know how it is when you call people to dinner 249 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:58,379 and they can't be found. 250 00:09:58,379 --> 00:09:59,730 -Yep. -Yes. 251 00:09:59,730 --> 00:10:02,970 So that's why we did not dump that pasta water. 252 00:10:02,970 --> 00:10:04,379 Just want to show you. -Oh! 253 00:10:04,379 --> 00:10:06,206 You could -- -Just right over that. 254 00:10:06,206 --> 00:10:07,735 Almost like a double boiler. -Yes. 255 00:10:07,735 --> 00:10:10,044 To help keep it nice and warm and fresh. 256 00:10:10,044 --> 00:10:11,544 -Exactly. -That's brilliant. 257 00:10:11,544 --> 00:10:14,245 -So you just toss it over that for, like, 30 seconds 258 00:10:14,245 --> 00:10:15,326 and it comes right back. 259 00:10:15,326 --> 00:10:17,605 Sounds delicious. Sounds like it's time to eat. 260 00:10:17,605 --> 00:10:19,674 -Oh, I was hoping you were going to say that. 261 00:10:19,674 --> 00:10:22,966 -Let's pretend we're at a little cafe in Rome. 262 00:10:22,966 --> 00:10:25,225 A little, little trattoria. 263 00:10:25,225 --> 00:10:27,235 This would be a gorgeous first course. 264 00:10:27,235 --> 00:10:29,424 -It would be. -It's very rich, though. 265 00:10:29,424 --> 00:10:32,096 -Okay. It's a gorgeous little pile. 266 00:10:32,096 --> 00:10:35,005 -All right. Now we've got our pepe. 267 00:10:35,005 --> 00:10:35,696 -Mm-hmm. 268 00:10:35,696 --> 00:10:38,696 -Mind if I sprinkle a little bit of pepe? -Please. 269 00:10:38,696 --> 00:10:40,255 -Let me pepe you up. 270 00:10:40,255 --> 00:10:42,505 This is the rest of the cracked peppercorns. 271 00:10:42,505 --> 00:10:42,895 -Right. 272 00:10:42,895 --> 00:10:45,655 -How about a little extra cacio? 273 00:10:45,655 --> 00:10:46,975 -Oh, yeah. 274 00:10:46,975 --> 00:10:50,043 -Say when. -I'll never say when. 275 00:10:50,043 --> 00:10:51,655 So you just do what you think is right. 276 00:10:54,385 --> 00:10:55,914 Oh! Oh! -Look at that. 277 00:10:55,914 --> 00:10:58,466 Still -- Still so, so creamy. 278 00:10:58,466 --> 00:11:00,025 -It's so creamy. 279 00:11:05,456 --> 00:11:05,816 -Mmm! 280 00:11:05,816 --> 00:11:08,275 The thing I love so much about cacio e pepe 281 00:11:08,275 --> 00:11:10,826 is how concentrated the flavor is. 282 00:11:10,826 --> 00:11:14,456 -Yes. That sauce is so smooth. 283 00:11:14,456 --> 00:11:16,946 Usually you get some clumps here and there. 284 00:11:16,946 --> 00:11:18,775 This is creamy. 285 00:11:18,775 --> 00:11:20,035 And I know it's just two ingredients. 286 00:11:20,035 --> 00:11:21,985 It's just pecorino and black pepper. 287 00:11:21,985 --> 00:11:26,186 But the layers of flavor, you can taste the sheep's milk. 288 00:11:26,186 --> 00:11:28,285 You can taste the aging of the cheese. 289 00:11:28,285 --> 00:11:31,405 You can taste the Tellicherry peppers with the floral notes 290 00:11:31,405 --> 00:11:32,485 and the sweet notes. 291 00:11:34,436 --> 00:11:34,946 Mmm! 292 00:11:35,995 --> 00:11:38,846 -So developed that little bit of heat 293 00:11:38,846 --> 00:11:41,515 from the black peppercorns. -Yes, it's not too much. 294 00:11:41,515 --> 00:11:42,294 -No. 295 00:11:42,294 --> 00:11:43,554 And one of the best things about this, 296 00:11:43,554 --> 00:11:45,294 you saw how simple it was to make. 297 00:11:45,294 --> 00:11:46,346 -Exactly. 298 00:11:46,346 --> 00:11:47,966 The method is not your traditional 299 00:11:47,966 --> 00:11:50,304 boil, drain, add with the sauce. 300 00:11:50,304 --> 00:11:53,696 You have a little bit more to it, but it is easy. 301 00:11:53,696 --> 00:11:55,826 Bridget, thank you for showing me how to make this. 302 00:11:55,826 --> 00:11:57,086 -Any time for you. 303 00:11:57,086 --> 00:12:00,025 -If you want to make the ultimate cacio e pepe, 304 00:12:00,025 --> 00:12:02,576 toast and grind whole peppercorns, 305 00:12:02,576 --> 00:12:05,605 process grated Pecorino Romano with hot water 306 00:12:05,605 --> 00:12:07,436 in a food processor 307 00:12:07,436 --> 00:12:10,706 and toss the cooked pasta with the pecorino off heat 308 00:12:10,706 --> 00:12:12,535 until it's nice and creamy. 309 00:12:12,535 --> 00:12:14,304 From "America's Test Kitchen," 310 00:12:14,304 --> 00:12:18,653 a fantastic and easy recipe for cacio e pepe. 311 00:12:18,653 --> 00:12:23,003 Mmm, mmm, mmm! -Mmm! 312 00:12:23,003 --> 00:12:27,351 ♪♪ 313 00:12:27,351 --> 00:12:31,701 -Gnocchi and tortellini are two of my favorite pastas, 314 00:12:31,706 --> 00:12:33,686 but it used to be you had to make them yourself 315 00:12:33,686 --> 00:12:36,655 or be lucky enough to live near a pasta shop. 316 00:12:36,655 --> 00:12:39,775 That's all changed because every supermarket in America 317 00:12:39,775 --> 00:12:42,836 now has good options for both gnocchi and tortellini. 318 00:12:42,836 --> 00:12:44,605 Let me start with gnocchi here. 319 00:12:44,605 --> 00:12:46,615 Store bought is made with potato and flour, 320 00:12:46,615 --> 00:12:47,875 just like you would at home. 321 00:12:47,875 --> 00:12:50,936 But I'm recommending that you get the shelf stable. 322 00:12:50,936 --> 00:12:53,395 Avoid the frozen. They do not cook up nicely. 323 00:12:53,395 --> 00:12:54,924 Pasta should never be frozen 324 00:12:54,924 --> 00:12:56,369 and the refrigerated is pretty tricky. 325 00:12:56,369 --> 00:12:57,655 You really need to dry it well 326 00:12:57,655 --> 00:12:59,696 if you're going to cook it the way I'm going to suggest. 327 00:12:59,696 --> 00:13:00,775 Yes, you could boil these, 328 00:13:00,775 --> 00:13:03,596 but honestly, you should roast or saute them. 329 00:13:03,596 --> 00:13:06,265 They're really sturdy, unlike homemade gnocchi, 330 00:13:06,265 --> 00:13:10,405 and they get these lovely crispy exteriors when they are browned. 331 00:13:10,405 --> 00:13:12,745 Now to roast them, put them on a baking sheet, 332 00:13:12,745 --> 00:13:15,235 toss with olive oil, put the sauce ingredients on, 333 00:13:15,235 --> 00:13:16,794 add cherry tomatoes and garlic, 334 00:13:16,794 --> 00:13:19,135 and by the time gnocchi are done, your sauce is ready. 335 00:13:19,135 --> 00:13:21,446 Now, if you want to keep things on the stovetop, 336 00:13:21,446 --> 00:13:23,424 put the gnocchi in a big skillet, 337 00:13:23,424 --> 00:13:25,706 add some oil, cook them until crispy -- 338 00:13:25,706 --> 00:13:26,785 7 to 10 minutes. 339 00:13:26,785 --> 00:13:28,735 Take them out and then make your sauce 340 00:13:28,735 --> 00:13:30,804 in that empty pan using the same oil. 341 00:13:30,804 --> 00:13:32,125 That's super convenient. 342 00:13:32,125 --> 00:13:33,326 Now, when it comes to tortellini, 343 00:13:33,326 --> 00:13:34,436 you have some options. 344 00:13:34,436 --> 00:13:37,885 These are shelf stable and I add them directly to a pot of soup. 345 00:13:37,885 --> 00:13:39,145 They'll give off a little bit of starch, 346 00:13:39,145 --> 00:13:40,586 but that's actually a good thing. 347 00:13:40,586 --> 00:13:42,716 It'll thicken up the broth. 348 00:13:42,716 --> 00:13:45,115 Now the big guys here, they're refrigerated. 349 00:13:45,115 --> 00:13:47,096 And I would cook these like I would homemade, 350 00:13:47,096 --> 00:13:48,625 which means I'm going to cook them in a pot 351 00:13:48,625 --> 00:13:50,005 of simmering water. 352 00:13:50,005 --> 00:13:51,355 Note I didn't say boiling. 353 00:13:51,355 --> 00:13:53,664 A lot of times people will boil tortellini 354 00:13:53,664 --> 00:13:55,164 and they blow apart the seams. 355 00:13:55,164 --> 00:13:56,186 Don't do that. 356 00:13:56,186 --> 00:13:57,836 When they're tender, drain them 357 00:13:57,836 --> 00:14:00,265 and then toss them in something rich. 358 00:14:00,265 --> 00:14:03,235 A butter sauce with a little bit of Parmesan, 359 00:14:03,235 --> 00:14:06,235 maybe a tomato cream sauce or some pesto. 360 00:14:06,235 --> 00:14:08,336 Everybody now has access 361 00:14:08,336 --> 00:14:11,725 to really high quality gnocchi and tortellini. 362 00:14:11,725 --> 00:14:13,105 They're in your supermarket. 363 00:14:13,105 --> 00:14:15,294 They may be next to the dried pasta. 364 00:14:15,294 --> 00:14:15,684 Bon appetito. 365 00:14:15,684 --> 00:14:22,076 ♪♪ 366 00:14:22,076 --> 00:14:26,576 -There are many accounts over the origins of pasta alla vodka, 367 00:14:26,576 --> 00:14:28,674 but here's my favorite story. 368 00:14:28,674 --> 00:14:31,044 By the late '70s into the '80s, 369 00:14:31,044 --> 00:14:34,706 pasta alla vodka was served at discotheques and nightclubs 370 00:14:34,706 --> 00:14:39,535 all over the place, and it became known as disco pasta. 371 00:14:39,535 --> 00:14:41,456 Love anything with the word disco in it. 372 00:14:41,456 --> 00:14:43,706 But I'm really excited because Erin's here 373 00:14:43,706 --> 00:14:46,346 and she's going to hustle some vibrancy into this dish. 374 00:14:46,346 --> 00:14:47,515 -I certainly am. 375 00:14:47,515 --> 00:14:50,125 And it might sound very easy, but it's not. 376 00:14:50,125 --> 00:14:51,505 This is a very simple dish, 377 00:14:51,505 --> 00:14:54,414 but it's easy to get it wrong because it's all about balance. 378 00:14:54,414 --> 00:14:55,735 -It is all about balance. 379 00:14:55,735 --> 00:14:58,076 -Such as life, right? -Yes, exactly. 380 00:14:58,076 --> 00:14:59,544 -Okay, so let's get started. 381 00:14:59,544 --> 00:15:03,025 I have 2 tablespoons of butter melted in this Dutch oven. 382 00:15:03,025 --> 00:15:05,155 To this I'm going to add 4 ounces 383 00:15:05,155 --> 00:15:06,475 of finely chopped pancetta 384 00:15:07,495 --> 00:15:11,005 and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. 385 00:15:11,005 --> 00:15:12,716 So we're going to cook this over medium heat 386 00:15:12,716 --> 00:15:13,466 for about 4 or 5 minutes. 387 00:15:13,466 --> 00:15:15,235 And what we're doing is we're going to render 388 00:15:15,235 --> 00:15:16,794 out the fat from the pancetta. -Yes. 389 00:15:16,794 --> 00:15:19,346 -And we're also going to get it nice and golden brown 390 00:15:19,346 --> 00:15:21,956 and crispy, and there's going to be some fine development. 391 00:15:21,956 --> 00:15:23,635 And all that equals flavor. 392 00:15:23,635 --> 00:15:25,765 Pancetta is not always added to this dish, 393 00:15:25,765 --> 00:15:28,255 but we're adding it because we wanted a nice kind of 394 00:15:28,255 --> 00:15:30,174 pork-meaty undertone to our sauce. 395 00:15:30,174 --> 00:15:31,554 It's subtle, it's not in-your-face, 396 00:15:31,554 --> 00:15:33,895 but it just really makes a huge difference. 397 00:15:33,895 --> 00:15:37,346 So meanwhile, I'm going to have you kind of keep an eye on this. 398 00:15:37,346 --> 00:15:38,456 I'm going to come over here 399 00:15:38,456 --> 00:15:40,885 and I'm going to move on to my next ingredient. 400 00:15:40,885 --> 00:15:42,836 So we're going to add 2 cloves of garlic. 401 00:15:42,836 --> 00:15:44,966 And I'm going to turn it into a paste. 402 00:15:44,966 --> 00:15:47,696 And the rasp grater is like my go-to. 403 00:15:47,696 --> 00:15:50,005 It's very easy. Just run it over it. 404 00:15:50,005 --> 00:15:53,605 And the key here is that because this is such a fast dish, 405 00:15:53,605 --> 00:15:56,456 we want to coax out as much garlic flavor as possible. 406 00:15:56,456 --> 00:15:58,821 And so the further -- the more you break down the garlic, 407 00:15:58,821 --> 00:16:00,596 the more flavor is going to come out. 408 00:16:00,596 --> 00:16:01,436 -It's true. 409 00:16:01,436 --> 00:16:03,414 You're really breaking down the cell walls 410 00:16:03,414 --> 00:16:04,794 within the garlic cloves. 411 00:16:04,794 --> 00:16:07,164 So maximum flavor can be released 412 00:16:07,164 --> 00:16:09,025 in a really small amount of time. 413 00:16:09,025 --> 00:16:10,794 -Okay, so you can see the difference, Bridget. 414 00:16:10,794 --> 00:16:12,385 The fat is rendered out. 415 00:16:12,385 --> 00:16:17,336 Our pancetta is nice and golden brown and you can see the fonds. 416 00:16:17,336 --> 00:16:17,966 -Yes. -Okay. 417 00:16:17,966 --> 00:16:19,794 So now we're going to add our garlic. 418 00:16:19,794 --> 00:16:22,135 And this is just going to cook for about 30 seconds. 419 00:16:23,456 --> 00:16:24,475 Stir it in. 420 00:16:24,475 --> 00:16:25,914 And as you can see, it's the paste. 421 00:16:25,914 --> 00:16:29,696 So it just is permeating everything 422 00:16:29,696 --> 00:16:31,405 that's in the pot. -Almost instantly. 423 00:16:31,405 --> 00:16:33,535 -Instantly. Yep. -Yes. 424 00:16:33,535 --> 00:16:35,971 -Now I'm going to add the first of two tomato products. 425 00:16:35,971 --> 00:16:38,005 So I'm going to add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. 426 00:16:38,005 --> 00:16:38,635 -Okay. 427 00:16:38,635 --> 00:16:41,456 -It's going to add a nice concentrated flavor to our sauce. 428 00:16:41,456 --> 00:16:44,576 So we're just going to cook this for about 30 seconds. 429 00:16:44,576 --> 00:16:47,424 It's going to start to turn like more of a rusty color. 430 00:16:47,424 --> 00:16:49,105 -Yes. -You know that that's being cooked. 431 00:16:49,105 --> 00:16:50,365 So that's important. 432 00:16:50,365 --> 00:16:52,346 -When it looks like my shirt it's time to go on. 433 00:16:52,346 --> 00:16:54,385 -Did you wear that just in honor? 434 00:16:54,385 --> 00:16:55,346 I love it. 435 00:16:55,346 --> 00:16:56,485 Okay, so now we're going to move on 436 00:16:56,485 --> 00:16:58,466 to our next ingredient, the vodka. 437 00:16:58,466 --> 00:17:00,775 So I have 1/2 cup of vodka, 438 00:17:00,775 --> 00:17:03,054 but I'm going to take out a tablespoon 439 00:17:03,054 --> 00:17:05,336 and we can do shots later. 440 00:17:05,336 --> 00:17:06,924 Just kidding. 441 00:17:06,924 --> 00:17:09,266 Okay, so I took out a tablespoon of vodka. 442 00:17:09,266 --> 00:17:11,335 And now I'm going to add the remaining 7 tablespoons 443 00:17:11,335 --> 00:17:12,895 of vodka to our pot. 444 00:17:12,895 --> 00:17:14,454 So I've turned the heat off, Bridget. 445 00:17:14,454 --> 00:17:16,944 That's important so that the initial alcohol that comes off, 446 00:17:16,944 --> 00:17:18,655 there's no chance of it igniting. 447 00:17:18,655 --> 00:17:20,036 -Correct. -We don't want to do that. 448 00:17:20,036 --> 00:17:21,714 So now I'm going to turn the heat back on. 449 00:17:21,714 --> 00:17:24,236 And now we want to cook off that alcohol. 450 00:17:24,236 --> 00:17:26,664 So we're going to cook this down until it evaporates. 451 00:17:26,664 --> 00:17:29,395 Okay. But that is just part one. 452 00:17:29,395 --> 00:17:30,566 Vodka part one. 453 00:17:30,566 --> 00:17:32,155 So the other thing that I'm going to do 454 00:17:32,155 --> 00:17:34,585 is I'm scraping up that lovely fond. 455 00:17:34,585 --> 00:17:37,075 -I have a philosophical question for you. 456 00:17:37,075 --> 00:17:40,526 -Oh, boy. Lay it on me, Bridget. 457 00:17:40,526 --> 00:17:44,006 -Well, vodka is prized because it is -- 458 00:17:44,006 --> 00:17:45,085 it does have flavor, 459 00:17:45,085 --> 00:17:48,476 but it's mostly thought of as being very neutral in flavor. 460 00:17:48,476 --> 00:17:49,796 And that's why it's a great mixer. 461 00:17:49,796 --> 00:17:51,296 It's great in so many things. 462 00:17:51,296 --> 00:17:54,685 Why is it so celebrated to be added to a sauce? 463 00:17:54,685 --> 00:17:56,665 -That is a great question, Bridget. 464 00:17:56,665 --> 00:18:00,145 So it's the star of this recipe. It's the star of this dish. 465 00:18:00,145 --> 00:18:01,615 And it's doing a few different things, 466 00:18:01,615 --> 00:18:04,645 but primarily by adding vodka to this, 467 00:18:04,645 --> 00:18:06,865 it's really kind of amplifying the flavors 468 00:18:06,865 --> 00:18:10,016 of the other ingredients, specifically the tomato, 469 00:18:10,016 --> 00:18:11,846 the garlic, the pancetta. 470 00:18:11,846 --> 00:18:14,695 You're really kind of like amping up the volume on those 471 00:18:14,695 --> 00:18:15,954 so you can taste them more. 472 00:18:15,954 --> 00:18:17,575 -I love that. -It's really cool. 473 00:18:17,575 --> 00:18:20,516 -So it's just cranking the volume up to number 11. 474 00:18:20,516 --> 00:18:21,806 -Yes, yes. 475 00:18:21,806 --> 00:18:23,875 And during this step we're cooking off that alcohol. 476 00:18:23,875 --> 00:18:25,736 -Sure. -We're reducing it down 477 00:18:25,736 --> 00:18:27,746 so that it's fully evaporated. 478 00:18:27,746 --> 00:18:29,096 You know that that has happened 479 00:18:29,096 --> 00:18:31,675 once the fat starts to kind of sizzle. 480 00:18:31,675 --> 00:18:32,996 -So all the liquid is gone. 481 00:18:32,996 --> 00:18:34,675 -All the liquid's gone. Correct. 482 00:18:34,675 --> 00:18:37,046 Can you hear it? -Yes. We got sizzle. 483 00:18:37,046 --> 00:18:38,875 -We got sizzle. I can see it. You can hear it. 484 00:18:38,875 --> 00:18:40,316 Use your senses when you're cooking, right? 485 00:18:40,316 --> 00:18:41,425 -Definitely. -I love it. 486 00:18:41,425 --> 00:18:44,066 Time to add our second and final tomato product. 487 00:18:44,066 --> 00:18:46,316 2 cups of passata. -Mm-hmm. 488 00:18:46,316 --> 00:18:49,375 -Passata is a strained tomato puree, 489 00:18:49,375 --> 00:18:52,915 and passata is basically raw-strained tomatoes. 490 00:18:52,915 --> 00:18:56,246 So to this we're going to add 1/2 cup of heavy cream. 491 00:18:56,246 --> 00:18:58,016 Heavy cream is going to add richness 492 00:18:58,016 --> 00:18:59,846 and it's going to add further silkiness. 493 00:18:59,846 --> 00:19:02,816 A lot of recipes add a lot of heavy cream. 494 00:19:02,816 --> 00:19:04,825 We only needed to add 1/2 cup 495 00:19:04,825 --> 00:19:08,125 because we have the richness from the pancetta fat 496 00:19:08,125 --> 00:19:11,546 and also the richness from the butter that we started off with. 497 00:19:11,546 --> 00:19:14,096 We're going to add 3/4 of a teaspoon of table salt 498 00:19:14,096 --> 00:19:16,645 and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. 499 00:19:16,645 --> 00:19:18,355 -Okay. -So now I'm just going to bring this up 500 00:19:18,355 --> 00:19:19,615 to a very gentle simmer. 501 00:19:19,615 --> 00:19:20,965 We're going to let that cook for about 10 minutes. 502 00:19:20,965 --> 00:19:22,976 -Okay, great. -And then comes the pasta. 503 00:19:22,976 --> 00:19:25,016 So we have 4 quarts of water at a boil. 504 00:19:25,016 --> 00:19:27,085 I'm adding a tablespoon of table salt 505 00:19:27,085 --> 00:19:30,986 and 1 pound of rigatoni pasta. -Oh, nice. 506 00:19:30,986 --> 00:19:33,415 -Okay, so we have our 4 quarts of water, 507 00:19:33,415 --> 00:19:35,665 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 pound of pasta. 508 00:19:35,665 --> 00:19:37,256 -The golden formula. -You know it. 509 00:19:37,256 --> 00:19:39,835 -Yeah. Well, let's talk a little bit about vodka. 510 00:19:39,835 --> 00:19:43,526 Now vodka in itself has very little flavor. 511 00:19:43,526 --> 00:19:46,885 So how on earth could it ever amplify the other flavors 512 00:19:46,885 --> 00:19:48,266 in a tomato sauce? 513 00:19:48,266 --> 00:19:50,575 Well, it all has to do with your olfactory system. 514 00:19:52,046 --> 00:19:54,655 Most of the flavor compounds in our tomato sauce 515 00:19:54,655 --> 00:19:55,855 from the tomatoes, garlic, 516 00:19:55,855 --> 00:19:58,496 and pancetta are highly volatile, 517 00:19:58,496 --> 00:20:00,566 which means we can smell them. 518 00:20:00,566 --> 00:20:03,776 These flavor compounds are also fat soluble. 519 00:20:03,776 --> 00:20:05,605 This means that they dissolve into fats 520 00:20:05,605 --> 00:20:07,825 like olive oil or cream. 521 00:20:07,825 --> 00:20:11,411 The only problem is that fat itself isn't volatile. 522 00:20:11,411 --> 00:20:13,421 This means that the flavor molecules get trapped 523 00:20:13,421 --> 00:20:17,111 in the sauce and can't evaporate to reach our olfactory system, 524 00:20:17,111 --> 00:20:19,421 which is responsible for experiencing flavor. 525 00:20:20,621 --> 00:20:22,330 Enter vodka. 526 00:20:22,330 --> 00:20:25,510 Ethanol can dissolve the same flavor compounds that fat can, 527 00:20:25,510 --> 00:20:29,621 but unlike fat, ethanol is highly volatile. 528 00:20:29,621 --> 00:20:33,040 This means that it doesn't trap flavor the same way fat does. 529 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:34,480 So when you take a bite, 530 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:37,840 the vodka evaporates and takes the flavor compounds with it, 531 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:41,500 bringing them all the way to your olfactory system. 532 00:20:41,500 --> 00:20:45,310 And that's why vodka makes our sauce so much more vibrant. 533 00:20:45,310 --> 00:20:45,911 -All right, Bridget, 534 00:20:45,911 --> 00:20:47,921 so our sauce has simmered for about 10 minutes. 535 00:20:47,921 --> 00:20:50,830 Now I have it off the heat and a lid to keep it warm. 536 00:20:50,830 --> 00:20:52,990 And our pasta is ready. 537 00:20:52,990 --> 00:20:56,530 I'm just going to reserve some pasta water. 538 00:20:56,530 --> 00:20:58,990 -Yes. -This is another life lesson. 539 00:20:58,990 --> 00:21:00,580 Always reserve pasta water. 540 00:21:01,661 --> 00:21:02,590 And turn the heat off 541 00:21:02,590 --> 00:21:05,471 and we're going to go strain this beautiful pasta. 542 00:21:05,471 --> 00:21:11,621 -Yes. -All right. 543 00:21:11,621 --> 00:21:14,080 Okay, so here we have our sauce. 544 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:15,550 -Beautiful. -Isn't it gorgeous? 545 00:21:15,550 --> 00:21:17,230 -So it's not bubbling. You just kept it warm. 546 00:21:17,230 --> 00:21:19,030 -I just kept it warm. Yep. -It's gorgeous. 547 00:21:19,030 --> 00:21:19,931 -Not finished yet. 548 00:21:19,931 --> 00:21:21,911 Remember that tablespoon of vodka that I reserved? 549 00:21:21,911 --> 00:21:23,290 -Yes, yes. 550 00:21:23,290 --> 00:21:25,391 -So if I added all the vodka all at once, 551 00:21:25,391 --> 00:21:27,340 you wouldn't get any flavor at all. 552 00:21:27,340 --> 00:21:30,221 We are going to add a tablespoon to our finished sauce. 553 00:21:30,221 --> 00:21:32,921 It's going to give us, like, a little whisper of alcohol. 554 00:21:32,921 --> 00:21:34,121 -Yes. -Like a little like, you know, 555 00:21:34,121 --> 00:21:35,800 tingle in the back of your throat. 556 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,290 And it's going to kind of bring out the sweetness 557 00:21:38,290 --> 00:21:40,181 of the tomatoes and the sauce. 558 00:21:40,181 --> 00:21:42,191 We want our pasta sauce to be hot. 559 00:21:42,191 --> 00:21:43,840 It's warm, but we want it hot. 560 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:45,941 So I'm just going to turn the heat on to low 561 00:21:45,941 --> 00:21:47,651 and just kind of make sure that it's hot. 562 00:21:47,651 --> 00:21:50,171 -Okay. -Now I'm going to take the pasta. 563 00:21:50,171 --> 00:21:51,701 We're almost there, Bridget. -Yes. 564 00:21:51,701 --> 00:21:54,161 -And I'm going to add it to the sauce. 565 00:21:54,161 --> 00:21:56,500 And we're just going to stir it all together. 566 00:21:56,500 --> 00:21:59,500 I'm going to add about 1/4 of a cup of pasta water. 567 00:22:00,911 --> 00:22:01,871 It's starchy water, 568 00:22:01,871 --> 00:22:04,240 so we just want to add that to kind of like adjust 569 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:05,266 the consistency. Right. 570 00:22:05,266 --> 00:22:07,871 -I have a little extra in case if it needs more. 571 00:22:07,871 --> 00:22:09,701 Now I'm going to stir the pasta just for about a minute. 572 00:22:09,701 --> 00:22:11,500 We really want the pasta to be coated. 573 00:22:11,500 --> 00:22:13,270 We want, like, the holes of the rigatoni 574 00:22:13,270 --> 00:22:15,250 to kind of, like, get some of the sauce in there. 575 00:22:15,250 --> 00:22:16,601 It's going to be great. 576 00:22:16,601 --> 00:22:18,611 Okay, so that's really nicely coated. 577 00:22:18,611 --> 00:22:19,961 -Yeah. -Okay. 578 00:22:19,961 --> 00:22:22,211 Would you like to try some? -I would love to try some. 579 00:22:22,211 --> 00:22:22,691 -Excellent. 580 00:22:22,691 --> 00:22:25,421 This is a big bowl. 581 00:22:25,421 --> 00:22:27,760 I hope you're hungry. -That's a big bowl. 582 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,790 -Oh, this is delicious. I think you're gonna love it. 583 00:22:30,790 --> 00:22:32,500 -It smells incredible in here. 584 00:22:32,500 --> 00:22:34,510 And just a few ingredients in there. 585 00:22:34,510 --> 00:22:35,951 -All right. 586 00:22:35,951 --> 00:22:38,590 And to finish it, you get a little bit of Parmesan cheese. 587 00:22:38,590 --> 00:22:39,730 -Fantastic. -All right. 588 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,030 -This looks fantastic. 589 00:22:46,030 --> 00:22:47,260 Rosy red, 590 00:22:47,260 --> 00:22:50,550 but it's that creamy color that is so classic. 591 00:22:54,461 --> 00:22:57,010 Pancetta changes everything. -Yep. 592 00:22:57,010 --> 00:22:59,260 -Pancetta changes everything. 593 00:22:59,260 --> 00:23:01,181 -And the garlic is standing up to everything 594 00:23:01,181 --> 00:23:02,951 because it was graded, 595 00:23:02,951 --> 00:23:05,111 and it just is alive and very sharp. 596 00:23:05,111 --> 00:23:07,540 And it really balances with the tomatoes nicely. 597 00:23:07,540 --> 00:23:09,131 And the cream doesn't mute the other flavors. 598 00:23:09,131 --> 00:23:12,191 It just adds nice richness, silkiness, 599 00:23:12,191 --> 00:23:14,441 but it allows the other flavors to come through. 600 00:23:14,441 --> 00:23:17,681 -Erin, thank you so much for reviving this classic. 601 00:23:18,730 --> 00:23:21,040 I'll see you at the disco. -All right. 602 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,711 -Now, if you'd like to make this dish at home, 603 00:23:23,711 --> 00:23:27,221 start by adding vodka to sauteed pancetta and garlic, 604 00:23:27,221 --> 00:23:28,901 and cook until evaporated. 605 00:23:28,901 --> 00:23:33,221 Stir in passata and heavy cream to create a silky sauce, 606 00:23:33,221 --> 00:23:34,750 and finish with more vodka 607 00:23:34,750 --> 00:23:37,060 before stirring in cooked rigatoni. 608 00:23:37,060 --> 00:23:38,740 So from "America's Test Kitchen," 609 00:23:38,740 --> 00:23:41,320 a vibrant pasta alla vodka. 610 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,290 You can get this recipe and all the recipes from this season, 611 00:23:44,290 --> 00:23:47,560 along with product reviews and select episodes, 612 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:49,480 and you'll find them all on our website, 613 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:55,000 americastestkitchen.com/TV. 614 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,191 All right, I'm gonna put vodka in everything from now on. 615 00:23:57,191 --> 00:23:57,520 -Oh, yeah.