In the Italian south the use of citrus fruits in cooking is very common, today we will see a first example
ingredients for 4 servings (cost about 1€ pp)
- Salt
- 320 g bucatini
- 8 yellow cherry tomatoes cut in halves
- 1 garlic clove
- Light taste EV olive oil
- Fresh thyme
- Orange zest
Have you ever think which are the most beautiful aromas in nature? Maybe rose? Jasmine? Or orchard? I don´t know but I know where we can find the most astonishing aromas for cooking. In citrus fruits zest.
In my cuisine, orange, lemon and mandarin zests are fundamental substances. So I prepare often, pasta, risotti and even fried pizzas with citrus fruits aromas.
During winter I always have some orange or mandarin, meanwhile in the summer I use dried zest. Where do I find dried zest? I peel the (organic) citrics I use for the every day breakfast juice. I put (some of) the peels in the dehydrator and when cool I grind them in the coffee grinder and I keep them in fridge for the summer and autumn months when I cannot find fresh oranges and mandarins.
Yesterday, I found at the organic market yellow cherry tomatoes, I bought some. They are usually softer than the red ones so they need a minimal cooking.
Having the basic ingredients I started preparing my pasta.
Starting from cold pan I subfried a garlic clove (crushed and unpeeled) in olive oil till golden. I removed the solid part and I added the cherry tomatoes cut in halves. I sauté them just for a minute
Meanwhile I boiled plenty of salty water in a pot. I added the bucatini till al dente. When the pasta was ready I strained it and I carried it in the pan for the ¨mantecare¨ process. So, I added a ladle of boiling water and I started stirring the pasta in order to create a “sauce” with the oil, the boiling water and the starches of the pasta.
I added the orange rind and the fresh thyme and I put in plates.
This pasta has light aromas which, in my opinion, are not compatible with cheese. If you want to add some protein taste to the dish, you can substitute olive oil with butter, an orange´s close friend.
