Strawberry Pasta

Obviously this recipe is better suited for early June when strawberries are in their prime, but in celebration of Valentine's Day, a dish of pasta with strawberry sauce seemed worth the small crime. 

I never actually post recipes on my blog because very rarely do I follow one but because I'd like so much for you to try this dish, I managed to scribble down some notes in between the strawberries staining my fingers a stunning shade of red. 

Pasta with Strawberry Sauce

Adapted from Intercourses

Naturally this recipe is best when the strawberries are extremely ripe. The true essence of the sauce comes from the sweetness of the strawberries contrasted with the sweet acidity of the vinegar. A generous dusting of the salty Pecorino cheese and a few pinches of crack pepper adds a nice umami character. This is a very unique sauce to say the least. 

I recommend a high quality butter like Kerrygold or Smjor and a true balsamic vinegar, no tinted red wine vinegar here. I suppose you could substitute Parmigiano for the Pecorino, but there is a really tangy bite to the Percorino that works well with the dish. Nevertheless play around with the sauce, tasting frequently to adjust to your taste. A recommended variation includes of splash of heavy cream at the end. Pure. Decadence. 

Pasta- I like spaghettini, but any shape in fine. Be sure to reserve a 1/4 cup of the pasta water for the sauce.

Pint of strawberries--around 18 medium size berries

2 tbsp butter.

1tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

1 tsp of flour (to thicken)

Salt to taste

1/4 c. Pecorino Romano cheese

Fresh cracked pepper

Prepare pasta to package directions. Set aside with reserved pasta water. 

Rise the strawberries, remove stems and slice thin enough for blending.

Puree the strawberries until a uniform sauce is formed (see photo). It's best to pulse through this process. If you are going for a more rustic bent, leave the sauce a bit chunky. 

If you want a seedless sauces, press the pureed strawberries through a mesh sieve with a rubber spatula. I chose to leave the seeds in. Good source of fiber and vitamin C.

Melt the butter over low heat and add strawberry puree. Another variation is to allow the butter to brown a bit, a process that will impart a nice nutty undertone to the sauce. Again, it's all about preference.

Add brown sugar,  balsamic vinegar and flour. Turn heat up to medium low and stir until fully the sugar, vinegar and flour are fully incorporated.

Add cheese and salt to taste. 

At this point its super important to adjust the sauce to your preferences.

I toss the pasta with the sauce and a bit of starchy pasta water. Serving the sauce over the pasta works as well. 

Serve hot with a few twists of fresh cracked pepper and a generous amount of Pecorino cheese.

Enjoy!