COVID's Caramelised shallot pasta
"Pasta that takes half an afternoon to cook. A pasta that can – should – be cooked in pyjamas. And a pasta that is on a whole other level of amazing. Two-hat Italian amazing." Robby Dog Cooks
The collage above from Alison Roman's own website on a page headed Click to watch me cry is of some of a dish of Caramelised shallot pasta made by literally thousands of people. She calls the collage 'Beautiful children'. For it is a selection from those ordinary people who have posted their versions online.
This was going to be a 'review' of Alison Roman's most wonderful book Something from Nothing, which I have dipped into already for this blog. There were several little yellow post it stickers poking out from the book and I began with those although catching glimpses of other tempting things as skimmed.
Then my eye was caught by this picture and a page of text on Shallot paste - a condiment similar, but not the same to the ubiquitous caramelised onions. Not the same because what she is aiming for here, is a slightly crispier thing. Not totally melted shallots and garlic, but somewhat crispy at the edges. And the condiment is more than just shallots. There is the addition of a whole tin of anchovies and a whole tin of tomato purée! So not for anchovy deniers this one, even if the occasional blogger did say that the anchovy deniers they tried it on didn't notice. Small children too. The recipe for the paste is more than you need for the pasta, but it will keep.
It was the recipe for the paste that I had noted - I am always attracted to new spice pastes pickles and so on. Things you can use to boost the otherwise boring quiche, omelette or pasta, stir fry or braise that you are making from what's left in the fridge. And this one has a set of ingredients that I love. Did I mention there are chilli flakes as well - if you want?
And she does indeed tell us
"People have been dazzling me with new ways to use it for years, including but not limited to; thinning out with water for shakshuka, smearing over chicken thighs before roasting in the oven, and spreading onto toast or an English muffin and topping with a jammy egg for breakfast."
Indeed she too invented it out of a need to do something with a surplus. At the beginning of this piece on the condiment in her book she tells us that:
"The recipe for caramelised shallot pasta was born one Christmas Eve from accidentally ordering too many shallots and needing to make use of them for a dish eligible for my Feast of the Seven Fishes menu."
Which brings me to the pasta dish itself - I had missed it on the page before. That original Christmas Eve must have been shortly before COVID for as I began browsing the net for people's comments about the recipe I found that it was COVID that really shot the recipe into a viral trend. Because one of the things that people did during COVID was to cook:
"No question, one of the defining themes of Covid has been food. Cooking it. Eating it. Enjoying it with half a case of wine. And repeat." Robby Dog Cooks
We did here as well - with Zoom cooking lessons with the grandkids - a weekly treat for all.
Alison Roman herself was living in a very small apartment at the time:
"It was a lot of time alone in that apartment, not seeing anyone or going anywhere, eating too many Cadbury creme eggs, living exclusively on the internet, which, for the better part of 2020, was a generally awful place to be." Alison Roman
And this recipe - just hit the spot for so many - one reddit commenter said that the recipe for the pasta had over 19k reviews with 5 stars.
I did find one commenter on reddit who didn't like it but it was the only one I saw.
Others were into giving tips:
"you could substitute anchovy paste for filets at a 1 filet: 1/2tsp paste ratio."
"The fewer the ingredients, the more important it is to nail every one of them.
Brand of tomato paste and anchovies make a difference. Just a tiny bit more or less salt changed the dish majorly. A little more or less parsley. Difference between a 4.5 and 5 here comes down to the tiniest variation of even a single input. I've had this be phenomenal and pretty good, when it feels like I have made it the same way" defaualtwin/reddit
Whenever I look at a recipe for some famous cook I often find that several people have had a go at it, and made some comments - sometimes good, sometimes bad. However, I don't think I have ever seen as many as with this one. And for many of them it was an emotional thing, not just a good recipe they wanted to share. Moreover it obviously meant a lot to Alison Roman. On her Click to watch page there is a video of her making it in her tiny apartment just before she is moving out to a bigger one - changing a dearly loved home for practical reasons. In this apartment she had developed recipes, published books and also made weekly videos - the last of which - the one shown here - was this recipe because:
"I know it’s going to sound painfully earnest, a thing I tend to recoil from, but when I say the shallot pasta is one of the most wonderful things to happen to me, I mean it. When your life's work is to literally try and get people to like anchovies I mean take enjoyment from cooking dinner, and like...it fucking works...there is no greater feeling, no higher high. ...
"The shallot pasta was born in this apartment but now it’s gone off to college to start its own life, full of modifications and new traditions. The pasta is no longer mine, but yours. Do you use red onions instead of shallots because you know that’s fine and it’s all you had? Do you sub capers or a dab of miso for the anchovies because you can't or won't eat anchovies? Do you use all of the paste even though I recommend using half because you prefer it that way? Do you make this on all your first “I’m going to cook for you” dates because you know it’s impossible not to love? Do you add fish sauce or chili flakes or top it with Parmesan even though it’s not in the recipe? Do you make the paste just to have on hand or give it as a gift? I hope whether you cook it word for word or make your own substitutions that you feel proud and excited every time you make it. This recipe belongs to you now, and I know you’ll love it and share it as if it were your own (it is!)."
So give it a try. I know I will sometime soon - although - perhaps not because of those anchovies and being married to an anchovy hater.
I watched the video - it's about 15 minutes long, and mildly irritating - well she's American and it is very American. However I do think that this recipe, because of its adoption by so many people at such a landmark and difficult time in our recent history - demonstrates how food can play such an important part in keeping us sane, giving us hope - and fun too.
And I will get around to an overview of the entire book some time soon. Buy it if you see it. I've already gifted a copy to my foodie daughter-in-law and my foodie friend.
YEARS GONE BY
September 19
2025 - Nothing
2024 - Nothing
2022 - Nothing
2021 - Missing
2020 - Missing
2018 - Warrigal greens
2017 - A bonus quickie
2016 - Poke cakes
More stars withouy anchovies, but then I am not a purist. "Caramelised", though is a switch-on word for me! Hee..hee! 🤪