Spicy, savory chili crisp and nutty tahini make a satisfying pasta sauce, but oniony crunch in the form of fried shallots takes this dish to the next level. Dan Pashman, creator and host of “The Sporkful” podcast, designed the chili crisp and shallot sauce so it would get caught in the edges and ruffles of cascatelli, the custom shape he collaborated on with Sfoglini Pasta. We used the more readily available radiatore (named because it’s shaped like old-fashioned radiators), but other short ruffled shapes such as gemelli, casarecce or reginetti work well, too. For more ideas on what to do with chili crisp, see this primer. You’ll end up with a little extra shallot-infused oil, which you can refrigerate and use anywhere you’d use olive oil.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. The dressed pasta thickens when chilled, so feel free to loosen it with water or more pasta water when reheating. The extra shallot oil can also be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
Servings: 4–6 (makes about 8 cups)
Directions
Active:
30 mins|
Total: 40 mins
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Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until a little shy of al dente, about 2 minutes less than the low end of the range. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain. Return the pasta to the pot and cover to keep warm, off the heat.
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Step 2
While the water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks, set a large fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Have a plate ready near your workspace.
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Step 3
In a large Dutch oven or high-sided skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the rings, until deeply browned and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour the oil and shallots through the strainer into the heatproof bowl, and shake the strainer so as much oil drains as possible. Transfer the shallots to the prepared plate and spread in an even layer. Reserve the oil; you’ll have a little less than 1/2 cup.
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Step 4
Return the Dutch oven or skillet to medium heat and pour in 2 tablespoons of the reserved shallot oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant and golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tahini, chili crisp, vinegar and soy sauce and whisk until smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and cook, stirring, until fragrant and thickened, about 2 minutes.
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Step 5
Add the pasta to the Dutch oven or skillet, along with another 3/4 cup of the pasta water, and toss until the pasta is evenly coated, with the sauce clinging to it but still pooling a little at the bottom of the pan. If the sauce seems too thick, add more pasta water, 2 tablespoons at a time. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the fried shallots. Taste, and season with salt if needed.
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Step 6
Transfer the pasta to a serving dish or individual bowls, top with the remaining fried shallots, drizzle with a little more chili crisp and serve hot, with more chili crisp on the side.
Substitutions
Sesame allergy? >> Use peanut butter, sunflower seed butter or another nut or seed butter you like.
Chili crisp >> salsa macha (see related recipe).
Apple cider vinegar >> rice or white wine vinegar.
Soy sauce >> tamari (gluten-free) or liquid aminos.
Notes
Dan Pashman prefers Lao Gan Ma chili crisp, one of the oldest and best-known brands, but you can use your favorite; just note that since they vary in spice level, you may need to adjust the amount to taste.