Most pantry pasta recipes assume that you have a pretty bare larder. Made entirely from ingredients you’re likely to have on hand, the recipes are usually some minimalist combination of garlic, olive oil, bread crumbs, chile flakes, and possibly anchovies or Parmesan, or both. Delicious, absolutely, but not reflective of the breadth of even a moderately well-stocked pantry.
This pantry pasta is different: It asks you to reach deeper into your cupboard and fridge, unearthing olives, a couple of onions and that bunch of parsley, spinach or arugula (wilted is fine) you probably have somewhere in there. You’ll also need some butter and a lemon.
These extra ingredients build flavor, adding a gentle sweetness from the onion that matches the salty tang of olives. The herbs lend freshness, while the butter enriches and the lemon brightens.
And none of the ingredients is hard to procure should your pantry come up short on one. Either swing by the store on the way home, or substitute something you already have. Anything salty and briny can stand in for the olives — capers and canned tuna, for example. If you don’t have a fresh lemon, a dash of vinegar works nearly as well.
Even with the additional ingredients, this dish is still fast and convenient enough for any given weeknight, which, when it comes to pantry pastas, is exactly what you’re after.
The most time-consuming part is sautéing the onions until they’re golden and soft. This can take as little as 20 minutes or as long as 30, depending on how large your pan is and how high the heat is. If the onions seem to be taking forever — or if you’re really, really hungry — crank up the flame and stir them a lot. Just don’t turn your back, or they may burn. Getting them dark brown is perfectly fine, but even a few black shards will make the whole pan taste bitter, so don’t stray too far from the stove.
While the onions cook, you can boil your pasta. I routinely splurge on pasta because even though it may seem a little crazy to pay upward of $6 for a bag of spaghetti, I can really taste the difference. The texture can be a lot better, too, with a firmer, meatier bite. But use whatever you’ve got in your pantry. After all, isn’t that point?
Recipe: Spicy Spaghetti With Caramelized Onions and Herbs
And to Drink …
Precision pairing is not easy with this dish. The sweetness and almost smoky notes of the onions might call for a chenin blanc or chardonnay, particularly barrel-aged versions. Piquant olives and anchovies need something more incisive, a fino sherry, perhaps. You could certainly try any of these wines, and I think they would be enjoyable. Finding a wine that bridges all of these flavors is a little more difficult. My first thought would be of a broader style of riesling, from Alsace or Austria, which I think would work fairly well. You could also try a richer fiano di Avellino from the Campania or a barrel-aged Soave from the Veneto. Steer clear of reds. ERIC ASIMOV
