I absolutely LOVE tomatoes, especially when they are cooked with pasta. So when I saw this dish on the menu at Tom Colicchio’s Riverpark, I knew it was a must try. Boy, was I in for a treat! The fettuccine tasted homemade and was cooked perfectly al dente. The heirloom tomatoes were so sweet and still had a bite to them. The most interesting part, however, was the use of lemon verbena. I’ve only had lemon verbena in tea, but never in an actual dish. Just a few of these leaves added a wonderful citrusy, bright, and refreshing taste to the Pecorino’s sharpness. It was truly the perfect combination.
Michael and I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Riverpark. Being that it was Restaurant Week, we were able to sample many of the Chef’s dishes. How were the beignets, you ask? Well, somebody shut the front door! They were melt-in-your mouth, OMG, YUMMY. Yeah, it definitely took me a few days to get over them :).
The fettuccine, however, lingered in my mind for much longer; I was determined to recreate the dish. The only problem I had was finding fresh lemon verbena. After visiting a few stores with no success, I decided to substitute the leaves with fresh Italian basil and lemon zest. I was hoping that the two ingredients would add enough citrus and bright flavors as lemon verbena. I have to say, my version was pretty darn good. Not 100% like Riverpark’s, but 90% there. Not too shabby for using substitute ingredients! It was also so quick and easy to make. With just a few ingredients, you can also make this pasta dish for dinner any night!
Recipe
Yield: 2 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb. fettuccine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lb. heirloom tomatoes*
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
20 to 25 fresh basil leaves
1 lemon, zested
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, peel off skin of tomatoes using a small knife or vegetable peeler. Cut tomatoes in half and gently squeeze to remove excess seeds. Then cut into wedges.
3. Once water comes to a boil, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Do not rinse pasta as this will remove the starchy coating needed for any sauce to adhere to.
4. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add tomatoes, black pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Gently toss to combine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Stack basil leaves on top of one another and roll into a log. Thinly slice and set aside.
6. Add drained pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to tomatoes. Toss to combine and turn off heat.
7. Add basil, zest of 1/2 lemon, and cheese and toss again. Add more pasta water if needed.
8. Divide pasta onto two plates and top with remaining lemon zest. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top and serve immediately.
*Note: If heirloom tomatoes are not available, you can use any other kind that is sweet, such as kumato, vine ripened or plum tomatoes.
