Chef notes
Forget everything you ever thought you knew about pasta and get ready for a big twist. Delicate angel hair pasta isn't just delicious in savory dishes. Once it's fried and golden, it's a fantastic medium for crispy sweet desserts like this Sicilian pasta fritta that's drizzled with a vanilla-honey mixture and sweetened crème fraîche sauce.
Ingredients
- 1/3 pound angel hair pasta
- 1 cup crème fraîche
- 2 whole vanilla beans
- 4 tablespoons honey, divided
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 tablespoons crushed toasted walnuts
Preparation
1.Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.
2.In a medium bowl, whisk together the crème fraiche, vanilla seeds and 1 tablespoon of the honey. Set aside.
3.In another small bowl, whisk together the 3 remaining tablespoons of the honey, orange zest, lemon zest and cinnamon. Set aside.
4.In a shallow pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Once the oil reaches a temperature of 350° to 375°, fry the pasta in small twirled haystacks. Flip each twirled haystack halfway through until the outsides are golden and crispy. (If you don't have a thermometer handy, add a bit of cornstarch to the pan. It should fry up immediately when your oil is ready for frying.)
5.Plate the pasta, drizzle with the honey mixture, spoon on the crème fraîche sauce, and garnish with the walnuts. Serve.
