Checkmate with Queen’s Gambit Fettuccini

Being predominantly more omnivore than vegan I will savor any great recipe, no matter the genre. During the lockdown, my friend’s vegan wife, Jasmine, shared a treat she had made. It was a delicate creamy vegan Alfredo sauce, a recipe that lasts for a few weeks refrigerated in a jar. This sauce is just magical. Now, I make it in double portions so I have leftover to add it to salads and burgers.

It can be a chameleon in the kitchen, changing flavors by adding a few extra tweaks like apple cider vinegar, sesame oil or chopped herbs like thyme, tarragon, sage and cilantro. I encourage readers to let those creative culinary juices flow like a full king moon tidal surge here! This sauce is a winner, and for today's dog and pony show it will ultimately be incorporated with fettuccini.

I loved binge-watching the “Queen's Gambit” series, with its superb production values and uniquely visible female lead. For a Netflix production, it had some of the best wardrobe styling rarely seen in a series, let alone feature film. The fashion statements were simple and clean – black-and-white themes everywhere. That in turn got me to thinking about a B&W pasta combo.

I have always had a fondness for linguini made with squid ink topped with those small Sebastian inlet clams. So, I endeavored to create some squid ink and classic ravioli in the shape of a chessboard to smother with my friend’s vegan sauce. In my dreams yes, but reality was not too pretty, as I learned my skills are limited in the ravioli department.

Capturing the details for this column takes some planning and drive. After I was all done, the attempted raviolis were a disaster. Like any great starch, better to try again than to submit a disappointment. Sometimes the learning process is about repetition to master a cooking skill. That’s how it goes when you self-isolate during a delta variant surge.

But I am pleased to now present a final pasta dish that resembled my first instinct to open with the Queen’s Gambit pasta move!

I was never that much into making pasta until my time on the “MasterChef” shows. After spending four months in Rome, making pasta always ushers me back to a certain charm about cooking fresh, starchy main courses with incredible simplicity. It all starts with the foundation of flour and eggs and the satisfaction of making pasta from scratch gives me that Zen of cooking.

In Rome, I vividly remember the egg yolks used were of such bright orange-red hues, they mimicked the colors in a van Gogh painting. Ravioli of every kind were insanely delicious … cheese-filled, lobster-filled, sausage … even the kitchen sink would have tasted great.

Pasta makers have their own customized tastes; I like mine with more flavor so I use a semolina/00 flour mix of 1:3. I also like flavored salts and regularly use umami salt, as it has that anchovy component. That bumped up the aroma when I used the calamari ink for the black pasta. Additionally, I add extra yolks to my pasta blend. To each his own … even a few drops of sesame oil can give you a great flavor boost.

I've also seen some people layer herbs while folding over pasta layers, creating an interesting pattern inside the pasta itself. Maybe next time that will be on the menu? Experimentation is the fun part because all results are edible as well as visually entertaining. I know you will be “smellin’ what I tellin’” when you start rolling that black pasta for your fettuccini, and when it's boiling away to become “al dente”… what a fragrance!

Behold, the Masta-Pasta-chef season begins.

QUEEN’S GAMBIT FETTUCCINI WITH VEGAN ALFREDO SAUCE

PREPARATION

·     To make the Alfredo sauce, in a 4-quart pot sauté minced garlic in 2 ounces of the vegetable broth until slightly poached, about 10 minutes.

·     Add remaining vegetable broth, cashews, cauliflower and salt; simmer 30 minutes, until cashews soften and cauliflower is tender.

·     While still hot, place mixture in a food processor and process on purée until very smooth and creamy … really creamy! Set aside to cool.

·     To make pasta, combine 1 1/2 cups white flour with 1/2 cup semolina flour, one teaspoon salt and 2 ounces olive oil; slowly mix in three whole eggs individually and then add two additional yolks, one at a time.

·     Mix into a rough ball and then knead well for 10 minutes until blended and elastic; wrap in cellophane to stop drying and place in refrigerator at least 15 minutes for the glutens to do their job.

·     Repeat the process with the same ingredients, adding the squid ink.

·     You now have a pair of B&W balls with which to create the dish! Use a rolling pin or KitchenAid pasta roller (use at least level 5 – thinner is better), or use a roller to roll out 1/16″ thin pasta sheets and place on floured surface to rest.

·     Cutting your fettuccini is the next step. One can use a device from the KitchenAid collection or do it the old-fashioned way by cutting those long 1/4″ wide strips. Roll up your pasta and then cut slices through the rolls. Long and thin is the key.

·     Allow cut pasta to dry a bit before it sees the final boiling-hot bath. Those thick white plastic coat hangers work fine, but I used my sheets of foam core board, photographer that I am. I let them hang for about 10 minutes, enough time to have that extra glass of Gavi di Gavi.

·     A rolling boil of salted water is a must for all pasta; boil fettuccini about four minutes for a perfect al dente finish.

PLATING

·      The plating is the visual fun for your Queen’s Gambit pasta dish. Use a meat fork, that’s the one with two prongs, to create small rolls. This way, you can place the pasta like a chessboard. That's the fun, that's the “gambit” – the first move for the plating. I will say that B&W ravioli would have been a greater presentation but, as we’ve already discussed, I need more practice at the art of producing excellent ravioli.

·      Once your rolls are in place, politely place small spoonfuls of Alfredo sauce on top of each turned pile of fettuccini like they were chess pieces. A fine side of salad and a few (more) glasses of Gavi di Gavi will get you in the mood for binge-watching that great TV series. Enjoy!