Kitchen Little Essentials
For this Sticky Balsamic Pasta with Tangled Carrots recipe, you will need:
A large pot for cooking the pasta
This Sticky Balsamic Pasta with Tangled Carrots is SUCH a great side dish – I’m so smitten with it right now. Not only is it quick and easy to make, it’s also pretty unique, so far as pastas go. I pulled my flavor inspiration from my go-to balsamic roasted carrots that I make ad nauseum, truth be told. I wove those same flavors into a pasta that eats bright and fresh – perfectly balanced between its sweet and savory territories. I think you guys are really going to love this one.
This recipe was also inspired by an old Donna Hay pasta I spotted a while back, and is simple and straightforward, and requires very little in the way of prep. You’re just going to whip up some angel hair pasta, toss it with some shaved carrots, and then drench it in some tangy, sweet/salty balsamic sauce. The toppings are pretty crucial here, though, as each thing I’ve listed plays a pretty big role in the dish’s ultimate success.
We’ve got something crunchy (hazelnuts), something creamy (mozzarella), something salty (parmesan), and something green and fresh (basil/parsley). This is an ensemble performance, let’s just say.
A few key things to keep in mind:
- Make sure to generously salt your pasta cooking water. You always hear this described as “like the sea,” but I’d say just make sure your water tastes legitimately salty. This is the only way to flavor your pasta from the inside out. Since our sauce today is on the sweeter side, this salty water really in important, as it gives balance to the flavor of the finished pasta.
- Taste your balsamic sauce for saltiness. You want to actually be able to taste the salt in it – to balance the sweetness. Just as you would with a salted caramel type thing, you want to know it’s there.
- The balsamic sauce will thicken up DRAMATICALLY as it cools. It will become a delicious salty honey balsamic glaze, and I think it’s especially cool to save some and drizzle it over the pasta on each plate after you’ve serve it all up and topped it all with your toppings. The sauce sort of takes on two roles, if you think about it. It plays the part of both sauce AND thick drizzle. Cool, right?
- To toast your nuts, simply place them in a dry skillet over med-high heat and let them do their thing. Shake the skillet a bit as they toast, and when you smell them, you’re done. Takes about 3 or 4 minutes.
Today’s Recipe is Brought to You by the Humble Vegetable Peeler
If you don’t much care for carrots, you certainly could leave them out, but I personally love them and think this is a fun way to weave (literally) them into a new dish. In this recipe, we’ll be putting a simple vegetable peeler to good use. We’ll use a peeler to shave the carrots into long, ribbon-like strands that will get all tangled up with the angel hair – it’s one big beautiful mess, let me tell you.
That very same veggie peeler will get a second act in this recipe’s prep, as it will also help create big wisps of salty parmesan shavings that we’ll shower over our plated pasta. You can, of course use a pre-grated parmesan or simply grate your cheese on a box grater/rasp if you like. It all tastes the same, right?
I’m just a fan of the flower petal-like pieces of cheese that you get when you use a vegetable peeler, so felt the need to express that affection here. I think I’ve gone one long enough though. Let’s move on, shall we? Without further ado, the recipe is below for you and, as always, if you make it (or any of my other recipes) please do tag me on Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite part.
If you like the looks of this Sticky Balsamic Pasta with Tangled Carrots recipe, you might want to try:
Cheesy Pasta with Breadcrumbs and Whipped Brown Butter Vinaigrette
Blushing Italian Sausage and Rigatoni Bake
Sage Brown Butter Chicken Piccata with Creamy Mushroom Pasta
PrintSticky Balsamic Pasta with Tangled Carrots
A unique and hugely flavorful pasta that makes a fantastic side dish. I like mine with creamy mozzarella and salty parmesan, sprinkled with crunchy hazelnuts and some fresh herbs – SO GOOD. Goes great alongside some roasted pork loin or chicken.
- Yield: about 4 servings
Ingredients
5 large carrots
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3 TBSP honey
Salt and pepper, as needed
½ lb. angel hair pasta
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Slices of fresh mozzarella, for serving
Saved/grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Chopped fresh basil and/or parsley, for serving
Instructions
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrots, creating long, ribbon-like strands. Set aside while you cook the pasta.
In a small to medium saucepan set over medium heat, add the balsamic vinegar, honey and about 1 tsp salt. Simmer, stirring or swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture has reduced by half and thickened noticeably; about 8 to 10 minutes. Taste it and add more salt, and some pepper, if needed.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of salty water (like the sea), cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving about ½ cup of the starchy cooking water before draining. Return the pasta to the pot and add the shaved carrots, tossing to mix everything together (it will get all tangled, hence the name).
When it’s ready, drizzle about half of the balsamic sauce over the pasta, and give it a good toss to coat. Allow the sauce to cool for a few more minutes (it will keep getting thicker). I like to plate the noodles, top with some chopped hazelnuts, lots of parmesan, slices of mozzarella, chopped basil or parsley and then to finish, I drizzle more of the sauce down over top.
NOTE: the reserved pasta water is to help thin the sauce out it it gets thicker than you’d like. Just remember, the more it cooks down, the thicker it will become as it cools.
