When I start to feel like I’m slipping down into a culinarily creative rut – just totally running into walls in my brain – I often reach for any one of my Ottolenghi cookbooks. Filled with innovative, fresh, decidedly not tired, ingredient-driven recipes, I always walk away from them with a renewed sense of inspiration; fuel for my own cooking adventures.

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Today’s Garlic Butter (Ottolenghi inspired) Tagliatelle with Maple Chipotle Shallots recipe was plucked directly from the annals of Ottolenghi’s cooking – from his website, actually – and I saw an iteration of it on a friend’s Instagram page, of all places. It smacked me over the face with its deliciousness, this recipe did. The name alone was enough to tug at my heartstrings. But the image of floaty, tangled fresh tagliatelle noodles covered in a lacy, equally as tangled mess of shallots and big, creamy dollops of ricotta sealed the deal.

I’d be trying my hand at this one, yes I would. And today’s * awesome * recipe is a result of that trying.

Also, when I was little I declared at one point that, when I grew up, I’d open a coffee shop and name it, “Dollop.”

Is fresh pasta really better?

Depends, really. I think dried, store-bought pasta is great – I use it ALL the time. I almost never make homemade pasta, because frankly I don’t like doing it. But I really enjoy the fact that a happy medium exists in Pasta Land, and it’s really easy to pick up fresh pasta noodles right in the grocery store.

Fresh pasta is purported to actually hold about 1/3 more sauce than dried – which makes sense if you think about it. So, that’s reason enough to reach for the fresh stuff, if you can. Yes, it costs more. But pasta is still a very affordable thing, and if you can buy good fresh pasta, thus skipping the labor-intensive process of making it from scratch – the it’s pennies well spent.

What pasta can you substitute for Tagliatelle?

Tagliatelle is a long-shaped pasta consisting of flat ribbons that are similar in shape to fettuccine (just a little wider). Technically speaking, tagliatelle noodles typically measure about 6.5 to 10 mm (0.26 to 0.39 in) wide.

Often served/tossed with a variety of sauces, tagliatelle is most classically paired with a meat sauce, like a Bolognese. If you can’t find “tagliatelle,” feel free to substitute any long noodle that you like or happen to have already.

Good long noodle substitutions for tagliatelle include:

Fettuccini
Linguini
Pappardelle
Spaghetti
Bucatini

There is a wide world of pasta recipes out there to be sure, but I have really been enjoying samping some of Ottolenghi’s and have a few gems to recommend, if you want to try more Ottolenghi pasta creations in your own kitchen little:

Rigatoni with fennel sausage sauce and pecorino-and-anchovy pesto

Pappardelle with rose harissa, black olives and capers

Spaghetti with cherry tomato sauce

What You’ll Need to Make this Garlic Butter Tagliatelle:

INGREDIENTS

2 TBSP olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

4 shallots, sliced very thin

2 TBSP maple syrup

1 tsp ground chipotle powder (or 2 tsp adobo sauce from a can of chipotle)

1 lb. fresh tagliatelle (or other long, fresh pasta; store-bought)

4 TBSP butter

3 cloves garlic, minced or grated

⅔ cup finely chopped parsley

Pickled jalapenos (about ½ cup)

1 TBSP freshly cracked black pepper

⅔ cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt, to taste and as needed

Dollops of ricotta cheese, for serving

How to Make this Ottolenghi-Inspired Garlic Butter Tagliatelle with Maple Chipotle Shallots:

Begin by making the shallots. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the 2 TBSP olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the thinly sliced shallots, maple syrup, chipotle powder (or adobo sauce), and salt + pepper to taste. Fry, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes. Break up the rings as they cook. Turn the heat down to low, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes more, until the shallots are deeply brown and caramelized. Transfer to a plate/dish temporarily, and set aside until needed (don’t wipe out the pan).

Prepare the pasta in salted water (like the sea!) according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of the starchy cooking water after cooking.

In the shallots skillet, add 1 more TBSP oil and the butter. Allow the butter to melt and add the garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 45 seconds. Turn off the heat.

When the pasta has finished cooking, drain it (keep that extra cup of reserved water) and add it to the pan with the garlic butter. Add the chopped parsley, jalapenos, 1 TBSP pepper, and toss to mix. Still tossing, add in the parmesan and a little extra cooking water until a creamy, thicker sauce seems to form around the noodles. You might not need all of the cooking water, just fyi.

Plate the pasta and shower it with the shallots, followed by big dollops of ricotta. I like to finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a little more salt and pepper, but that’s totally optional.