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Creamy Saffron Pasta

We really like this sauce with Prawns and Asparagus. The fragrance and flavor of the saffron comes out. The cayenne gives it a bit of heat, but enjoyably so (if the girls aren’t coming for dinner).
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle East

Ingredients
  

  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 TBSP (10 gr) shallot, finely shopped
  • 2 TBSP white wine
  • 1 TBSP tomato paste
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • ½ tsp. saffron
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne optional
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ TBSP butter
  • *1/2 lb (227 gr) dry pasta cooked according to package

Instructions
 

  • Bring chicken stock to a low simmer in a small saucepan and add saffron. Stir and let steep for at least 15 minutes.
  • Heat olive oil in a small saucepan and add shallot. Sauté a few minutes, without browning.
  • Add wine and simmer for another few minutes until the wine is reduced to a glaze. Stir in tomato paste.
  • Add steeped stock and saffron; gently simmer for 20 minutes over medium/low heat.
  • Add cream and again, simmer for about 30 minutes (or a little more), until sauce is reduced to about ¾ cup to 1 cup. It will be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  • Meanwhile cook pasta. Drain when el dente. Toss with ½ TBSP butter so that the pasta doesn’t stick, especially if plating individually.
  • Add salt and cayenne (if using) to the saffron cream mixture and toss with the pasta, or plate individually.
  • We toss the pasta and sauce for a family style platter. If plating individually, place pasta in the dish. Drizzle with Creamy Saffron Sauce and add garnish: Prawns and Asparagus.

Notes

This creamy rich pasta takes on a different tone with the addition of cayenne. If you are not using cayenne, simply pair this pasta with a Full-Bodied White - Chardonnay. Or a Light Bodied Red - Beaujolais.
Still creamy and rich, the cayenne does add some heat. We then pair with a New World, Light Bodied Pinot Gris or Medium bodied Reds like Valpolicella Superiore.
We’ve paired with:
• Bread and Butter Chardonnay
• Folonari Valpolicella
• Gray Monk Pinot Gris
• Masi Campofiorin Ripasso
• Quails Gate Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay
Keyword Cream, Pasta, Saffron, White Wine