Become a Better Pasta Cook With These 5 Tips From Bobby Flay

Instead of kneading with hands, Bobby Flay prefers a food processor to quickly mix eggs, flour, and squid ink. Adding squid ink is optional as Flay likes the saline quality it gives the pasta, but you can skip it if you’d like. Keep the processor on until the pasta dough forms correctly, then transfer it to the board. Wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it aside for 30 minutes to 24 hours before rolling it. Bobby Flay prefers to form the fettuccine into loose nests and put them on the floured sheet pan.

Using extra virgin oil is alright, but Flay favors avocado oil because it provides a higher smoke point and neutral taste. So, he sautés the ingredients like garlic and onions for the pasta in avocado oil, but he garnishes the pasta with extra virgin oil for an enhanced flavor.

Bobby Flay starts by adding a 28-ounce of whole peeled canned San Marzano tomatoes to the pot and sauté with garlic, onions, and a pinch of salt. To balance out the taste of tomatoes, he prefers adding some sugar and letting the sauce cook for about 30 minutes. Many chefs prefer a food mill to smoothen the sauce, but Flay uses a potato masher to crush out the leftover chunky bits of tomato.

Flay believes in peeling the shrimp himself as it helps save you some money, and you also get shells for making the flavored stocks. Simply put the shrimp shells in a pot, fill them with water, add tomato paste, bay leaf, and onions to make shrimp stock, and let the blend boil for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture and add half a cup of tomato paste to give it more flavor.

Unlike other Italian chefs, Bobby Flay loves to add finely grated Parmesan cheese to food to boost the flavor and help the sauce stay consistent. When you plate the pasta, sprinkle some cheese over the pasta, and you can also add some butter to provide a rich flavor and a great texture.