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There’s something quietly triumphant about a bowl pasta Doesn’t need theater to impress him – just good stock, reasonable butter And the confidence to let a handful of ingredients do the talking.
This is the main thing among these four RecipesEach a reminder that the best winter cooking Not necessarily the richest or heaviest, but the most comforting: the broth reduces until it clings to the pasta like silk; crab Folded through hot butter; The bitter greens softened in submission; A vegetable ragu that tastes like an afternoon’s work, because it is.
They’re the kind of dishes you want in December, when the lights quickly disappear and you need something fast, generous and warming that doesn’t feel like another festive undertaking.
This is exactly the kind of cooking method that Phil Howard has spent the last few years promoting. After decades at the helm of The Square, he moved away from the opulence of fine dining towards something clean, light and full of flavour, rather than the fuss – a philosophy based on NotesThe pasta bar he now runs with business partner Julian Dyer.
With a third site opening in Broadgate on 22 December, designed for Londoners who want speed without compromise, these dishes feel particularly timely: simple enough to throw together on a weeknight, but sophisticated in a way that only a chef who’s held two Michelin stars for almost two decades could manage.
So consider this your invitation to cook like NOTTO at home – no-fuss, ingredient-rich pasta that delivers the quiet luxury December dinners deserve.
Tagliatelle with Chicken Stock, Tarragon and Farmhouse Butter
A bowl that proves simplicity can still look extraordinary. Holding the ribbons of pasta, the stock becomes almost sticky, while a hit of tarragon butter turns it into a quiet luxury you can make on a weeknight.
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes | cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Material,
1L chicken stock
250 grams unsalted butter (softened)
100g tarragon (leaves plucked; stalks reserved)
1 lemon (peel to finish)
250 grams tagliatelle
Method,
1. Reduce the chicken stock by two-thirds until dark golden and delicious. Season if necessary.
2. Pluck tarragon leaves. Mix the leaves with the softened butter until smooth.
3. Add the tarragon stalks to the reduced stock and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove.
4. Cook the tagliatelle in rapidly boiling salted water until al dente.
5. Drain the pasta, saving some water.
6. Mix the pasta with the reduced stock and half the tarragon butter. Emulsify on low flame.
7. Adjust with pasta water if the flavor is too intense, or add more butter for extra richness.
8. Serve in preheated bowls and finish with lemon zest.
9. Eat immediately.
Linguine with Crab, Green Onions, Red Peppers and Citrus Zest
Light, silky and just the right side of indulgent, this is the pasta you make when you want maximum payoff for minimum fuss. Sweet crab, warm spices and plenty of lemon give it a coastal, breezy feel – without going all fishy.
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes | cooking time: 10-12 minutes
Material,
½ block softened butter
200 grams minced white crab meat
4 green onions, cut into thin rounds
1 pinch red chilli
1 lemon (peel to finish)
1 pinch chilli pieces
250 grams linguine
Method,
1. Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the linguine until al dente.
2. Drain the pasta, saving some water.
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter with the pasta water, a little splash of red pepper and crabapples. Bring to a boil and emulsify into a silky sauce.
4. Add linguine and green onions. Toss well to coat.
5. If the sauce gets too thick, loosen it with additional pasta water.
6. Season as per taste.
7. Serve in preheated bowls sprinkled with lemon peel and chili pieces.
8. Eat immediately.
Reginates with Purple Sprouted Broccoli, Anchovies, Peppers and Garlic
A spicy, deeply flavorful blend of greens and pasta where the anchovies do the heavy lifting and the orange brightens the whole thing. This is the kind of dish whose flavor involves much more than that, including the frankly irresponsible amount of olive oil.
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes | cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Material,
250 grams purple sprouted broccoli
1 white onion
2 cloves garlic
2 red chillies
200 grams olive oil
50 grams chopped anchovies
Peel + juice of 1 orange
250 grams resinate or mafalde
Method,
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cut each broccoli stem into four pieces.
3. Finely chop the onion; Finely chop the garlic; Finely chop half the chilli.
4. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and gently sauté the onion, garlic and chilli until soft.
5. Mix a little water and orange juice with the broccoli.
6. Cover and cook until broccoli becomes soft.
7. Remove the anchovies and orange peel from the heat and stir briefly.
8. At this stage, cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente.
9. Drain the pasta, saving some water.
10. Add the pasta to the broccoli mixture over the heat, adding a splash of pasta water to loosen if necessary.
11. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
12. Serve in preheated bowls and eat immediately.
Root Vegetable Bolognese
A perfect cold-weather project: slow-cooked, richly textured and every bit as satisfying as a classic ragu, only made completely vegan. The mix of roots, mushrooms and chestnuts give it real depth – the kind that makes you wonder why you ever bothered with mincemeat.
serves:6-8
prep time: 30-40 minutes cooking time: 2-3 hours
Material,
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
½ celery
1 large carrot
1 parsnip
1 small turnip
1 small swede
1 large beetroot
200 grams blanched chestnuts
½ butternut squash
2 punnet field mushrooms
5 fresh bay leaves
5 tins chopped tomatoes
200 ml olive oil
250 grams pasta
Method,
1. Peel all vegetables and remove seeds, peel or core.
2. Pulse each vegetable separately Eat Processor (beets go last to avoid blur).
3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
4. Add the vegetables, season generously with salt and cook until soft, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
5. Add walnuts, tomatoes, bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cook on low flame.
6. Cover and cook in a 160C oven for 2-3 hours, checking every 30 minutes.
7. The finished sauce should resemble traditional meat bolognese. Taste and adjust seasoning.
8. Cook your pasta in rapidly boiling salted water until al dente.
9. Combine the pasta with the Bolognese in a saucepan, add a little olive oil and the pasta water.
10. Serve in preheated bowls and eat immediately.