This recipe was created by yours truly early one New Years morning, after a houseful of people had staggered back from an evening of revelry. It was christened by a friend who believes that its alchohol-absorbing qualities are a sovereign cure for excessive imbibement. I make no warranties about its curative properties, but it is terrifically easy to whip up after an evening out, and it fills the hole cheaper and more tastily than DC pizza.
1 pound pasta (any kind will do, but I think cavatappi is perfect)
1/2-2/3 c. grated swiss cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3-4 tbl heavy cream or half-and-half
Salt
Pepper
(optional) arugula or bacon bits
Bring a gallon or so of water to a boil on the stove. (You CANNOT cook pasta properly in a tiny little pan. Stop that!)
Add a tablespoon of salt to the water, then add the pasta. Boil according to the instructions on the box.
Meanwhile, combine the cream and cheeses in a microwave proof bowl big enough to hold all your pasta. Microwave on high 1-2 minutes. You're not trying to melt the cheese; just heat it up a little. Once the cream is piping hot, but before the cheese is melted, remove the bowl from the microwave. Add a very large amount of freshly ground pepper. The pepper should be the dominant flavor of the dish when it's all mixed together.
When the pasta is ready, drain it and dump it atop the cream/cheese mixture. Stir. Add arugula or bacon if desired, and more pepper. (Trust me: you didn't add enough to the cream.) Stir and cover the bowl with a lid, or in a pinch, some saran wrap for five minutes. This will melt the cheese. Stir again. The result is a not-terribly-cheesy light sauce, just enough to coat the noodles with a little flavor, and a nice peppery tang. Serve with vitamin C, aspirin, and large quantities of water.
MM,
You've never said, or were never asked..What's your take on the Mortar & Pestle ?
Sounds like a recipe I've made before but add in green olives, pitted and diced, and sun dried tomatoes. Of course my recipe was on a stove on low heat and had time to get the flavors of the olives and tomatoes but its theoretically possible to do it your way.
I believe you just invented fettuccine alfredo.
I make the sauce in a small pan over the stove. Melt a big hunk of butter. Brown some prosciutto. Add cream. Reduce a bit. Add frozen peas and red or black pepper. Right before you are about serve add the parm. Toss with pasta. Add fresh parsley.
"I believe you just invented fettuccine alfredo."
That was my first impression too, though usually alfredo sauce has garlic as well. The bacon would push it towards a more of a carbonara.
I don't know how people survived before the invention of the microwave oven; I'd give up my TV before my microwave.
I enjoy your food related posts. This one looks especially yummy, even without a hangover.
Please, Ms. McArdle, I beg of you-do something about that Gadget of the Week entry-you know, the one you posted, like, the day your Atlantic blog was inaugurated? If its expiration period really only lasts seven days, then that thing has got to be rotting in its html packaging by now.
Bump it up to 2 or 3 tablespoons of salt per gallon. Salty pasta = yum!
My first objection was covered by Noah. You need more salt. Secondly, cavatappi are not noodles. The word "noodle" is not synonymous with pasta. Noodles are long and flat, like fettucine.
There is little protein in there, other than the cheese. It might be good for hangovers (what do I know?), but I wouldn't recommend it in general as a healthy meal.
I can vouch for the efficacy of this cure. I use it regularly.
IMO, the parmesan is critical. Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano is almost a must have. It delivers some sort of magic.
There is more flexibility with the other cheese. Just about anything mild to slightly sharp and kind of nutty works. Blends work too, I’ve even tried blue cheese (never again) and brie (OK).
And I think it requires more protein too. Bacon or prosciutto is fine, but maybe a bit salty. Ham is great, even the canned variety. SPAM (especially the smoked version) is actually quite fun and satisfying. Especially when served to uppity acquaintances! Chicken (leftover cooked or canned) works quite well too. Seafood, not so good in the morning.
And a little extra cream or milk won’t hurt. You don’t want it dry and pasty. Your body is craving liquid as it is.
Serve it with a mildish red wine, and your outlook will improve considerably!
Gab, noodles in China look like spaghetti :)
Reduce the cream and stir an egg into it (after it's drained, of course) and you have pasta carbonara. Oh, plus a little nutmeg.
But hey, if it works...
That is quite an iron stomach you have Megan. When I have consumed adult beverages to excess, I tend to prefer stuff like plain saltines and de-fizzed ginger ale.
When I'm hung over I should not be anywhere near boiling water or a hot stove. That is a recipe for disaster
Ahem; noodles contain 5.5% egg by law. Hence the term "egg noodles". Everything else is "pasta".
We now return you to our regular programming.
Everyone has their own method for curing a hangover, its whatever works best for the person. I myself get really bad
hangovers, but I love to drink so Ive tried many methods and the one that works for me is making sure that very couple of
drinks you have, have a glass of water (a hangover is a form of dehydration) and when you get home from the bar (or
where-ever) take a few aspirins.
1. Keeping on drinking to avoid hangovers is plain idiotic.
2. Advil, Aspirin, Tylenol: Too late; damage is done. And can mess up your liver bad.
3. Greasy foods: Saddlebags & cellulite. Hooray.
4. Chaser pills are only activated charcoal and Tums and don't work. Enjoy the Trots!
5. Most so-called hangover pills are nothing more than repackaged vitamins = snake oil.
There's only one genuine hangover cure / prevention / remedy. Cheerz. I never drink w/o it! Tablets and new IntelliShot - lemon-lime functional shot/mixer. And it works before the damage is done because it contains powerful natural immune system boosters and super antioxidants that help flush alcohol toxicity. Namely a poison called acetaldehyde (produced as the liver breaks down alcohol) that is 30x more toxic than alcohol itself. Cheerz is gonna be bigger than Red Bull (and healthier!) Remember u heard it here first!
http://www.CheerzHangover.com