For those of you who have forgotten your French/took Spanish/don’t know about the juxtapositional Magritte painting, what I’ve written above translates to, “This is not a bowl of pasta.”
And it’s not. So I’ve ripped off a brilliant French artist, but not without due cause: Magritte philosophized through his famous painting–a painting of a pipe with the words “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” painted below it. He explained that there was an emotional lack in the pipe painting, which, of course, was not an actual pipe: “Try and put tobacco in it,” he suggested to illustrate his point.
This emotional lack, however, does not exist in the “pasta” I made (though some may exist through the photograph, which implies pasta but does not follow through. Tease.) The dish I made, complete with a simple tomato sauce of onion, basil and Pomi, was served, not atop al dente spaghetti, as we are so accustomed to in this house, but tofu.
Tofu?!?
Tofu.
Shirataki noodles, to be more precise. I had heard about them for years, but I only picked up a pack whilst strolling through the supermarket one day, assembling my basket of pre-washed spinach and individual cups of Fage yogurt and all the other things that I didn’t even realize I missed at ED in Paris until I was confronted with the sensory overload that is an American supermarket. I grabbed a bag on a whim, took them home, and made spaghetti. And it ruled.
Shirataki noodles are marketed towards people on low-carb (ick) diets or those looking to sneak in a little extra protein, but I like them for what they are: snappy-textured spaghetti-esque noodles that are quick to prepare (rinse and zap in the microwave for two minutes), conveniently portioned, and the perfect vessel for a bowl of tomato sauce and basil.
Shirataki Noodles with Tomato-Basil Sauce
Those of you who remember the Marcella Hazan tomato sauce trend a few years back may recognize this sauce. I tweaked it for daily use–the other has too much butter for me to come to terms with on a Tuesday night–but I always go back to that one on special occasions. A copy of that recipe is available here.
1 package shirataki spaghetti
2 cups Pomi
1/2 onion, in tact, skin removed
1 tbsp. butter
salt and pepper
3-5 basil leaves, ripped
Heat the Pomi and onion in a saucepan over low heat. When the Pomi simmers, cover the pot and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and extract the onion half. Discard.
Stir in the butter, salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, rinse the shirataki noodles well and cover with about an inch of water. Microwave 2 minutes and drain. Toss the noodles in with the sauce and stir to coat. Serve in bowls and garnish with basil. Serves 2, although the photos serve none.
Shirataki noodles don’t agree with my husband for some reason so we don’t use them anymore. I loved putting pasta sauces over them or using them for soups.
As an “extender” for those of us on a diet, would a bunch of mixed mushrooms go well? What a concept for the carb-addicts who want to stop but love their pasta!