Equipment
Ingredients
Alliums
- 2 garlic, whole heads, tops trimmed off
- 150 g shallots, peeled and halved
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
Pasta Base
- 400 g dried fettuccine
Custard Binder
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 100 g parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated
- 150 g gruyere cheese, shredded
- 5 g fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 10 g kosher salt
- 3 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Place the trimmed garlic heads and halved shallots on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with the olive oil, wrap tightly to seal, and roast for 45 minutes until soft and highly caramelized. Let cool slightly.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the fettuccine 2 to 3 minutes shy of the package instructions for al dente. Drain well and let cool slightly so it does not scramble the eggs in later steps.
Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their papery skins and roughly chop the roasted shallots. Crush them together into a rough, cohesive paste.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, grated parmigiano-reggiano, shredded gruyere cheese, fresh thyme, ground nutmeg, kosher salt, and black pepper until fully combined.
Add the par-cooked fettuccine and the roasted allium paste to the egg and cheese mixture. Toss thoroughly using tongs to ensure every single strand of pasta is coated in the custard and the garlic paste is evenly distributed.
Line the bottom of a 20cm springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. Transfer the pasta mixture into the pan, pressing down firmly to eliminate air pockets and create a dense, compact structure.
Bake the pasta cake at 190°C/375°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden brown, crispy on the edges, and the center feels firm and set.
Remove from the oven and let the cake rest in the springform pan for 15 minutes. This allows the custard to carry-over cook and set completely before unclipping the sides and slicing into wedges.
Chef's Notes
- The key to a sliceable pasta cake is compression. Pressing the pasta down firmly into the springform pan removes air pockets and helps the egg and cheese binder fuse the noodles together into a cohesive structure.
- Do not fully cook the pasta during the boiling stage. Fettuccine continues to absorb moisture from the custard while baking; undercooking it initially prevents a mushy final texture.
- Pan-frying leftover wedges in a small amount of butter until crisp on both sides transforms this side dish into an extraordinary next-day meal, especially when topped with a poached or fried egg.
- If the top of the cake begins to brown too quickly during baking before the center is fully set, loosely tent the springform pan with a piece of aluminum foil.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or an airtight container.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze individual slices separated by parchment paper.
Reheating: Pan-fry individual slices in a small amount of butter over medium heat until crispy on both sides, or warm in the oven at 175 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.
