Pastina Dot Cake
Serves 65 mins prep10 mins cook
This savory take on the viral dot cake trend turns classic Italian pastina into a showstopper — creamy butter-and-Parmigiano pastina served in paper cups and buried under a blizzard of freshly grated cheese. Ready in 15 minutes with pantry staples.
0 servings
What you need
Instructions
Cook the Pastina 1 Fill a pot with 5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Generously season with salt. Reduce the heat and add the pastina. Cook until al dente or your preferred consistency. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. 3 Strain the pastina, reserving the starchy pasta water. (This liquid is the key to a creamy sauce!) Make It Creamy 5 Return the pastina to the pot off the heat. Add a few cubes of cold butter, starchy pasta water and Parmigiano. 6 Add the reserved starchy pasta water a little at a time, stirring continuously — the starch and butter will emulsify into a creamy, glossy sauce. Keep adding pasta water a little at a time if the mixture looks too thick. Assemble the Dot Cakes 10 Spoon the creamy pastina into paper dessert cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Press down gently with the back of the spoon to pack it lightly. 11 Top each cup with lots and lots of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano — pile it on like sprinkles on a dot cake. The cheese should cover the entire surface. 12 Finish with a crack of black pepper or a pinch of flaky salt if desired. Serve immediately while warm — the parm topping will soften and melt slightly from the heat of the pastina underneath.View original recipe