Pasta Gets a Second Life
Golden Fried Pasta Cakes with Hard Cider-Sage Dipping Sauce
50 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerAmericanVegetarianNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
What if yesterday’s pasta could be the star of tonight’s dinner? Inspired by the American knack for reinvention, these savory pasta cakes get a crispy fried exterior and a tangy cider-sage dip that steals the show. You’ll learn how to bind and fry pasta without a deep fryer and how to coax maximum flavor from humble hard cider.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 2 minutes less than package directions for al dente. Drain well and let cool until just warm, about 10 minutes.
- 02While the pasta cools, combine the eggs, Parmesan, 1/2 cup panko, 1 tablespoon sage, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well blended.
- 03Add the cooled pasta to the egg mixture and toss to coat thoroughly, snipping long noodles with kitchen shears to help them combine.
- 04Divide the pasta mixture into 8 equal portions and form each into a 3-inch wide, 1-inch thick cake. Place on a wax paper–lined baking sheet.
- 05Set up a breading station: place flour in a shallow dish, remaining 1/2 cup panko in a second, and beat remaining egg in a third. Dredge each cake first in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing gently to coat. Refrigerate cakes for 15 minutes.
- 06Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon sage, sautéing until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 07Stir in hard cider, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer briskly until reduced by two-thirds, about 10–15 minutes.
- 08Off heat, whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until glossy. Strain if desired.
- 09Pour canola oil into a 10- or 12-inch skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Heat to 350°F over medium-high. Fry cakes in batches, turning once, until golden and crisp, 2–3 minutes per side. Drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
- 10Serve hot fried pasta cakes with the warm cider-sage dipping sauce alongside. Garnish with extra chopped sage if desired.
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