Saffron Salsa with Grana Padano Riserva

This dish is a celebration of October and it’s colours!   I can’t think of anything more comforting that the gentle sweetness from the roasted garlic paired with Grana Padano Riserva and its subtle  butterscotch notes.  Once the garlic is roasted, you can have this on the table in 10 minutes.  I would recommend pairing with a wine that has the Barolo grape for even more comfort or a Riesling for a white.  Pretty much any pasta will go with this but I think rigatoni and orecchiette are quite fun here.  #ad #granapadanotastemakers

Serves 2

Ingredients:

200g pasta of your choice, save 100ml starchy pasta water

1 whole garlic

40g unsalted butter, soft cut into cubes

4 tbsp olive oil

2 big pinches of freshly ground black pepper

2 big pinches of saffron threads

Pinches of sea salt

80g grated Grana Padano

80-90ml starchy pasta water

Preheat the oven to 200 C degrees and wrap the whole garlic in tin foil.  Place in the oven for 40 mins.  Then remove and squeeze out the garlic from each clove.  Add to a small bowl along with the butter, olive oil, black pepper and a salt.  Beat together!  

Set a large saucepan of water to boil and then add a little salt to the water.  Add the pasta and cook to the packet’s instructions.  Towards the end of cooking, scoop out about 80-90ml of the starchy pasta water.  Add the two generous pinches of saffron to the hot starchy water.  Set a large frying pan to a medium to high heat and when hot, add the contents of the butter bowl. Allow it to melt down.  Scoop out the pasta straight into the frying pan, add the grated Grana Padano and saffron water.  Toss everything together and allow the sauce to thicken for 30 seconds.  Serve straightaway with more grated cheese, salt and pepper.