Recipe with a twist – Lilia’s Peppercorn Mafaldini

by Caroline Zhao

Since July, I have had only one dish on my mind—that is, Lilia’s peppercorn mafaldini recipe. For those unfamiliar, Lilia, found in the charming neighborhood of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York, is Chef Missy Robbins’ first restaurant. Inspired by various regions of Italy, Robbins’ rustic and open-air restaurant serves a variety of delicious, handcrafted dishes built with a range of exquisite ingredients. It is one of my favorite restaurants because it superseded my expectations in every way—the atmosphere, space, and of course, food and drink.

With Lilia on my mind, I set out to mimic and perfect one of my favorite dishes at the restaurant. I knew the moment was right when I was grocery shopping one day, and found the mafaldine pasta shape readily available right in front of me.

The recipe is extremely simple, yet yields amazing satisfaction. One could argue that the pasta shape carries this dish, but I believe that the succinct and simple nature of the dish contributes as well (although the long, squiggly pasta shape is extremely fun). The pink peppercorns set this dish apart, adding a unique and lightly floral flavor that is subtly different from traditional black peppercorns. I firmly believe in the power of the ingredients—using a few, high quality ingredients can really elevate a dish. Sometimes you don’t need extra noise to make spectacular food.

I find that pairing this dish with one simple side and/or one appetizer works best. Start with your favorite toasted bread dish, and try a veggie side dish like roasted brussel sprouts or broccolini. Enjoy!

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Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients

8 oz mafaldine pasta

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon coarsely ground pink peppercorns

2 oz pecorino romano

2 oz parmigiano reggiano

¾ cup pasta water

Instructions

Bring water to a boil, add salt as desired.
Add pasta and cook until al-dente (9-10 minutes)
Finely mince garlic.
While the pasta is cooking, put the butter and garlic in a large pan and heat over low. Melt the butter, but make sure it does not brown.
Take ¾ cup of pasta water from the pot and slowly add to the butter mixture. Wait 1-2 minutes; the sauce will begin to thicken. Turn the heat on medium low.
Drain pasta. If the sauce starts to dry up too much, add a little more of the pasta water. Add cheese to the sauce at this time.
Turn the heat on low and toss the noodles in the sauce. Add in the ground peppercorns. Add more cheese and peppercorns to taste.
Plate!

Notes

Add lemon zest for additional flavor.
Feel free to add whatever cheese you like best. 100% pecorino romano or 100% parmigiano reggiano work perfectly as well.

I’ve made this recipe twice now, and every time I make it, it feels like I make the sauce a little differently. I recommend trusting your gut and adding however much pasta water, cheese, and peppercorn you see fit. Making pasta is definitely an art, not an exact science. I would also encourage creativity; try the recipe with different long pasta shapes as well because you can’t go wrong with the delicious sauce. Spaghetti is always a classic, and bucatini would bring a refined feel to the dish.

If you have the chance, go check out Lilia in New York to experience the authentic taste firsthand. If you can’t make it though, my mafaldine recipe is a delicious and easily accessible substitute.