Skip to main content
LoginSign Up
Pasta alla Umami

Pasta alla Umami

By Rose HattabaughApril 25, 2024

  • Makes
    4 to 6 servings
  • Cook Time
    25 minutes


This six-ingredient (not including salt and pepper) pasta dish packs bigger, more satisfying flavor than you might expect, and can be on the table in 30 minutes. What’s more, the only knifework needed is chopping fresh basil. Tomato paste, Parmesan cheese and Milk Street’s Flavor Jolt deliver a triple hit of umami, while butter helps deliver their taste notes with depth and richness that lingers.

Ingredients
  • 1

    pound cavatappi, gemelli or fusilli

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 4

    tablespoons salted butter, cut into 3 or 4 pieces

  • ¼

    cup tomato paste

  • 1

    tablespoon Flavor Jolt

  • ¼

    cup chopped fresh basil

  • ½

    ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (¼ cup), plus more, to serve

Step 1

In a large pot, boil 4 quarts water. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Step 2

In a 10-inch skillet, combine the butter and tomato paste. Cook over medium, stirring, until the butter has melted and the tomato paste is slightly darker, 1 to 2 minutes; the mixture will not fully emulsify. Stir in the Flavor Jolt!, then add the reserved pasta water and whisk until well combined.

Step 3

Add the sauce to the pasta and set over medium. Cook, stirring, until evenly coated and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in the basil and cheese, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with additional cheese.