Fideos con manteca
Buttered noodles with cheese
Fideos con manteca: Argentina's butter-and-cheese pasta for busy nights and sick days
Ask anyone from Buenos Aires to Córdoba what they ate when they came home late or felt poorly as a child, and the answer is often fideos con manteca: short pasta tossed with butter and a snowfall of grated queso rallado. It is the plainest dish in the Argentine home kitchen and the one people cook for themselves on a tired weeknight. The mistake that ruins it is draining the pasta bone-dry and adding cold cheese to a hot empty pan, which leaves greasy strands and clumps; a splash of cooking water makes a light, creamy coating instead. Argentine reggianito and Parmesan are made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian hard cheese if needed. Chef's tip: grate the cheese very finely, like dust, so it melts on contact.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz short pastatirabuzones (fusilli), mostachol (penne) or moñitos
- 1 tbsp saltfor the water
- 1 ¾ oz buttercubed
- 2 ⅛ oz reggianito or Parmesanvery finely grated; or a vegetarian hard cheese
- ¼ tsp black pepper (optional)freshly ground
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 4 litres of water to a rolling boil in a large pot and add 1 tbsp salt.
8 minStep 2: Add 14 oz short pasta, stir and cook until just tender with a little bite, following the packet time. Scoop out a mugful of cooking water before draining.
10 minStep 3: Drain the pasta and return it to the warm pot off the heat. Add 1 ¾ oz butter and 3 tablespoons of the cooking water and toss until the butter has melted into a glossy coating.
1 minStep 4: Sprinkle in 1 ½ oz reggianito or Parmesan a handful at a time, tossing all the while and adding a little more water if it looks dry, until the cheese has melted into a light, creamy film.
1 minStep 5: Serve at once in warm bowls with the rest of ⅝ oz reggianito or Parmesan on top and a grind of ¼ tsp black pepper.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 74 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fideos con manteca take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 13 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of reggianito or parmesan?
- Grana Padano or pecorino, same amount.
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