Audrey Hepburn, even over 30 years after her death, remains the embodiment of grace, style, and class. In her work as an actress, she exhibited an elegance and appeal that still endures. Her later work in helping children struggling with hunger across the globe, informed by her own experiences during World War II, made her a symbol of unfettered generosity. One thing that Audrey Hepburn was not famous for, at least in life, was her cooking. Notably, this was not due to a lack of skill or passion. According to Hepburn’s son, Luca Dotti, his mother loved to cook. She was especially fond of pasta, though she mastered many recipes. Hepburn had a signature chocolate cake recipe, for instance, that’s notable for its egg-heavy ingredient list.
Dotti published a book in 2015 that centered on his mother’s cooking, called “Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother’s Cooking.” Included in the book are many of Hepburn’s favorite recipes, including one dish that might prove to be controversial: penne with ketchup. Now, pairing ketchup with pasta may seem, on the surface, to be an insult to pasta lovers everywhere. The famed food institute Academia Barilla, known for upholding Italian culinary standards, called the act of adding ketchup to pasta not just a faux pas, but a “sin” when it comes to pasta making. It’s not just the Italians, either; many would argue that pasta is one of many foods ketchup shouldn’t be added to. However, her recipe is actually far more delicious than it sounds. It just takes a deft hand and a specific preparation method.
How to make Audrey Hepburn’s pasta with ketchup
It’s important to note here that this dish is first and foremost a comfort food. It is what some may consider now to be a “girl dinner,” or a quick and easy recipe meant for busy days or times when you simply need to curl up on the couch and relax with a simple meal. Despite the simplicity of the dish and the inclusion of ketchup, it yields rather elevated results. The key steps in the recipe involve a cooking technique called “mantecare,” often used to impart a creamy texture to risottos and pastas. This technique creates a silky, luscious sauce by vigorously combining a starch-rich base (such as pasta water) with oil and butter.
To make, all you need to do is cook your penne, then remove it from its pot and add it to a heated pan with butter and olive oil. Stir briskly until it is glossy. Next, remove your pasta from its heat source and cover for just one or two minutes. Then, scoop your pasta into a bowl and add just a few small squirts of ketchup. Stir with a bit of pasta water to combine, and shred cheese over the top. Audrey Hepburn used a Swiss Emmentaler or Gruyère, but a good Parmesan also works.
The flavor of the pasta has been described as tangy, similar to a barbecue sauce. It doesn’t have an overwhelming ketchup taste, as one might expect. Rather, it is subtle, sharp, and rich thanks to the added butter and oil. Plus, the cheese can help cut the tang and add a more complex richness. The key here is to keep it simple.
