Inspired by Ornella's Pasta Latte

While the above picture may look like any other ordinary pasta dish, it's anything but.  Inspired by my good friend and food mentor, Giuseppe Viterale of Ornella Trattoria, I decided to try my efforts at what he calls Pasta Latte, pasta boiled in milk.

I first tasted Giuseppe's version of Pasta Latte at a "bizarre foods" dinner he hosted about a month ago.  Loving the simplicity of the dish and at the same time the different flavor element it brought to regular pasta, I thought about it often.  So often that I got out the pots and pans and tried it out on my own.  As you can see in the above picture, I added tomatoes and basil to it too, as my milky sauce wasn't as thick as Giuseppe's (probably because I used low-fat milk). But regardless, the dish was wonderful, filling and still light on your tummy.

Pasta Latte e Caprese Inspired by Ornella Trattoria

Ingredients (serves 1)
1/2 lb of fettucine noodles
2 - 3 cups of milk, enough to cover a large saucepan
8 - 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful of fresh basil, julienned
Small handful of mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
A few drops of white truffle oil

Directions:
Set milk to boil in a large saucepan and then add the pasta.  Cook for about 7-8 minutes until al dente and then let milk mixture reduce for a few minutes.  At that point, you can take the pasta out, but do not rinse it in water.

Add the cheese, tomatoes, basil and season with salt, pepper and truffle oil.  Add the reduced milk mixture on top (you don't have to use all of it, just to your liking).