What would Julia do?

It never fails. Whenever I teach a cooking class there is always a moment when I break into a Julia Child impression. I don't plan to do it. It just kind of happens.

And it probably happens for two good reasons:

1. I do an excellent Julia Child impression (well, as least it makes me laugh).

2. She has the best quotes and I find myself thinking of them almost every time I cook. Two of my favorites are "Always remember: If you're alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who's going to know?" and "You should never apologize at the table. People will think, 'Yes, it's really not so good.'"

Both quotes refer to the fact that if you do something you think is wrong in the course of cooking, just correct the course and go with it. Sometimes it turns out to be the right course after all.

Which is how Crispy Pasta became a favorite meal at my house. I was tossing penne in a little olive oil, when I was distracted by a phone call. I returned and noticed that the pasta had begun to brown. Thinking of those delicious crispy Asian noodle cakes my family loves so much, I decided to just "go with it" and continue to cook the pasta until it took on the same chestnut color and wonderful crisp texture as those noodle cakes.

When the pasta was done, I tossed it with some roasted vegetables I was going to serve as a side and topped it with a little feta cheese and toasted pine nuts. The roasted vegetables had collapsed just enough to "sauce" the pasta without making it soggy, and the penne, which had become a deep golden brown in the olive oil, took on an absolutely addictive crispy/chewiness and an almost nutty flavor. This was the pasta equivalent of a potato chip.

Just make sure that whatever you add isn't so moist that it will make the pasta wet. The beauty of preparing pasta this way lies in its crispy nature. Too much moisture will ruin a good thing. Also, the pasta itself needs to be as dry as possible before sautéing it. If you try this with pasta that is dripping wet, your chances of the pasta sticking and ripping to shreds is increased dramatically. So drain it thoroughly after you remove it from the cooking water.

But even if it does shred, just remember Julia and tell your family you're experimenting with a new cooking technique. Who knows, they may love crispy shredded noodles.