Pasta, Perfected
For many, the sudden and surprising reality of the lockdown period sparked the onset of hobby season. From sourdough to arts and crafts, it’s no secret that many of us gave various pursuits a try, only to find they didn’t quite stick.
However, for New Zealand creator Emilie Pullar, those days indoors became the perfect opportunity to indulge in her true passion: pasta. Fast forward two years, and Emilie, commonly and lovingly known as The Burnt Butter Table, has transformed her love for pasta into a full-time, flour-dusted venture, sharing her simple yet show-stopping recipes with 161K fans online. A very hungry Remix team had the pleasure of chatting to Emilie about her self-taught success and why she doesn’t trust anyone who says they don’t like pasta...
The Burnt Butter Table was born out of (finally) having time on your hands to pursue your pasta passion. Did you ever anticipate just how popular it would become?
Oh, not at all! In lockdown, I couldn’t continue my job as a fashion designer for Maaike so I just started cooking pasta and then sharing it online. People would ask for recipes, so I thought, okay, well, I’ll build a little website and since then, it’s been this crazy journey and now I’m doing it full time (as of the last few months!). I’m so excited to see where it can go from here!
Your comment section is full of people from all over the world - what do you think it is about your recipes that appeals to such a diverse audience?
I think my photography has a lot to do with it! I'm pretty good at making food look really delicious if I do say so myself. But I think it’s also partly that Italian cuisine, like no other cuisine, is so worldwide appreciated. Everyone loves pasta. If someone doesn’t love pasta, I don’t trust them! I also pride myself in explaining things in a really easy to understand way. I think that comes from being self taught. More than anything, I just want people to have success with my recipes so I try to breakdown each step into beginner-friendly ways. And, it seems to be working!
You have so many recipes online! How do you come up with new ideas when you’ve covered so much ground already?
I don’t feel like I have covered a lot of ground! I have lists and lists of ideas on my iPad I want to explore. It could be as simple as making one small tweak to an existing recipe and then it’s a whole new thing. Don’t worry, I have plenty more ideas up my sleeve!
I’ve noticed that a lot of your pasta recipes feature miso, and while it’s not typically associated with Italian cuisine, what makes you reach for this pantry staple so often?
Flavour is everything to me and it has such a umami hit you can’t get from anything else. The funny thing is that Italians are so traditional and I even had one person tell me that I’m ruining Italian cuisine! But I just like to push the boat and experiment with different flavours. At the end of the day, I’m not Italian so I don’t feel the need to follow traditional techniques all the time.
What are some lesser-known tips and tricks you can share with the Remix audience?
Most traditional egg pasta recipes use a ratio of one egg to every 100 grams of flour. But eggs vary in size significantly. Instead, I weigh my eggs one by one into a bowl on my scales until I get the weight I need. For a first-time or seasoned pasta pro, this method guarantees success every time.
You’re hosting dinner—what pasta dish are you cooking to impress?
My white pork ragu— you’re going to win everyone over with it! It’s my most favourited recipe on my website and has so many 5-star reviews. I get countless messages daily from people who have made it and love it!
Okay, if you only had three ingredients to add to a homemade pappardelle, what would you choose?
Butter, parmesan and pepper. That’s all I need to be happy!
What does the future hold for The Burnt Butter Table?
I definitely want to get into pasta classes. I’ve done plenty with friends and family and it brings me (and them) so much joy. So maybe once a month, I’ll host a small group from my home where everyone can learn and cook, and we all sit down for a lovely lunch or dinner together. And because I have so many followers overseas, I’ll start some online classes too. I just love seeing people feeling so accomplished and happy when they’ve made pasta and seen that it’s actually a lot simpler than they thought.
Advertisement
