Bobby Flay's Avocado Oil Tip For The Ultimate Pasta Sauce

Chef and TV personality Bobby Flay has a passion for Italian food. As he explains on his website, "Italy has stolen my heart and my soul." While he's well versed in Italian cuisine, Flay likes to do things his own way. Olive oil may be widely associated with Italian cooking, but he has another go-to cooking oil when he's making pasta sauce. Speaking at the Food & Wine Classic, Flay revealed that he prefers to use avocado oil when cooking up his pasta sauces, particularly when sautéing ingredients like onions and garlic to build the sauce's flavor. 

Flay likes to cook onion and garlic in avocado oil for two main reasons: First, the oil has a more neutral taste than alternative oils like olive oil, which means it won't overpower the other ingredients in the dish. Second, avocado oil also has a higher smoke point than many other oils, so it can really handle the heat, making it the perfect choice for sautéing and grilling.

Bobby Flay picked avocado oil for sautéing because of its high smoke point, but what does that really mean? This is a measurement of how hot the oil has to become before it starts burning or smoking. The higher the smoke point, the higher the temperature the oil can withstand before burning. At its smoking point, the oil begins to break down. It releases free radicals and a chemical called acrolein at this time, which can make your food taste bitter. Refined avocado oil has a smoke point of 520 degrees Fahrenheit, making it ideal for sautéing and roasting. You may also see some products labeled as virgin avocado oil. You're going to want to avoid those as they have a much lower smoke point, around 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which is similar to extra virgin olive oil.

When you're ready to give avocado oil a try, here are a few things to keep in mind. Like any oil, you'll want to check the expiration date and be sure to use it within six months of opening the container, according to Kat Benson, a registered dietitian who spoke with USA Today. Buy avocado oil in either a tinted bottle or metal tin to protect it from light, which can affect the quality of the oil.

Using avocado oil is just one of Bobby Flay's many tricks for making a great pasta sauce. Speaking at the Food & Wine Classic, Flay revealed that he thinks that canned tomatoes should only be cooked for about half an hour, to preserve some of their fresh flavor. He also recommends adding just a touch of salt to the tomatoes as well. 

In addition to using avocado oil, Flay amps up the richness of his pasta dishes with a variety of fats. "Butter is key," says Flay. He emphasizes that adding butter to the finished pasta sauce adds richness and flavor, in addition to emulsifying the sauce, which helps it stick better to the cooked pasta. After combining the sauce and the pasta, he adds extra virgin olive oil for the final touch. Used as a finishing drizzle, extra virgin olive oil brings a lot of flavor, which would be lost if you cooked it. That final dash of olive oil will also bring more richness, as well as give the pasta a more luxurious mouthfeel.