Pasta with Amatriciana Sauce

Pasta all’Amatriciana

This is one of our most popular dish. Although it takes its name from Amatrice, a small town of Lazio region, today it is commonly associated with the city of Rome. But it’s also on the menu of all Italian restaurants. Bucatini is the traditional pasta for Amatriciana sauce, but sometimes I prefer to use penne or thick spaghetti, which is easier to eat. ....by the way...it is a recipe of my book Perfectly Pasta!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: about 40–50 minutes

Serves 4–5

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
¼ pound (110 grams) bacon, diced
3 cans Italian peeled tomatoes, approximately 14 ounces (400 grams) each, mashed with a fork
Salt, about 1½ teaspoons + 1½ tablespoons
Pepper to taste
Water, about 10 cups (2½ liters)
1 pound (450 grams) bucatini pasta
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, about ½ cup (120 milliliters)

Method:

1.        Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté gently. Add the bacon and let cook until crisp.
2.        Add the tomatoes, 1½ teaspoons salt, and pepper. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring often, and add a little bit of water if the sauce starts to stick to the pan. At this point, taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.
3.        When the sauce is cooked, bring 10 cups (2½ liters) water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1½ tablespoons of salt. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add most (about ¾) of the sauce and mix well.
4.        Spoon the remaining sauce on top of each serving of pasta. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano cheese.

Notes:

·         You can use other kinds of Italian pasta, like penne or rigatoni, in place of the bucatini.
·         Some people like to use Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Grana Padano) cheese instead of the Pecorino Romano.

Pasta with mussels

Pasta con le cozze

My mother cooked this dish yesterday for all of us. She used the fresh mussels that my brother in law took from some rock by the sea. The result was a delicious, succulent dish!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: about 1 hour

Serves 2–3

Ingredients:

2 pounds (900 grams) fresh mussels

Extra virgin olive oil, about 8 tablespoons

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 can Italian peeled tomatoes, approximately 14 ounces (400 grams), mashed with a fork

Salt, about ½ teaspoon + 1½ tablespoons

10 cups (2½ liters) water

½ pound (approximately 250 grams) mezze maniche rigate pasta

3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Method:
1.        Wash the mussels in cold running water to remove any grit or sand. Put them into a large pot, cover, and let cook on low heat for several minutes. When they have opened, turn off the heat. Make sure you don’t overcook them.
2.        Set aside a few mussels to use as garnish and shell the others. Don’t discard the cooking liquid; filter it and set aside.
3.        Heat about 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and sauté until light brown. Add the mashed tomatoes, 1 cup (250 ml) of the cooking liquid from the mussels, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes or until the tomato sauce thickens a little.
4.        Add the shelled mussels to the pot and let cook together another 6–7 minutes. At this point, taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.
5.         Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1½ tablespoons salt. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce with the mussels, 4 tablespoons oil, and parsley. Mix well and cook all together for 1–2 minutes.
6.        Garnish each serving of pasta with the reserved mussels in their shells. Serve immediately.

Notes:

·         If there is a risk of finding sand inside the shellfish, soak them in salted cold water for about 3–4 hours. Drain and rinse well to remove any grit or sand.

Fettuccine with Olives, Capers and Cherry Tomatoes

Fettuccine con Olive, Capperi e Pomodorini

This is a quick summer recipe. I made this dish the last day: after to spend all the morning at beach, I had to prepare something quick and easy with the ingredients that I had already in the house. I believe that the bread crumbs keeps all the taste of the tomatoes, olives and capers around the fettuccine. Use the freshest cherry tomatoes you can find.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: about 30 minutes

Serves 2–3

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil, about 8 tablespoons
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
9–10 black olives
2 tablespoons capers, well rinsed
1 pound (450 grams) fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt, about ½ teaspoon + 1 tablespoon
8 cups (2 liters) water
½ pound (approximately 250 grams) fettuccine pasta
4 tablespoons bread crumbs

Method:

1.        Heat 5 tablespoons of the oil in a large pan. Add the garlic, olives, capers and sauté. Add the cherry tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt. Let cook about 15 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

2.        Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer to the pan with the olives, capers and tomatoes. Add another 3 tablespoons of the oil and gently mix all the ingredients. Add bread crumbs and mix well again. Serve immediately.