Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [116]
Pour in the tomatoes and the clam juice or fish stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer at the merest bubble until thick, about 20 minutes. Season with salt.
Place the cooked pasta in a serving bowl, add the sauce, and top with the parsley.
Pasta Recommendations
Fresh: not advisable because the spicy sauce can overpower delicate, soft, fresh pasta
Dried: any noodle, particularly thin noodles, even capelli d’angelo (angel hair); Spinach Pasta.
Variations: Add 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp (about 35 per pound), 1½ pounds clams, cleaned of any sand, or 1½ pounds mussels, cleaned of any sand and debearded, during the last few minutes of cooking. Stir them in, cover the pan, and cook until the shrimp turn pink and firm or until the clams and mussels open (discard any that don’t).
Pasta Pomodoro
This is a buttery tomato sauce that holds up to almost any noodle. Makes enough sauce for 1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 large onion, chopped
2 pounds Italian plum tomatoes (about 8), chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta, cooked and drained
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Place 4 tablespoons butter and the onion in a medium saucepan and then set it over very low heat. As the butter melts, stir the onions frequently so they’re coated in it. Cook, stirring often, until the onions soften and turn golden, about 10 minutes.
Raise the heat to medium and add the tomatoes. Stir well and continue cooking until they break down and form a thickened sauce, about 10 minutes.
Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until it melts. Season with salt and pepper, then add the pasta and cheese.
Pasta Recommendations
Fresh: tagliatelle, pappardelle, Beet Pasta, Chestnut Pasta
Dried: any wide round or flat noodle such as bucatini or fettuccine
Pasta with Clams and
Cherry Tomatoes
Clams are a gorgeous match to cherry tomatoes. Makes enough sauce for 1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta
¼ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup dry vermouth
1¾ pounds small clams, such as littlenecks, their shells scrubbed of any sand
16 cherry tomatoes, quartered
12 basil leaves, shredded
1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta, cooked and drained
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the garlic. Sauté until golden, about 2 minutes, stirring often.
Pour in the vermouth, then add the clams. Cover the pan and cook until the clams open, about 3 minutes. Discard any that do not open.
Stir in the cherry tomatoes and basil. Cook just until the tomatoes soften, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the pasta. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cheese, then transfer to a serving bowl. Give the dish a few grinds of pepper before serving.
Pasta Recommendations
Fresh: thinner noodles like cappellini
Dried: any medium-flat noodle like fettuccine
Pasta with Cockles and Cherry Tomatoes: Substitute cockles for the clams. Clean them of any sand; discard any that do not open during cooking. Use a very thin noodle to catch the little cockles.
Pasta with Sausage and
Broccoli Raab
If you have homemade stock on hand, use 1 cup without boiling it down. Makes enough sauce for 1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta
2 cups canned chicken or beef broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, chicken, turkey, or pork, hot or mild, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ cup dry vermouth
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
12 ounces broccoli raab (about 2 packed cups), chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta, cooked and drained
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
To concentrate its flavors, place the