Monday, July 6, 2009

Pasta Amatriciana


OK, so it is not an island thing, but it qualifies as my new favorite sauce.

Halve and then thinly slice one very large red onion. (Italians do this with fairly coarse slices)
Saute in olive oil till it starts to clear. Add a minced garlic clove if desired.
Remove the onion and set aside. Add more oil and about four ounces of diced Pancetta.(Guanciale is better but hard to find.) Use as much as you like if you want a meatier sauce.
fry in oil until the meat browns all over.
Add one can of tomato paste to the pan and stir into the meat.
Continue to cook on low heat till the paste browns very slightly.
Return the onions to the pan and stir to incorporate.
Add chicken stock(canned or fresh) and stir vigorously to dissolve the paste into a smooth sauce.
Continue to add broth till a nice saucy consistency is achieved. You may add more as it cooks as needed.
Add a few basil leaves and cover and cook for twenty minutes stirring often. Basil is also wonderful put in at the very end and many cooks prefer it that way.
Add salt and pepper to taste(the broth will probably have salt in it so wait till near the end).

This is traditionally served with Buccatini, but any thick spaghetti will do nicely.
Toss with the pasta and grate Parmesan or Romano cheese over it.

The Pancetta can be any size you like. I have an aversion to the feeling of fat in my mouth, so I do it quite small, but you could do up to 1/2 inch cubes. This recipe adapts to any combination of vegetables and meats that you like. It is a very quick sauce that seems to have been cooked for a while.

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