Spaghetti di Calzolaio (Shoemaker’s Spaghetti)

I found this terrific, simple recipe in “The Italian Vegetable Cookbook” by Michele Scicolone. With a few minor modifications, I present it to you as a quick, delicious, healthy meal.

Why “Shoemaker’s” spaghetti? The theory is that the shoemakers of Naples, with few ingredients and little time, were able to satisfy their hunger and dine well by preparing this dish.

The sauce can be made with fresh or canned tomatoes. But they key is the hot red pepper, cheeses, and fresh basil which lend it a creamy, piquant, satisfying consistency. The pasta is cooked for the last few minutes in the sauce requiring a large enough skillet to accommodate all ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 large clove garlic, halved

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Pinch of turmeric

Freshly grated black pepper

3 TBS EVOO

1 14-oz can tomatoes with their juices, or;

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

¼ cup water if using fresh tomatoes

A pinch of baking soda

12 oz. spaghetti (I prefer whole wheat)

½ cup reserved water from pasta pot

3 TBS freshly grated Pecorino Romano

3 TBS freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

4 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

In the meantime, in a skillet large enough to hold all ingredients, cook the garlic, turmeric, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in the EVOO over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is browned, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes (and water if fresh tomatoes) and bring to a simmer. Crush tomatoes with the back of a spoon until sauce is thickened.  Add baking soda and stir well (this will remove acidity of the tomatoes). Cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Discard garlic.

Place pasta in boiling water. Cook until not quite al dente (about 7 minutes). Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta.

Add the cheeses and pasta water to the sauce, stir well until smooth. Add the pasta, tossing and mixing well. Cook, covered, for 2 minutes.

Top with basil and serve with a nice Chianti or your favorite red wine.

Buon appetito!

  

One-pot veggies and pasta with pesto

This one came to me after having learned several recipes from various family members, both domestic and Italian.  We were looking for something relatively quick but healthy, and building on what we knew, this was the result.

The central idea is to cook whole garlic, string beans, potatoes, pasta, and thin-sliced broccoli in the same pot, then combine with pesto and olive oil and top with a little fresh ground parmigiano reggiano cheese.  

All cooked in the same pot, this is an extremely simple meal to prepare (and to clean up after).  The key is to prepare the ingredients so that they cook to desired doneness in succession.

One guarantee... this is simple!

 Ingredients:

1 head garlic, peeled, large cloves halved

1 pound string beans, snapped and halved

1 large potato, peeled and cubed

1/2 pound spaghetti, whole wheat or plain, broken in half

1 broccoli crown, florets separated and stem thinly sliced

3-4 Tbs. pesto

A little extra olive oil if needed

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmigiano reggiano cheese for topping

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add the garlic cloves.  Return to boil.

After 5 minutes, add string beans.  Cook for 5 minutes.

Add potatoes and cook for another several minutes.

Break spaghetti in half, add to pot, and return to boil.  

After 3 minutes, add broccoli.

Cook another 5-8 minutes until all ingredients are tender to the tooth.

Drain, return to pan, and mix well with pesto.  If a bit dry, add some extra virgin olive oil until desired consistency is obtained.

Serve topped with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and salt and pepper to taste.

Buon appetito!