La pasta catturi all'uomo

Ok. So I know I'm on a food kick lately, but hey, we've been living in a pandemic, what do you expect? The first thing any good American started doing was making and eating food and hoarding toilet paper. Always the nation of the Wild Wild West, this was our moment to pull up the bootstraps and let the strong survive, the pioneer way. Apparently, for me, when the end of the world strikes I'm going out in CARB COMA. From pizza making to bread making to desserts, the 2020 pandemic was kind to my stomach but not kind to my jeans. This last year I learned to cook many things, but the one dish that I always said would be my dish of Death Row is a dish I like to call "Man Trapping Pasta." I call it by this name because every man I've ever made it for has asked me to marry him--coincidence? I think not.

My father ate this dish regularly at an Italian restaurant in Pozzuoli and loved it so much he befriended the chef and sweet-talked him into showing him the recipe before we left Italy. It has been my favorite and most nostalgic Italian dish throughout my life. I have always kept the recipe a secret close to my heart (I mean, a girl needs to remain a little mysterious). But recently, I've been obsessively watching the Pasta Grannies on YouTube and realized if we don't share traditions they could die out with the last great practitioners. So I decided it was time to create a video for the world so they can enjoy this amazing dish (don't ask me what the real name is). And if you want to trap a man in love I highly recommend it.

Buona Cucina!

Music: La mia canzone per Maria by Lucio Battisti

Video Recipe Transcription:

Serves 3-4

Man Trapping Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

1pkg pancetta

3 - 5 cloves garlic (finely diced or crushed)

Tomato paste (any brand)

1 can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes (a MUST)

1 Cup of fresh Basil leaves (the fresher the better)

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

2 Tbsp Olive oil

3 Tbsp Crushed red pepper (or according to your taste)

1/4 Cup Half-n-half

2-3 C pasta

Add pancetta to a pan, no oil is needed. Add garlic and set the stovetop to low heat. Add a good squeeze of tomato paste to the pan, about 2 Tbsp. Squeeze and crush whole tomatoes into the pan with your hand and add the remaining tomato juice from the can. Let cook on low for a few minutes (like 20). Add about a cup, or handful, of Basil leaves into the pan leaving them whole. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to your personal taste and stir to combine. Note: pancetta is naturally salty so take care with the salt. Heat the crushed red pepper in a cup or bowl with the olive oil, in a pan, or for 1 minute in the microwave. Caution: the oil will be extremely HOT, take care. Remove oil and red pepper from the heat and stir to combine flavors. Let the oil cool and then strain the oil into the sauce pan through a sieve, collecting the red pepper. Note: the longer the oil sits, the spicier it will be. Toss, or even better, compost the red pepper. Stir oil into tomato sauce to combine, then cover and let flavors develop for about 20-30 more minutes. Add 1/4 C half-n-half to the sauce, stir to combine, and let cook as you prep the pasta.

In another saucepan add water for the pasta and cook pasta until desired tenderness. Then toss the pasta into the tomato sauce to finish cooking and coat all the pasta with sauce. Dish onto plates or bowls and top with parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Buon Apetito, Ti Farlo! Enjoy, You did it!