n-judah love song

cooking a thing: arrabbiata

Back in the Days Of Vox (…aww) I used to keep a series of non-scientific but well-loved recipes. I lived in a big group house, and my roommates would ask me to cook “shrimp thing” or “pasta thing”. I had a blast teaching people I lived with how to cook, though I’m by no means any expert. That is to say, any measurements are accidental and approximate.

Arrabbiata is marinara-like, but about 1000x better, because it has peppers in it. If you’ve never had arrabbiata before, Scarpetta makes a great store-bought one.

Here’s how I make mine: suitable for large crowds, dresses up Costco ravioli that are turning into a brick in the freezer, makes the house smell good, everyone wins.

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until they’re translucent. You can add fresh sweet and/or hot peppers if you have ‘em. Salt & fresh-ground pepper.

Two glugs of red wine, red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, fresh basil, a can of San Marzanos/bunch of fresh plum or Creole tomatoes, lemon juice, and whatever other “italian seasonings” you’ve got powdering away in the pantry.

(Except oregano. Oregano only goes in pizza sauce, good people.)

A bit of sugar. Taste. Simmer. Taste again. You probably need more salt. Is it spicy enough? Good. If it isn’t, gradually add more pepper flakes, simmer some more, taste again.

Let it cook for as long as you have time to, 30 minutes is a minimum for all that tasting and correcting. If you want to veer off-course, roasted garlic is nice in this, capers instead of lemon juice, pancetta, whatever you like. 

Finish the sauce with butter before you serve it. Drop in small chunks of cold unsalted butter, stir until it looks like restaurant food. That’s why restaurant food tastes good. Margarine is for punks, don’t do that to your food.

Pasta suggestion: penne rigate or “penne with lines”, aforementioned frozen Costco ravioli brick, rotini, or whatever pasta you’ve got that holds sauce well. 

Salad, bread, done.

(This is from when I had time to jar & gift pasta sauce to people. Double-aww.)

Next up: chili thing!

two kinds of sick, two kinds of soup

For the winter hack-your-head-off-sick: Campbells. Mix a can of cream of chicken with a can of chicken noodle, and a can of water. Heat on the stove. Try to stop oozing.

For the other kind: Beans. Ham bones. Celery, onion, green pepper, hot sauce, whatever else you’ve neglected in the fridge, add to the slow cooker. Think about summer.

recipe: Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Best Of Vox, reblogged.

I learned this dish from a restaurant I worked at called Pazzo. It’s easy, it’s tasty, it’s wowed everyone I’ve made it for. I’ll probably keep fiddling with this dish for always, because I love it so, but here’s the basics.

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

    * bucatini (looks like hollowed-out spaghetti)
    * 100 g guanciale or pancetta: diced
    * 1 can San Marzano tomatoes or, if fresh, 4-5 plum tomatos blanched/peeled/diced
    * 1 sweet onion, minced
    * Good Parmesan or Pecorino Romano

Prep:
-Fix your bucatini on the raw side of al dente.
-Cook the guanciale in a big ol’ pan.
-Add onion & tomato.
-Drain your pasta and leave some water aside.
-Add pasta to the pan with your guanciale etc, for a minute or so.
-Black pepper.
-A splash of dry red wine is nice, depending on your taste for acid. I like it.
-Add some pasta water to the mix if it’s all sticky.
-Add parm.
-Finish the sauce with half butter/half olive oil.

Guanciale is salt-cured pork jowl, and it’s awesome.

Amatriciana sauce derives from La Gricia, which shepherds used to make by sautéing diced guanciale so gently as to keep it from browning, and adding freshly boiled pasta, a healthy dusting of pepper, and grated pecorino Romano.

The people of Amatrice prefer to use spaghetti in preparing their signature dish. The use of bucatini is more a Roman thing. The different shapes do produce different textures, and which you prefer is up to you.

Nice additions: red instead of black pepper, adjust the fats, balsamic vinegar instead of red wine (but not too much!), chiffonade of basil, arugula, capers. (These prolly make the sauce more of an Arrabiata, which is also delicious.)