2022 Giro d’Italia - Stage 6: Palmi to Scalea
Today’s stage takes the riders up the toe (the top of the boot) of Italy, covering nearly all of the western coast along the Tyrrhenian Sea in the region of Calabria. I know what you’re thinking, “Mangia, you just dumped out a can of Campbell’s Spaghetti-Os.” I assure you, I did not!
First, look at the bowl of pasta…is it drowning in soupy sauce? No. Authentic Italian pasta dishes are not typically smothered in sauce like American-Italian pasta dishes, rather it lightly coats the pasta. I developed the sauce in a separate skillet while I heated up the water to cook the pasta. Second, look at that topping. Is it cheese? There’s a little, but it’s mostly breadcrumbs! Yes, historically in southern Italy, pasta dishes are covered with breadcrumbs, as opposed to cheese, as cheese was not readily available or financially feasible for families.
Anelli Ammuddicati adapted from The Italian Regional Cookbook, Valentina Harris
¼ cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
14 oz of canned tomatoes
10 fresh basil leaves
1 cup coarse dried breadcrumbs (from stale bread or panko-style)
3 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
1 lb dried anelli pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and garlic in a sauté pan over medium heat. When aromatic, add in the canned tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes in your hands. Throw in the basil leaves, a pinch of salt, a few tbsps of water, and bring to a steady simmer. Cover the pan and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the pasta water is heating and the sauce is cooking, combine your breadcrumbs, cheese and parsley in a bowl and mix well. Reserve. For the breadcrumbs, if you have some old bread that has gone a little dry, throw it in a min prep and pulse away. Otherwise use panko-style breadcrumbs, not the sawdust processed stuff.
After about 10 minutes, your water should be boiling, drop the pasta in and stir for the first minute or so to keep the anelli from bunching up. Cook until just tender. When the pasta is nearly cooked, drain the anelli and add it to your pan of sauce, along with a ladleful, or two, of pasta cooking water to complete the cooking and saucing of the pasta.
Serve on plates, or shallow bowls, with a heaping of breadcrumbs.
______________________________ Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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