BocelliOnline

[Marianne]

This is taken from "The Food of Southern Italy" by Carlo Middione

Penne Arrabiata

Serves 6 (except in my house)

1 T virgin olive oil
½ lb pancette (have sliced bacon thick and then cut into small pieces)
3 lrg garlic cloves crushed (I slice)
8 T butter
¾ lb fresh porcini mushrooms or 1 oz dried and re-hydrated in water.
1 lb fresh tomatoes, cored, peeled, and crushed into small pieces or use the same amount canned (I always use canned -Trader Joe’s)
8-10 lrg basil leaves coarsely chopped (I pull them apart)
5-6 grindings of fresh black pepper (I omit this)
1 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste (I also omit this and then put a shaker of it on the table for those who want their past ‘angry’.)
1 C grated percorino cheese

Hest olive oi in lrg frying pan, add the pancetta, cooking over high heat until crisp & golden. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour all but 2 T of remaining fat out (I omit this) and put in the garlic. (The fat from the pancetta imparts a very characteristic flavor that is essential to the dish - and why I leave it all in.) If you find that there is not enough fat, add olive oil. Brown the garlic well over medium heat, but do not burn it, and discard the garlic after it is brown. Add 2 T butter to the pan, and add the porcini. Cook them for 5 minutes or until slightly brown (they are already dark brown since I use the dehydrate ones). Add the fried pancetta, tomatoes, basil, salt (blk pepper and red pepper flakes). Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often.

Meanwhile, in a lrg pot bring to a rolling boil 1 gallon of water with 5 tsp salt and add the penne, stirring the whole time. Cook them for 7 minutes or until they are really ‘al dente’=to the teeth. Drain the penne in a colander, BUT DO NOTSHAKE OUT ALL THE WATER, ALLOWING ABOUT 1/3 CUP TO REMAININ THE PASTA. The water is absorbed into the pasta instead of the sauce and produces a more succulent dish. If you are not sure you have the right amount of water, simply scoop out some of the boiling water before draining and add it after draining (I just don’t shake my paste after I drain it and that seems to work fine>) Arrange the pasta on a lrg heated serving platter (I just dump into a large bowl.) I’ve changed the recipe here - first I cut up and put on the remaining 6 T of butter until it is melted, then I put on the sauce and mix, and lastly the pororino chesse (sprinkle in on in phases and mix between sprinkles or it will clump.

Serve with additional cheese at the table.

[Marianne]

Sorry Lorna, but you will have to do the measurement conversions based on the info I sent you from my 40 year old "Joy of Cooking". I hope it works and more importantly, I hope you can find the ingredients. When I copy those promised recipes from "Tutta la cucina" I will leave them in the metric amounts and let others guess just like I do.

Marianne

[Guest]

I'll sort them out somehow Marianne...thanks :wink:

This will be the next one on my list and I think the ingredients look ok :D should be able to get them :wink:

[Lorna]