Penne Alla Napolitana Food

PASTA NAPOLITANA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat; drain and set aside. Discard drippings. In same pan, cook ground beef and sausage in olive oil until beef is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Add onion; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Add tomato paste; cook and stir until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in bacon, marinara sauce, broth, wine, mushrooms, pepperoni, sugar, garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, marjoram, sage, seasoned salt, pepper, pepper flakes and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors have combined, about 2 hours. Serve with spaghetti and Parmesan cheese.

PENNE ALLA PUTTANESCA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta and the sauce: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir, and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes less than what the box advises. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by heating oil in a skillet over low heat. Rinse the anchovies and the capers under cold water to remove the salt, then soak in a small bowl of water for several minutes. Remove the pits from the olives by quickly smashing them with the side of a knife, then fillet the anchovies by removing the backbone (the longer they're soaked, the easier this will be). Add the anchovies, capers, garlic, olives, and parsley to the skillet, and cook until the anchovies are broken up and the garlic is lightly browned. Using a fork or your hands, break up the tomatoes in a mixing bowl and add to the skillet. Simmer sauce for 1-2 minutes, then check for seasoning (sauce will be naturally salty) and adjust with pepper.
• Assemble the dish: Perform the pasta "marriage ceremony" by reserving 1 cup of the pasta water and draining the rest. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the pasta water and puttanesca sauce into the pot. Cook over low heat, gently tossing the pasta with the sauce for 2 minutes to allow it to marry with the sauce. The pasta should still be firm to the bite. Transfer to a platter or bowl, garnish with more chopped parsley, and serve.

PENNE ALLA NAPOLITANA

Steps:

• 1. Drop penne in boiling, salted water. Return to boil & boil gently for 8-10 mins. (for 'al dente'), or to desired tenderness. Drain; toss with 1 T. of the olive oil. Return to pan & keep warm.
• 2. Saute garlic slowly in remaining 3 T. of olive oil in large skillet until soft, but not brown. (NOTE: To speed prep time, I typically start this step as pasta is cooking on another burner!)
• 3. Add sliced/chopped olives, basil, red pepper flakes, & tomato sauce. Stir & heat to simmering. (NOTE: The olive oil will separate & form a 'ring' around pan's edge ... don't worry, this is normal! The oil will incorporate in the next step.)
• 4. Add grated parmesan, stirring until melted and combined well; repeat with mozzarella. (Provolone goes well with this, too.)
• 5. Pour over warm pasta & serve!

PASTA ALLA GENOVESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the onions in the boiling water, and cook, covered, 15 minutes. Drain the onions, and let cool a bit, then slice very thinly.
• Heat half the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat; stir in the carrots, celery and bacon, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the beef, then cover with the onions. Pour the remaining oil over the onions, then sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, bring to a simmer and cook gently until the beef is tender, about 2 hours; the onions will release a good deal of liquid.
• Uncover the pot and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring more frequently as the liquid reduces and lowering the heat as necessary to prevent scorching, until the meat has fallen apart and the sauce is creamy, about 45 minutes. Stir in the wine and taste, adding more wine if desired. Reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is glossy and quite thick, about 15 minutes more.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and toss with the sauce. Stir in Parmesan to taste, then serve.

PENNE ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add eggplant to skillet; season generously with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until eggplant begins to release juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (if bottom of pan browns too much, add a few tablespoons water, and scrape with spoon).
• Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water to skillet; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Toss sauce and basil with pasta; gently reheat if necessary. Top each serving with a spoonful of ricotta, and garnish with more basil.