Spaghetti Allamatriciana Michael Chiarello Food

SPAGHETTI ALL'AMATRICIANA - MICHAEL CHIARELLO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Meanwhile, unroll the pancetta.
• Cut it into 1-inch long chunks and then slice each chunk thinly across the grain.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderately low heat.
• Add the pancetta and cook it until it renders some of its fat, about 5 minutes; do not allow it to crisp.
• Add the onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
• While the onion is cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water.
• Add the red pepper flakes and parsley to the onion mixture and cook briefly to release their fragrance.
• Add the vinegar and simmer briefly until it evaporates, then add the tomato puree and 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
• Simmer briefly to blend.
• When the pasta is just shy of al dente, drain it and return it to the warm pot over moderate heat.
• Add the sauce and cook briefly so the pasta absorbs some of the sauce, then transfer the pasta to a warmed serving bowl and shower with the romano cheese.
• Serve immediately.

SPAGHETTINI SQUARED: PASTA WITH OLIVE OIL, GARLIC, AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. While the water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks, cut the zucchini with the fine French-fry cutter on a mandoline. If you do not have one, cut by hand into the longest, finest julienne you can manage. Season with salt and pepper. If your zucchini is very finely cut, it does not need to be cooked. Otherwise, place in a colander, suspend over the pasta pot, cover the pot, and steam the zucchini until still slightly crunchy, about 2 minutes. Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and saute briefly until light brown. Turn on the exhaust fan and add the red pepper flakes. Quickly mix in the basil and parsley and remove from the heat. When the pasta is al dente, drain through a colander, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Pour the pasta into a warm serving bowl; add the zucchini, basil oil, the garlic mixture, and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Toss well, adding cooking water as needed to make a smooth sauce. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as needed. Grate about 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the top and serve at once. Cook's Note: The reason to save the basil oil to toss with the pasta at the end is so the oil will have a fresh, uncooked taste.
• Basil Oil (and other herb flavored oils):
• For soft herbs, such as basil, parsley, cilantro or tarragon: Use 4 cups packed leaves to 2 cups pure olive oil. For woody herbs, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano or lemon verbena: Use 1 cup packed leaves to 2 cups pure olive oil. In a blender, puree the herbs and oil until completely smooth. Put the mixture in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over moderate heat. Simmer for 45 seconds, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Don't press on the mixture, but you can tap the strainer against your hand to get the oil to drip through faster. Immediately strain the oil again through a flat-bottomed paper filter. If the filter clogs, you may need to change the filter partway through. It's okay to pick the filter up and squeeze it gently to get the oil out faster, but be careful not to break the filter. (Sometimes a little dark liquid comes through the filter first. Don't worry; that's water. It will settle to the bottom because it is heavier than the oil.) Let the filtered oil settle for a few hours, then pour it off the dark liquid. Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place. Cook's Notes: The oil passes through the filter faster if it's filtered while still hot, so set up your filter before you start the recipe. You'll need a flat-bottomed paper filter, like those used for some drip coffee machines. Cone-shaped filters tend to get clogged. Yield: about 1 1/3 cups

GRILLED SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Preheat a grill on medium-high heat.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook pasta about half way according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and toss lightly with olive oil. Using a grill grate, grill the pasta over medium-high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Transfer the grilled pasta to a serving platter and spoon BBQ Gravy over the top. Place meatballs over the top and around the perimeter of the platter and top with more Gravy. Sprinkle with the sliced scallions and grated Parmesan.
• Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat for 1 minute. When the oil is hot, add the bacon and render. When golden brown and beginning to crisp, add minced carrot, celery, onion, and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and saute vegetables to a light brown. Add rosemary and brown sugar and stir. Add Chianti and vinegar to pot, stir and bring to boil. Add the tomato paste, chipotles in adobo, and the chopped tomatoes. Stir and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, skimming the top occasionally to remove any scum that forms.
• While the BBQ gravy is simmering, make the meatballs.
• In a large bowl, mix together the meat, egg, Worcestershire, cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, onion, bread crumbs, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup of water. Knead the water into the meat mixture with your hands. Knead and roll meatballs into about 1 1/2-inch balls. Place them in shallow saucepan on stove, add another 1/2 cup of water over them, and cover. Turn heat to medium, and steam for 35 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs from the pan. Drain the juice out of the bottom of the pan, return the meatballs to it and cover them with warm BBQ gravy. Serve on top of Grilled Spaghetti.

SPAGHETTI ALL'AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook guanciale over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally, 5-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels. Add carrots, onion and butter to pan drippings; cook until vegetables are tender, 5-7 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add half the garlic, rosemary and sage sprigs; cook until fragrant, 2 minutes., Stir in wine; cook until reduced, 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer partially covered until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally, 30-40 minutes., Remove and discard rosemary and sage sprigs; cool sauce slightly. In batches, add sauce to blender. Cover and process until desired consistency. Return sauce to pan. Stir in half of reserved guanciale, remaining garlic, salt and pepper. Add olive oil and red pepper flakes. Set aside; keep warm., In a large saucepan cook spaghetti according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Add drained spaghetti to pan with sauce; toss to combine. Add enough reserved pasta water for sauce to reach desired consistency. Garnish with remaining guanciale. If desired, sprinkle with cheese and fresh basil leaves.