Pasta Plus

In the ordinary way, you sit down and eat a dish of spaghetti with tomato sauce and think nothing of it. But the fact is, the dish is the culmination of hundreds of years of invention, exploration and common sense; indeed, it is a marriage of the products of two hemispheres.

It is legend--and it will serve--that Marco Polo, when he returned from the court of the great khan in China at the end of the 13th Century, brought with him, among other treasures, noodles. That is, the basic recipe for the paste--pasta--that was to become the glory of the Italian kitchen.

There were then no tomatoes in Italy. Nor in all of Europe, for that matter: no tomatoes, no chocolate, no vanilla, no corn, no potatoes--sweet or white--almost no beans, no turkeys. Italians had to wait a good 300 years--until that great wave of Spanish and Portuguese explorers brought back to Europe the foods and flavors of the New World--before they could enjoy a simple tomato sauce.

They have never tired of it. Now, 400 years later, tomatoes are the most common ingredient in a spaghetti sauce--sometimes to the point where one longs for another flavor.

In Italy, everyone eats some form of pasta at least once a day and, in consequence, Italians have devised a staggering number of sauces--from A to Z, literally, anchovies to zucchini. Variety is a necessity.

One of the great virtues of a spaghetti dinner is its ease. Almost without exception, the sauce can be made ahead--even long ahead and frozen. As for the spaghetti itself, anyone who can stay awake can boil spaghetti.

And you need very little else. Salad--which also can be made ahead--the classic hot crusty bread, some cheese and fruit to finish with and a bottle of good red wine.

If you have done your homework, spaghetti makes a meal that can be got on the table in ten minutes flat.

Here follows a variety of sauce recipes, some classic, some may be surprises. None should present the slightest difficulty in preparation. But first, a brief run-through on preparing the object of the sauces' affection. In this scientific age, cooking spaghetti is still not a scientific matter. You must always watch and test. In general, however, spaghetti should be cooked in an excessive amount of lightly salted boiling water. American brands take about eight minutes, but you should always fish out a strand and bite it to see if it is to your liking. (Should you find spaghetti made in Italy, you will discover it can take as long as 18 minutes to cook.)

When the spaghetti is done, pour it into a colander to drain, then swirl a good lump of butter--at least two tablespoons--in the hot pot in which it was cooked. Return the hot spaghetti to the pot and, with a couple of forks, toss it until it's coated with the melted butter. If you wish to serve the spaghetti from a bowl, be sure that it, too, is very hot.

Incidentally, one of the best ways to eat spaghetti, especially if you are not having it as a main dish, is simply to add (continued on page 182)Pasta Plus(continued from page 125) plenty of sweet butter, salt and pepper and parmesan cheese. But let's press on to sauces, each of which serves four.

[recipe_title]Tomato Meat Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]2 links hot Italian sausage[/recipe]

[recipe]4 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large onion, grated[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. hamburger[/recipe]

[recipe]1 2-lb. can peeled Italian plum tomatoes[/recipe]

[recipe]1 small can tomato sauce[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]Freshly grated parmesan cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. spaghetti, cooked[/recipe]

Remove the skin from the sausage, mash the meat with a fork. Heat the butter in a skillet, add the sausage and garlic and stir with a fork until well cooked. Add the grated onion, cook briefly, then add the hamburger, mash it with a fork and cook until its color has turned.

Now pour over all the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Slice the whole tomatoes in pieces, add 1 teaspoon salt and a good grind of black pepper. Combine thoroughly.

Let the sauce simmer for at least an hour over the lowest heat.

Serve with parmesan cheese.

[recipe_title]Meat Sauce (From Bologna)[/recipe_title]

[recipe]6 strips bacon[/recipe]

[recipe]2 medium onions, finely chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]3/4 lb. hamburger[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon butter[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 lb. chicken livers, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 cups beef consommé[/recipe]

[recipe]Freshly grated parmesan cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. spaghetti, cooked[/recipe]

In a large skillet, fry the bacon, and when it is done, remove and drain on paper. Pour off half the bacon grease and in what remains cook the onions until they are soft, then push them aside and cook the hamburger, mashing it with a fork until it is browned. This accomplished, push the hamburger aside, add the butter and cook the chicken livers briefly--until they have lost their pink.

Add the tomatoes, combine all the ingredients well and add the beef consommé.

This must cook at a very slow simmer for at least an hour.

Serve with parmesan cheese.

[recipe_title]Plain Tomato Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]6 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]6 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]6 leaves fresh basil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 sweet Italian onion, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]Freshly grated parmesan cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. spaghetti, cooked[/recipe]

In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter, add the tomatoes and basil, reduce heat and gently cook for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, add the onion and cook gently until it has softened, then add the tomatoes, combine, add a good dash of salt and a generous grind of black pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with parmesan cheese.

[recipe_title]White Clam Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]24 cherry-stone clams[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe]3 cloves garlic, peeled[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 cups clam juice[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley[/recipe]

[recipe]Black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. spaghetti, cooked[/recipe]

[recipe]Cracked red pepper[/recipe]

Have your fish dealer open the clams; make sure he saves all the juice for you. Have him discard the shells. At home, with scissors or a sharp knife, cut the clams in four. Measure the juice and if you don't have 1-1/2 cups, add what you need from bottled clam juice.

In an enamel pot, heat the olive oil, add the garlic and fry until brown; remove with a slotted spoon and discard.

Add the clam juice, parsley and a good grind of black pepper, bring to a brisk boil, then add the clams. Do not cook the clams for more than half a minute; otherwise, you will toughen them.

Serve the spaghetti in individual heated bowls and ladle the sauce over it.

Pass a shaker of cracked red pepper.

[recipe_title]Mussel Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]4 dozen mussels[/recipe]

[recipe]1 onion, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1 clove garlic, minced[/recipe]

[recipe]2 stalks celery, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup water[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]2 cups dry white wine[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup black olives, sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. spaghetti, cooked[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup finely chopped parsley[/recipe]

[recipe]Freshly grated parmesan cheese[/recipe]

Scrub the mussels well with a wire brush. Discard any that are open. In a large pot, place the onion, garlic, celery, water, a dash of salt and a grind of pepper. Let this simmer for 10 or 15 minutes, then add the mussels and the wine. Bring to a boil and cook until all the mussels have opened.

Remove the mussels; discard the shells. Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Return the broth to the pot, add the mussels and the black olives and heat for a couple of minutes.

Serve the spaghetti in individual heated bowls. Ladle the sauce over it and sprinkle the parsley and cheese on top.

This fine sauce is very soupy, so have plenty of hot Italian bread on hand to help sop it up.

[recipe_title]Carbonara Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]12 strips bacon[/recipe]

[recipe]4 eggs[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. spaghetti, cooked[/recipe]

[recipe]Black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]Freshly grated parmesan cheese[/recipe]

In a skillet, fry the bacon. When it is done, drain and crumble it. In a bowl, break the eggs and beat them briefly with a fork.

Keep the bacon grease hot over low heat. When you have cooked the spaghetti, drain it and return it to its hot pot, but do not add butter. Instead, pour over it 4 or 5 tablespoons of the hot bacon grease. With two forks, lift and mix the spaghetti until it is well coated. Then add the raw eggs and lift and mix again until the eggs appear set.

Add a good grind of black pepper and the crumbled bacon.

Serve with parmesan cheese.

[recipe_title]Zucchini Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]4 tablespoons garlic olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe]6 small zucchini[/recipe]

[recipe]1 green pepper, seeded and chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup water[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]Freshly grated parmesan cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. spaghetti, cooked[/recipe]

In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Slice the zucchini in 1/2-in. pieces, add them and the green pepper to the oil and cook briefly, until the zucchini begins to brown. Add the tomatoes and the water and simmer until the tomatoes have softened. Finally, add 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper and combine thoroughly.

Serve with parmesan cheese.

[recipe_title]Cold Sauce from Ischia[/recipe_title]

[recipe]3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1 sweet Italian onion, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1 green pepper, seeded and chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons capers[/recipe]

[recipe]4 or 5 fresh basil leaves, minced[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup olive oil[/recipe]

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, stir and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, until it is good and cold.

Serve the cooked spaghetti in individual heated bowls and ladle the sauce over it. Be sure the portions are small enough so that the spaghetti itself doesn't become chilled before one reaches the bottom of the bowl. (You won't want cheese with this.)

[recipe_title]Cold Sauce Tartare[/recipe_title]

[recipe]2 eggs[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. freshly ground chuck[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup minced parsley[/recipe]

[recipe]1 medium onion, minced[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons capers[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add the meat, work the eggs into it, then add the parsley, onion, capers and a generous amount of salt and pepper and combine thoroughly.

Serve the cooked spaghetti in individual heated bowls and spoon the sauce over it.

[recipe_title]Cold Red Caviar Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 3-oz. package Philadelphia cream cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup commercial sour cream[/recipe]

[recipe]1 4-oz. jar red caviar[/recipe]

In a bowl, mash the cheese, add the sour cream and beat until smooth. Add the caviar and mix carefully, so as not to break the eggs.

Serve the cooked spaghetti in individual heated bowls and spoon the sauce over it.

• • •

The following recipes are not properly sauces but simply ways to give spaghetti an unexpected taste.

[recipe_title]Pesto[/recipe_title]

In a blender, place 1 cup fresh basil leaves, 1 minced clove garlic, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 5 tablespoons olive oil, a good dash of salt and a few grains of cayenne pepper. Blend until it becomes a smooth mass. You will probably have to stop the motor occasionally and scrape the mixture from the sides with a rubber spatula.

A tablespoon of this--do not heat it--over hot spaghetti is very good, indeed.

[recipe_title]Anchovy[/recipe_title]

In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 1 small can anchovy fillets and, with a fork, mash them into a paste. Finally, add 1/2 cup well-broken-up walnuts and cook until the walnuts are hot. (You can, of course, use 2 tablespoons anchovy paste instead of the fillets.)

[recipe_title]Foie Gras[/recipe_title]

Slice 12 fresh mushroom caps very thinly. Heat 4 tablespoons butter and sauté the mushrooms briefly. Mash a 6-oz. jar of pâte de foie gras with a fork, add to the mushrooms and combine thoroughly. Now add 1 cup heavy cream, a little at a time. Stir constantly until the mixture is thoroughly heated.

[recipe_title]White Truffle Purée[/recipe_title]

You can occasionally find a purée of white Italian truffles in some of the fancier food stores. It comes in something that looks like an enormous tooth-paste tube.

Heat 4 tablespoons butter in an enamel skillet, then squeeze in about half the tube of purée and stir until the mixture is smooth.

Molto bene!