Bucatini Amatriciana

Being busy sure takes a lot out of you. I mean, it’s a good thing, always having something to do. But something’s gotta give eventually right? And for me, I’ve had to neglect a few chores for a while (paperwork, ugh!) but worst of all, I’ve fallen behind in my schedule to update the blog! I actually will be adding a page soon with a list of some of the local restaurants that I frequent but I’m trying to figure out how to sort it. By cuisine? By neighborhood? By price??

While on that note, I was at Giacomo’s for the first time in 8 years living in Boston. I’ve heard great things about the food but I also heard that the line can be long, especially since the North End location can only sit at most about 20 people! But last week, we decided to chance it and only had to wait about 20 minutes (Maybe it was a late dinner on a Sunday night that did it) and were treated to quite a meal. The specialty appetizer is fried calamari and despite it being a very mainstream dish, Giacomo’s made it unique…in a good way. I’m also a sucker for fusilli (probably my favorite type of pasta) so I got the house special fusilli with lobster and shrimp. In hindsight, I should’ve probably saved some of it for lunch the next day but I couldn’t stop eating! The only negative point I’ve heard about the place is that the waitstaff tries to turn over tables as quickly as they can. Which could mean dining in less than an hour during busy times (which almost is all the time)!

Being a huge fan of noodles and pasta (and inspired by some of the dishes I’ve had dining out), I’ve really been trying to recreate some things at home. I feel that the magic is in two distinct steps.

#1 : Don’t overcook the noodles
#2 : It’s all in the sauce

Contrary to the way I used to think, you don’t need to use that much “stuff” in your noodles. That is, meat and vegetables. And that, in addition to bringing the noodles to the forefront of the dish, keeps cooking cheap. For example, for 1.5-2lb fresh rice noodles, I use between 3/4 to 1 pound of meat (usually stuff I bought on sale a while ago and kept in the freezer).

Most of my experience here has been with Asian style noodles. And you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been on an Italian kick as of late and that it was only a matter of time until I got to more pasta dishes right? If not, that’s ok, I forgive you =P

But anyway, one of my favorite dishes when dining out is any kind of pasta in a fra diavolo (spicy marinara) sauce, especially mixed seafood. I’ve only ever tried making a base tomato sauce a friend of mine taught me and never really deviated from it since. That is, until I got my hands on Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking! I hate to keep sounding like a broken record but I can’t say enough good things about Marcella’s recipes. She provides so much intricate detail and description to a recipe but keeps the whole process unbelievably simple. It’s one of my favorite cookbooks…that’s for sure.

Recipe is adapted from Marcella Hazan’s Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

Bucatini Amatriciana

Serves 4 – 5
Time : 35-40 minutes

Ingredients:
– 1 lb bucatini (spaghetti, linguine work too)
– 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
– 1 tbsp butter
– 1 medium onion, chopped
– 1 clove garlic, minced
– 1/4 lb pancetta, sliced into strips
– 1 28oz can of whole Italian Tomatoes
– Red pepper flakes
– Salt, to taste
– Freshly grated parmesan and romano cheese

Method:
1. Add the oil, butter, garlic, and onion to a saucepan on medium heat. Cook until the onion becomes slightly translucent.
2. Add the pancetta and cook another minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, pepper flakes, and salt. Crush the whole tomatoes against the side of the saucepan with a wooden spoon.
4. Simmer uncovered for about 20-30 minutes. Taste and correct for salt and spiciness.
5. While simmering the sauce, boil hot water (with at least 1 tbsp salt) and cook the pasta to the desired firmness.
6. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and freshly grated cheese and serve.