{"id":15455,"date":"2018-01-24T01:50:30","date_gmt":"2018-01-24T01:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/food.hoggardwagner.org\/?p=15455"},"modified":"2018-01-24T01:50:30","modified_gmt":"2018-01-24T01:50:30","slug":"a-salame-antipasto-paccheri-and-mrs-nics-tomato-sauce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/food.hoggardwagner.org\/?p=15455","title":{"rendered":"a salame antipasto; paccheri and Mrs. Nic’s tomato sauce"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I was introduced to this dish probably 30 years ago. I won’t repeat\u00a0the story here, but I described it at length in this November, 2015 post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s an absolutely delicious tomato sauce, although so simple that you feel like you’re not actually cooking, just watching the sauce cook itself, and the pasta is pretty special too. Like all cooking, and especially the most minimal dishes,\u00a0the goodness depends as much on the quality of the ingredients as on the professionalism of the cook. I try really hard when assembling this one.<\/p>\n

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THE\u00a0RECIPE<\/strong><\/p>\n

In an enameled cast iron pot or other\u00a0non-reactive pan<\/a>, large enough to hold the pasta after it\u2019s been cooked,\u00a0saut\u00e9 2 or 3 cloves in 4 to 5 tablespoons of olive oil, but only until the garlic is pungent.<\/em><\/p>\n

Add one 28-ounce can of <\/em>real San Marzano tomatoes (already-chopped or whole, and ideally without basil), crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon if they are whole, \u00a0saut\u00e9 uncovered at high heat for 5 minutes, stirring a few times to reduce the liquid (yes, the juices\u00a0will spatter a bit; I use a black apron and check the surrounding environment after this step).<\/em><\/p>\n

Reduce the heat to\u00a0very\u00a0low, so the sauce is barely bubbling, add sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste, and simmer for a full 30 minutes.<\/em><\/p>\n

Add a few whole leaves of fresh basil and continue simmering for 15 minutes more, again stirring occasionally.<\/em><\/p>\n

Note: The sauce can be prepared a little ahead of time, to avoid any competition with the boiling pasta.<\/em><\/p>\n

When the pasta has cooked, drain it and add it to the pan, or mix sauce and pasta in a warm bowl.<\/em><\/p>\n

Serve, but do not add cheese.<\/em><\/p>\n

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