Delfina’s Spaghetti
Serves 4, with leftover sauce
The sauce has only five ingredients (plus salt, pepper and water), but the secret is partially cooking the pasta. in water, then finishing it in the sauce. The sauce recipe, from chef/co-owner Craig Stoll, is easiest to make in a big batch, so this recipe makes enough for 8 servings. You’ll need just half for this amount of pasta; freeze the remaining sauce for up to 2 months.
½ cup extra virgin olive oil 4 cloves garlic Kosher salt 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes (such as Di Napoli) 3 cups water Freshly ground pepper, to taste Hot red pepper flakes, to taste ½ bunch fresh basil (leaves only), torn into small pieces 1 pound spaghetti Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions: Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Smash the garlic with the side of a chef's knife; sprinkle with salt. Add to the oil. Cover and cook slowly
until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the seeds from the tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes slightly with your hands. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the water to the saucepan. Increase heat to medium-high. Season lightly with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then skim the foam that rises to the top, being careful not to skim the oil. Reduce heat to mediumlow and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced by about 2⁄3 and the oil is emulsified in the sauce. Remove from the heat. Pass two thirds of the sauce through a food mill fitted with the medium blade. Stir this puree into the remaining sauce, then stir in the basil.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 6 minutes. Drain, reserving 1½ cups of the cooking water. Choose 2 large, heavy skillets. Place a generous ½ cup of the sauce into each. Place over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water to each skillet. Divide the pasta between the skillets. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is cooked through and sauce clings to the pasta, adding more cooking water if necessary. Adjust the seasonings. Divide the pasta between 4 serving plates. Sprinkle with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Per serving: 614 calories, 17 g protein, 99 g carbohydrates, 16 g fat (2 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 298 mg sodium, 11 g fiber.