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La Cucina di Betty: Let's serve pasta!
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Anonymous user Mon Jun 25, 2007 15:59:45 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments Which is better, dried or fresh pasta?  This is an impossible question to answer because only you can decide which of the two you prefer. There are many great brands of dried pastas on the shelves in the markets. Fresh pasta is usually sold in the dairy case.
All over Italy the Italians will tell you that they prefer dried pasta over fresh pasta. I have made my own homemade pasta, which is absolutely delicious but very time-consuming. I find if I had more time, fresh pasta would definitely be the winner, but I tend to spend my time making a good pasta sauce instead of making pasta by hand.
The cooking time for pasta differs from brand to brand. I prefer using Barilla pasta. I also noticed while in Italy that Barilla pasta was a favorite in most of my relatives’ pantries.
Dried pasta will usually take about eight to 10 minutes to cook. When boiling the pasta, make sure to use a large pot with a large amount of water.  Add one teaspoon of salt for each quart of water, and always bring the water to a rolling boil before adding the pasta.
Drain the pasta after it has finished boiling and put it back into the pot in which it has boiled, then pour the sauce into the pot and mix the pasta and sauce thoroughly. This lets the pasta absorb the sauce and cook a little more. Pour into a dish, then serve with grated parmesan cheese.
My favorite pasta sauce that I love to share with my family and friends is my meat sauce. It is my mother’s sauce recipe, I just added and deleted a few things to make it “Betty’s Spaghetti Sauce.” It has also become a big hit with all of my children’s friends, who are always ready for a bowl of Betty’s pasta. Whether I am feeding the soccer team or a bunch of kids working on high school floats during BHS homecoming week, everyone always comes back for seconds. When I make sauce, I make sauce! I like to make a huge pot, enough that I can freeze some sauce in individual containers. It’s good to know you have it in the freezer when you are experiencing that Italian craving!

Pasta Puttanesca
This dish originated in Naples, Italy. The sauce is only cooked long enough to heat through and develop flavors, making it a quick meal.  Although it has a scandalous name, it is sure to be a palate-pleaser. Legend has it that puttanesca was named for a sauce created by the working women of the evening who used a combination of savory ingredients most available and that were quick to prepare.
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (or fresh
   tomatoes)
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 3⁄4 cup black olives pitted and chopped or
   Kalamata olives
• 1⁄4 tablespoon hot pepper flakes
• 1⁄2 tablespoon dried oregano or 1 table-
    spoon fresh oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4  anchovies, patted dry and finely chopped
  (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or pecorino
   cheese
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add chopped garlic, tomatoes, capers, olives, pepper flakes, oregano, salt and black pepper.  Mix well and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes stirring occasionally, until sauce begins to thicken slightly. Add anchovies and parsley. Cook an additional five minutes. Adjust seasonings. Toss with pasta and cheese. Serves six.
Makes four cups of sauce. I use two cups of sauce per pound of pasta and freeze two cups for later use.

Betty’s Spaghetti Sauce
This recipe is meant to be a thick and meaty sauce. My family loves it served with penne pasta, but my favorite is spaghetti — the only pasta I knew growing up. Make sure you serve it with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
• 5 pounds ground beef
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 8 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 15 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 28-ounce cans tomato sauce
• 1 12-ounce can tomato paste
• 2 14-ounce cans Swanson beef broth
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
    or 1 teaspoon dry
• 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground sage or 1 tea
    spoon dry
• 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 6 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 1 cup water or more if needed
Sauté the meat in a large stock pot until cooked.  Add remaining ingredients. Mix together well and cook over medium heat for two hours. Cover pot and stir often to avoid sticking, add water as needed. This recipe makes approximately 26 cups of sauce. Freeze about two cups of sauce per container. I use two cups of sauce per one pound of pasta.

Pasta alla Carbonara — Spaghetti With Egg and      Bacon Sauce
This light and flavorful pasta is one of the most famous pastas of Rome. In Italian, “carbonara” means an old fashioned charcoal maker, referring to the humble working people who first devised this simple but rich and satisfying dish. Pancetta is a classic ingredient in this dish, but if you have trouble finding it, just substitute with the same amount of bacon.
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup pancetta, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup pecorino cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 6 tablespoons whipping cream
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 pounds pasta (spaghetti)
Heat oil in small sauté pan over medium heat and sauté  pancetta and crushed garlic. When garlic starts to brown, discard. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Add pasta and cook until al dente.
While pasta is cooking, beat eggs in a bowl with a little salt, pecorino and parmesan cheeses, whipping cream, and freshly ground pepper.  As soon as the pasta is cooled, drain it and place pasta back into pot. 
Add egg mixture and pancetta with its cooking fat to the pot. Cook it over low heat, stirring constantly for two minutes to heat eggs completely.  Add parsley, toss well and serve immediately while hot. Serves 12.

Pesto alla Genovese
Basil Sauce
Use this pesto on pizzas or grilled bread, stir it into soups or risotto, serve it alongside grilled fish or even spread it on sandwiches. I also like to add a tablespoon of pesto to my soups or stews.
• 3 cups loosely packed fresh basil
• 3⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup pine nuts
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese
Combine the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until all ingredients are smooth and well mixed. Add the cheese, salt and pepper. Use immediately tossed over the pasta of your choice, using as much as your taste buds scream for!
This sauce should never be cooked or heated, but tossed with the pasta or added to other dishes at the time of serving.
You can transfer leftover pesto to a container, cover with a thin film of olive oil to keep the sauce from darkening, and refrigerate for up to three days.
To freeze for as long as six months, omit the cheese during preparation and add it after thawing the pesto.
When you find yourself with a garden full of basil, don’t let it go to waste. I like to double or triple this recipe and then I like to freeze it in small freezer zip-lock bags.
When freezing it you can lay the bags flat in the freezer and stack them. Then when it comes time to use it, you can break off the desired amount of pesto you need. 

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