I have a new obsession, Ligurian food. I have a lot to read and even more to experiment with, but I am determined to master this cuisine. It's not good for me to find a new obsession right before Thanksgiving but I will squeeze it in anyway. I find that just when I think I might be a decent cook, I find something that brings me to my knees and this has done just that. Back to square 1 and I am humbled once again. In cooking, if you ever stop learning, you will only be average. A metaphor for life.
Many Ligurian recipes start by making a soffritto and every cook has their own recipe for one. For mine, I minced 5 garlic cloves, 2 shallots and 1 sweet banana pepper and sauteed them in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle in cracked black pepper, salt and some red pepper flakes to taste. Then I added 1 anchovy and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Cook until the paste begins to darken.
Add a few pats of butter and stir to combine.
Add about 1 cup of pasta water from your cooking bucatini and cook over high heat until it begins to thicken. Stir in another 2 pats of butter.
Cook the bucatini until al dente, drain and dump it into the sauce. Toss it and toss it until all the noodles are coated and most of the sauce is clinging to the noodles instead of collecting on the bottom of the pot.
Serve it sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese. So very simple but prepared the way it has been done for centuries. Many more Ligurian recipes to come!
Comments
Have a great day!
Christer.