Passport & Plate - Spaghetti alla Chitarra
Italy | Thursday, February 19, 2015 | 1 photos
Ingredients
-Thick cut spaghetti noodles
-1 lb Fresh Roma tomatoes
-2 cups fresh basil, torn
-2 tbs Olive Oil
-Salt, to taste
-Pepper, to taste
-2 cloves Garlic, quartered
-1.5 cups grape tomatoes, halved
How to prepare this recipePreheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pot, bring water to a bowl. Throw in tomatoes and let boil for 1-2 minutes. Drain with a colander. On a cutting board, quarter the tomatoes removing the skin (it should come off easily at this point). Remove any seeds you find. Place in a blender, and pulse until it is a chunky liquid.
Next, pour the liquified tomatoes into a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add torn basil leaves, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring frequently. Sauce should simmer for about twenty minutes. A foamy layer will develop which is just the water evaporating out of the tomatoes. This is what allows the sauce to thicken! Scoop off foamy layers as they develop and only remove from heat once the sauce has reached your desired thickness.
While your sauce is simmering, in a small bowl, toss halved grape tomatoes and quartered garlic in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour onto a baking sheet in an even layer. Place in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, or until tender.
While your sauce is simmering and your tomatoes are roasting, bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Pour your dried spaghetti noodles into the boiling water and reduce to medium heat. Cook until al dente, or about 7 minutes. Once al dente, drain noodles in a colander and add to your sauce pan of simmering sauce. By now, the tomatoes and garlic should be done in the oven. Add those to the sauce and noodles. Toss everything together and serve hot. This dinner is best enjoyed with a glass of Chianti. Buon appetito!
The story behind this recipeThere is perhaps no dish more synonymous with Italy than a plate full of delicious, hot pasta. While traveling through Europe, I tasted many incredible pasta dishes but absolutely nothing compared to the Spaghetti alla Chitarra I enjoyed at Osteria Santo Spirito in Florence. Those perfectly al dente noodles, that delightful rich sauce, the sweet flavor blast from the freshly torn basil, all came together in the most harmonious mixture of aromas and tastes. I was hooked.
I experimented with many different recipes before settling on this one. At first, I was convinced that San Marzano canned tomatoes were my only option to create an authentic recreation of Spaghetti alla Chitarra, and while my sauce using the canned tomatoes was delicious, it lacked the crispness of a fresh, in-season tomato. I realized that the best way to duplicate a true Italian meal is to use the freshest ingredients possible, even though they aren't actually imported Italian goods. A bright, ripe Roma tomato proved to be my best friend when cooking Spaghetti alla Chitarra. Combined with a few simple ingredients, this recipe creates an almost exact replica of Osteria Santo Spirito's Spaghetti alla Chitarra: bright, blooming flavors and a smooth, velvety texture. Whenever I use this recipe, I can close my eyes and feel transported back to a time when Italy was my beautiful home and my biggest worry was whether or not I had enough room to order Tiramisu for dessert.
My time in Europe was the biggest growing experience of my life. I was barely twenty years old and flew overseas to find a new adventure. I didn't know a lick of Italian and was traveling by myself. It was during this time that I grew to be an independent and self-sufficient young woman. I didn't (and quite frankly, couldn't) rely on anybody but myself. I look back upon those four months in Europe with nostalgia and fondness. I fell deeply in love with a city and left a piece of my heart there that I've never been able to get back.
