BRRR...I NEED COMFORT FOOD: Pasta all' Amatriciana

When winter strikes our food thoughts turn to Stews, Chowders and Chilis for comfort, and, oh yes, Amanda's Gumbo! My cravings also include a steaming bowl of a hearty pasta.  Spaghetti (or whatever) all' Amatriciana is one of my favorite and most simple pastas.

Amatrice is a town in Latium, oops, Lazio,  (my Latin and Italian often get confused), where this pasta is a specialty. I have never visited the town. It is located in a triangle close to Umbria, Abruzzi and Le Marche, far from Rome, but the Romans have adopted the dish. Thus, it was in Rome that I tasted "Matriciana" as they call it.


Classically it is served on bucatini, a thick hollowed out spaghetti, but it is also served on normal spaghetti or even penne or other shaped pastas.  It is a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, guanciale ( a dried seasoned pork jowl) with onions, a red hot pepper (which is removed) and served with abundant grated Pecorino.


When I lived in Napoli, molti anni fa, many, many years ago, I purchased a set of regional Italian cookbooks (in Italian) at Upim, a sort of precursor of Walmart here! They have been a valuable resource ever since. The recipes are, I am sure, authentic, as they were written for Italian housewives. The measurements are vague, when they exist, un cucchiaio (spoonful) of this, un bicchiere ( a glass of that) un pizzico (a pinch) of salt or a spice, etc. and they assume a level of culinary skill (combine egg and flour as if to make fettuccine). You must fate rosolare (brown) the meat; spruzzate (sprinkle) the salt or nutmeg..etc. I love these books! I read them for fun! They are the foundation of much of my Italian recipes, but I often alter them to suit my tastes.

May the Amatriciani forgive me, I used smoked pork jowl this time, as that was what was available, and I normally add garlic and lots of ground black pepper to my sauce. In the past, I have used pancetta or bacon and even salt pork, any pork fat will do, but truthfully, guanciale, in its pristine form is what is best.  

This is a simple dish, and quick to make. Use what is available, but don't cheat on the quality of tomatoes or olive oil. San Marzano Tomatoes are a must, and a good, fruity olive oil to blend with the rendered pork fat  gives it an incredible flavor. 

PASTA AMATRICIANA

(Sola Gina Style)

1/4 pound sliced, cubed guanciale or pancetta

1 onion, chopped coarsely

2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch of red pepper flakes

2 or more tablespoons fruity olive oil

1 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed

lots of freshly ground black pepper

pinch of salt

grated pecorino cheese

Pasta, spaghetti, bucatini or penne

Brown the guanciale in oil. Add the onion and garlic and pepper flakes and soften. 

Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for about 15-20 minutes until thickened.

Meanwhile cook the pasta al dente.

Serve with the sauce and grated pecorino.

Buon' appetito!! 

Sola Gina

JANUS: Keeper of Portals, Past and Futrure

January, named for the Roman god of beginnings and endings, looking forward and behind, is the start of our new calendar year. We always bring the past with us as we pass through the portals of the future. So it is with food. Old traditions are kept and somehow often transformed as we move into the future.

Em and I had just such a Christmas visit, steeped in tradition as well as attempts at something new. It all started with the single, white blossom on the Christmas Cactus, an indication that Bob was still with us, but in a different way.

Surprise Bloom

 Then, Em made an old family favorite, Canadian Meat Pie, in a dish that Nana Manninen-Hinkle's mother, Georgianna Barrie, of French Canadian ancestry used for her Tourtiere (the real name for Canadian Meat Pie).   Confession:  We ate the whole thing!!!

 Tres Bon!

Thanks to SunCoast Organics, we had an abundance of grand vegetables and fruits and did our best to savor them all! 

Cheese Tortellini with a garlicky Cremini Mushroom Tomato Sauce and fresh basil and yes, a side of steamed Nantes Carrots!!  Oh, so sweet and delicious!

A side dish of Romaine and Arugula with Pears and Pomegranate Seeds with a Pomegranate, Agave Vinaigrette was a nice palate cleanser for dessert.  Yes, dessert too!

Peach ice cream with berries and bananas and almond cookie crumbles, triple sec and, you guessed it, whipped cream....

NO PHOTO...we ate it too fast!!

Christmas morning, we once again combined tradition with something new. In place of our Smoked Salmon Bagels and Mimosas, we had English Muffins with Cheddar, Tomato and Bacon and made Bellinis with Apricot Nectar.  Fresh, new and bright.It was nice to eat outside too.  

  A bright start to the day

The day continued to be a break from tradition. We dined out for an elegant meal and went to a movie in the evening!

Tradition tried to make a comeback in the next few days. I started to make one of Bob's favorite dishes, Caldo Verde. It is a Portuguese Potato and Kale soup with Linguica which he used to always order in our favorite Portuguese restaurant, O'Fado. I learned to make it for him at home.

Well, the sweet potatoes in the basket called out to be used. I had planned on using the collard greens in place of kale anyway (they are closer to the Portuguese kale) and there was no need to buy linguica as I had some hot Italian sausage on hand. Thus, a new dish was born: Orange Caldo Verde! (tr. orange hot green!??)

Saute sweet and white potato with lots of garlic in fruity olive oil. Cook in chicken broth until soft.

Make a chiffonade of the collards or kale.

Cook the sausage and slice.

Whisk the cooked potatoes until smooth and add the kale and sausage. cook for 2-3 minutes.

Em and I had some great crusty bread and made an olive oil dipping sauce. There was very little flavor resemblance to the original recipe, but it was new and tasty!

Eventually Em had to return to Boston and her life. Bob's birthday came and went. The next night, I  knew I needed to cook something.

SESAME SOY PORK CHOP

Pork Loin or Rib Chop

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons Agave or honey

3-4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon 5 Spice Powder

1 Tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger

Sesame seeds

Canola oil

Thai Basil (optional)

Crush or finely mince garlic. Chop ginger. 

Mix together soy (I use Bragg's Liquid Amino), agave or honey, garlic, 5 spice and ginger. Reserve half of the mixture for sauce and marinate pork chop in the other half for at least 15 minutes. 

Dip in sesame seeds (I had only black ones, white are preferable).

They have more flavor.

Saute in canola oil for a few minutes on each side until browned. Place in 400 oven for about 5 minute or until pork is just done (140-145 degrees). It will continue to cook after removed from the heat. Serve with extra sauce and garnish with Thai Basil if using.

A meal I enjoyed and Bob would have loved too

To complete the meal, I cooked a frozen pot sticker with sauce, jasmine rice and shredded broccoli stems and some carrot.

Simple and Sola Gina.