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I guess I'm just making poor recipe choices today. Am I ever having a clunker of a day in the kitchen. I have yet to see a recipes for penne al baffo that calls for grated cheese, but it seems to me a fine idea to serve it on the side for those who’d like some.Geez. There are even seafood versions with tuna or shellfish, said to be particularly popular in Sicily.Īs mentioned, the parsley at the end if optional but it add a nice touch of color and freshness. Or Speck, which they say is popular variation in northeast Italy.
#COOK PENE ALDENTE STYLE FULL#
Personally I prefer the gentler, sweeter flavor you get when the ham is only slightly browned and left in the pan to lend its full savor to the sauce.Īnd if you like, you could perfectly well use prosciutto crudo instead of the ham. And in at least one version I’ve seen, the ham is sautéed first, over high heat until quite well browned, then removed to keep it crisp, and added back at the end, a bit like the guanciale when making amatriciana. If you’d like a more substantial dish, one that could serve as a one-dish meal, then feel free. Some recipes call for rather more ham as well, as much as 1:1 ham-to-pasta by weight. Here’s it’s 1:1, which appeals to me, but many recipes put the emphasis of the cream, with just a bit of tomato for color. The ratio of cream to tomato varies from recipe to recipe. My version here will give you a sweeter taste, which I find an appealing compliment to the ham. Most recipes call for onion and omit the butter. I should mention, first off, that the shallot and butter are personal touches. And as for the tomatoes, canned tomatoes, puréed in a blender or passed through a food mill, can take the place of the passata. To my mind they don’t take well to rich, creamy sauces like this one.Īnd while I’ve called for cubed ham, which for me gives the best taste and mouth feel, if you have sliced ham on hand, you can certainly use it, cut into strips. (Personally, I think farfalle aka bowties would be particularly nice.) I’d steer clear of spaghetti or other long pastas.
#COOK PENE ALDENTE STYLE FREE#
But feel free to sub another short pasta if you have it on hand. Penne is universal choice of pasta shape to use in this dish. Serve immediately, with a sprinkling of extra parsley on top for color if you like. Add the parsley and give it one last turn or two.
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Mix constantly, until the sauce has reduced enough to coat the pasta well. Turn up the heat and let the pasta simmer in the sauce. Transfer the pasta to the sauce along with a ladleful of the pasta water. Cook until it is just a bit under cooked to your taste. While the sauce is cooking, throw the pasta into the boiling pot of water. Add the ham and let it sauté for a minute or two, over slightly higher heat, until it has begun to brown ever so slightly around the edges.Īdd the passata and simmer gently until it has reduced and the oil has separated.Īdd the cream and let it simmer for just a minute or two, until the cream and tomato have blended and reduced into a lovely coral colored sauce. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, sauté the shallot gently in olive oil and a small pat of butter for just a few moments, just long enough for it to soften. A sprig or two of fresh parsley, finely mince (optional).250g (8 oz) passata di pomodoro, preferably homemade.500g (1 lb) penne (or other short pasta).Penne al baffo is ideal for on-the-fly family dinners, but it’s so fetching I’d be happy to serve it as a first course for company.
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It’s the Italian equivalent of our “finger lickin’ good”. The name comes-probably-from the expression da leccarsi i baffi, which means “so good you’ll lick your whiskers”. Depending on how quickly your stove can boil water, you’ll have dinner on the table in twenty minutes or less. Your pasta, cooked to slightly less than al dente, goes into the saucepan, along with a little parsley for color if you like, for brief simmer. Shallots and ham are quickly sautéed, tomato passata and cream are added and reduced into a lovely coral colored sauce. Penne al baffo is one of those quick and easy pasta dishes that epitomize casual Italian cookery at its delicious best.