Pennine is hard to find; it’s just a smaller version of penne. They sit up better on the plate when served, especially with a creamy, rich sauce like the following. These rarer pasta shapes can be in those small densely-packed supermarkets deep in ageing Italian migrant suburbs, such as Foodworks in Hadfield, where the pasta shelves go around about three dark corners and reach up to the ceiling.
Mince six generously thick slices of pancetta with seven garlic cloves and a few fresh sprig-leaves of rosemary. (Yes, this will be flavoursome - and further turbocharged by the cream.) Sauté in olive oil until the pancetta starts to brown. Now add a can of tomato purée or passata equivalent, and allow to simmer away while you cook the pennine. You want a coating consistency, not a fluid. Stir a quarter cup of thick cream into the reducing sauce, combine with pasta and serve, swearing you’ll never eat plain pasta napoli again.
Do you have any recommendations for a pack of mixed pasta shapes? (wheels, penne, spaghetti, etc.) I recently bought some in an Italian deli as it looked rather fun. Now I don't know whether to go with a plain tomato based sauce or try a cream or other sauce.
ReplyDeleteI often make a dish that is kind of like a hot pasta salad - with discrete bits in it rather than an actual sauce. For example florets of broccoli and cauliflower, snow peas, strips of red capsicum, halved button mushrooms etc. Then I bind it with either a little cream or some jar pesto. Or a meat variety with chopped chorizo, olives and some area vita sauce. Anything chunky.
ReplyDeleteword suggestion turned my ‘arriabiata’ into area vita .....
ReplyDeleteSounds great, thank you.
ReplyDelete