Bucatini With Tomatoes Pancetta And Hot Pepper Recipes

BUCATINI WITH PANCETTA, TOMATOES, AND ONION

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta; return to pot.
• While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-low. Add pancetta, and cook until browned and crisp, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, and set aside (leave fat in skillet).
• Increase heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion begins to soften, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes (with juice); cook, breaking them up with a spoon, until sauce has slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add sauce to pasta in pot; toss, adjusting consistency with pasta water if necessary. Serve pasta topped with pancetta and Pecorino.

PICK-A-PEPPER PASTA (BUCATINI WITH HOT AND SWEET AND PICKLED PEPPERS SAUCE)

Steps:

• Heat a deep skillet or Dutch oven with the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the guanciale and brown until lightly crisp. Add the garlic, bell pepper, cubanelles, onions and fresno peppers, and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the pickled peppers and a big splash of their juice, about 2 tablespoons, and deglaze the pan - hold your head back or you'll really clean out your sinuses. Add the tomatoes and crush up a bit, then stir in the passata and basil. Simmer to thicken 30 minutes or so. Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal. Reheat over medium flame.
• To serve: While the sauce heats, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente. Reserve a ladle of the starchy cooking water and drain. Toss the pasta with the butter and half the sauce. Add a little starchy water if too thick. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, topped with the remaining sauce and pecorino cheese.

BUCATINI WITH ONION, BACON, AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Drain the canned tomatoes; save all the juices. Cut each tomato in quarters lengthwise; slice the quarters in strips, 1/2 inch wide.
• Start heating 6 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot, to cook the bucatini.
• Put 1/2 cup water in the wide skillet, and set it over medium-high heat. Dump in the sliced onions; spread them out and turn them over in the pan as the water starts to boil. Cook the onions, turning occasionally, for several minutes, until they're softened and the water is nearly evaporated.
• Pour the olive oil over the onions, toss in the crushed garlic cloves, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir well to coat all the onion slices with oil; cook for a couple of minutes or more, until onions and garlic are sizzling.
• Clear a space on one side of the skillet and scatter in the cured pork (guanciale, pancetta, or bacon). Heat and stir in the hot spot until they're rendering fat and sizzling, then stir in with the onions. Sprinkle the peperoncino in the pan, stir, and let everything cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until the onions and pork are caramelized and golden-adjust the heat so nothing burns.
• Now spill all the sliced tomatoes and their juices into the skillet, and stir well. Rinse the tomato containers with a couple cups of "slosh" water, and stir that in too; season with salt lightly. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring frequently, and then lower the heat to keep it simmering actively. Let the sauce cook and thicken for about 20 minutes, or until it has the consistency you like for pasta. (If you're pressed for time, concentrate the sauce at a boil, stirring frequently.)
• When the tomatoes have been added and the sauce is simmering, you can start cooking the bucatini. (If you prefer, prepare the sauce ahead of time. Stop cooking when nearly thickened and let it cool. Return it to the simmer as your pasta cooks.)
• With the water at a rolling boil, slide the bucatini into the pasta pot, letting the strands soften so they don't break, and fanning them out so they don't stick together. Stir well, cover the pot to bring the water back to the boil over high heat, then cook partially covered.
• Stir the bucatini occasionally, and check doneness frequently. When the sauce has thickened, taste it and adjust seasoning-keep in mind that the Pecorino Romano will add salt.
• When the bucatini are cooked through but still al dente, lift them from the cooking pot with tongs, drain for just a moment, then drop them right onto the simmering sauce. Toss together continuously, over moderate heat, for a couple of minutes, until the pasta is perfectly cooked and evenly coated with sauce. If the dish is dry, ladle in a bit of hot pasta water from the cooking pot. If the sauce is soupy, toss over higher heat to concentrate.
• Turn off the heat, and toss in the grated cheese. Drizzle over it a final flourish of olive oil, and serve, either directly from the skillet or in a warm serving bowl, passing additional cheese at the table.

BUCATINI WITH PANCETTA AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• ADD pasta to large pot of boiling water; Boil uncovered until tender; Drain.
• HEAT oil in pan, add onions and pancetta; Cook, stirring until onions are soft.
• ADD tomatoes, stir over heat for 2 minutes then add cheese and pasta; Stir until heated through; Top with chopped green onion.

BUCATINI WITH PANCETTA, TOMATO, AND ONION

Steps:

• Pass the tomatoes and their liquid through a food mill fitted with the fine disc; set aside.
• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot.
• In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over med-high heat; add in onion; cook/stir until wilted, about 4 minutes.
• Stir in the pancetta; cook 2 minutes.
• Add in the hot red peppers and the tomatoes; bring to a boil.
• Adjust the heat to a simmer and season lightly with salt; cook/stir occasionally until the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir the bucatini into the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until done, about 12 minutes.
• Check the seasoning of the sauce, adding salt if necessary (remember the Pecorino is mildly salty).
• Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water; drain pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in half the sauce.
• Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil and drizzle in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil.
• Add some of the pasta cooking water, if necessary, to make enough sauce to coat the pasta lightly.
• Check seasoning again and add salt if necessary.
• Remove pan from heat; stir in 1 cup grated cheese, and transfer to a large heated serving platter or bowl.
• Spoon the remaining sauce over the top and pass additional grated cheese separately, if desired.

BUCATINI WITH TOMATOES, PANCETTA, AND HOT PEPPER

Steps:

• 1 Pour the oil into a skillet large enough to hold all of the cooked pasta. Add the pancetta, onion, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, until the pancetta and onion are golden, about 12 minutes. 2 Add the wine and bring to a simmer. 3 Stir in the tomatoes and salt to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 25 minutes. 4 Bring at least 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, then the pasta. Stir well. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente, tender yet still firm to the bite. Set aside some of the cooking water. Drain the pasta. 5 Pour the pasta into the pan with the sauce. Toss the pasta and sauce together over high heat about 1 minute, or until the pasta is coated. Add a little cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Remove from the heat. Add the cheese and toss well. Serve immediately. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.