Conchiglie Puttanesca Based On Sopranos Family Cookbook Recipes

CONCHIGLIE PUTTANESCA (BASED ON SOPRANOS' FAMILY COOKBOOK)

Steps:

• Heat 6 quarts of water to boiling. Add salt to water, if desired.
• In the meantime, in a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being very careful not to overcook it.
• Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme, and salt (if desired). Simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens somewhat.
• Once water is boiling, add conchiglie and cook until "al dente" or according to package directions, draining well (See Notes).
• Add olives, capers, and anchovies to sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in red pepper flakes.
• If serving immediately, add drained conchiglie to sauce, toss until pasta is well coated, and serve.
• NOTES: I omitted the added salt because the olives, anchovies, and rinsed capers made it plenty salty! For a spicier flavor, either increase red pepper flakes or add to sauce with olives, capers, and anchovies as cooking longer will increase the heat.
• If you want to serve the puttanesca later, allow it to cool. Rinse and drain the pasta well. Then, add the puttanesca and pasta to the Crock-Pot. Mine stayed moist and warm for the 2 hours I warmed it.

PASTA PUTTANESCA

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil, garlic, anchovies, and crushed pepper. Saute mixture until anchovies melt into oil and completely dissolve and garlic is tender, about 3 minutes: your kitchen never smelled so good! Add olives, capers, tomatoes, black pepper, and parsley. Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes.
• Toss sauce with cooked pasta. Pass bread and cheese at the table and serve with Bitter Greens Salad.
• Combine greens in a salad bowl. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the bowl. Drizzle salad liberally with extra virgin olive oil. Toss salad and season salad with salt and pepper. Arrange salad on plates. Garnish plates with black olives, if using.

PASTA PUTTANESCA

Steps:

• Smash out the anchovy fillet with the flat side of the knife. After the capers are rinsed, mash those with flat of knife as well.
• Whisk the marinara and clam juice together in large sauce pot, season with fresh black pepper, to taste. Add the anchovies, capers, and chili paste, and stir. Add the tomatoes to sauce with the olives. Add parsley, oregano, vinegar, and olive oil. Bring to boil. Check and adjust the seasoning.
• Just before serving, warm the sauce and toss in a pan with some hot pasta. Top with grated pecorino. Add some pasta water, if desired, to thin out the sauce. The sauce is also terrific over grilled fish or on a bruschetta.
• (c) 2002 NapaStyle Inc. All rights reserved.

ZITI AL FORNO (FROM THE SOPRANOS FAMILY COOKBOOK)

Steps:

• Put all the ziti in a large bowl.
• Toss ziti with 3 cups of the gravy and half of the grated cheese.
• Spoon half of the ziti into a casserole dish.
• Spread the ricotta over the top of the ziti.
• Sprinkle with the mozzarella and rest of grated cheese.
• Pour on 1 cup of sauce.
• Top with remaining ziti and rest of sauce (it will be almost overflowing) sprinkle with more grated cheese.
• Bake covered with foil for 45 minutes and then uncovered for 15 minutes.
• Let stand 15 minutes.
• Tell me immediately how it was!