Last night I tried my hand at cooking. While I excel at baking, cooking is far more difficult for me. The idea of not having a recipe, of “faking it,” bothers me. I’m sure there is some dark psychological reasoning behind my dislike of cooking, but for now, it is simply that I just don’t like it. However, I gave it a try, and while the execution of the recipe was a bit rocky, the end result was, in a word, delicious.
The finished product is quite nice to look at, and it was even nicer to eat. The recipe was also manageable for someone who has limited cooking experience, so everyone should give it a go! I split the recipe in half because only I was eating, but the original, which is below, serves 4 people.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- cold water for boiling
- 2 tsps sea salt
- 3 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 shallots, finely minced
- 1 cup black olives, pitted
- 3 to 4 tomatoes, diced (you can also used canned tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 Tbsps tomato paste or concentrate
- 3 Tbsps unsalted butter
- reserved pasta water (optional)
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- handful of parsley, chopped
- about 1/3 pound prosciutto, for garnish
Prep: Fill a large pot about halfway with cold water. Bring that water to a boil. While the water is boiling, I would get the other ingredients measured out and ready, just because it’s difficult to saute while chopping tomatoes at the same time! When the water is boiling, add the salt and the pasta to the water, and cook according to the box. Once done, drain the spaghetti but save one cup of the pasta water for the sauce. Wipe clean the pot, and over medium heat add the olive oil. When the oil is hot (it will start to smoke) lower heat to medium-low and saute garlic and shallots for about 1 minutes. Increase heat to medium again, add olives, and cook for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until soft, about 1-2 minutes. Once soft, add the wine and stir until the alcohol is evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and butter until dissolved. Once dissolved, put pasta back in pot and stir gently, until all the pasta is coated with sauce. Add the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems dry to you. Serve pasta with Parmesan, parsley, and prosciutto slices sprinkled on top!!
In a Different Direction 