This recipe appeared in the Star Tribune’s Taste section in 2007 as part of Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s national newspaper column “Ask the Splendid Table,” a companion to her longtime radio show.
In this column, Rosetto Kasper answered a reader wanting a recipe for spaghetti with spicy tomato sauce while waiting for summer tomatoes.
Classic Spaghetti with Tomato-Red Wine Sauce
Serves 3 or 4 as a main dish; 6 to 8 as a first course.
The sauce can be made several days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to three months. Cooking salami is an old trick Italian cooks used to get the flavor of fully seasoned meat into a quick sauce. They didn’t have to go to the expense of buying a pound of beef or pork, or take the time it would demand to be cooked through.
- 5 quarts salted water in a 6-quart pot
Sauce:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped into ¼-in. dice
- Top half of 2 medium ribs of celery with leaves, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 oz. good-tasting Italian salami, cut into ¼-in. dice (Genoa, Soppressatta or hard salami)
- ¼ to ½ tsp. hot red pepper flakes
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 generous tbsp. tomato paste
- ⅔ c. dry red wine
- ½ c. fresh basil leaves, torn, tightly packed
- 1 generous tbsp. dried basil
- 1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes with their liquid, plus 1 (14-oz.) can, drained
Pasta:
- 1 lb. imported Italian spaghetti
- 1 generous c. freshly grated young Pecorino Toscano, Asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
Have the salted water boiling. Film a straight-sided 12-inch sauté pan with oil and heat to medium high. Add the onions, celery and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saute over medium-high 5 minutes, or until the onion is golden.
