Making it all worthwhile

by Stop-n-Pop on Mar 7, 2009 9:53 AM CST

Since the Wolves are out West on a tough B2B, and since the games are starting to blend together, we'll pull a Britt and game wrap the both of them tomorrow. In the meantime, here is something you can cook up before tonight's game.

This is a simple recipe you can put together in 45 minutes and it will taste as good as any meal you can get at a fancy (i.e. expensive) Italian joint. Think of it as our contribution to the new low cost of enjoying Wolves basketball.

1 lbs pasta (I prefer spaghetti for this recipe)
parmigiano reggiano (don't skimp on this; get the good stuff that you have to grate)
1 28 oz can whole Italian tomatoes in juice
1/2 stick butter, plus 1Tbs
1 onion, cut in half
salt to taste

Boil 6 quarts of water in a large stock pot. Never boil noodles in a sauce pan or a 4 quart pan; your noodles need room to breathe while cooking. When your water comes to a rolling boil, pour 1-2 Tbs salt into the pot before you add the noodles. Remember to continuously stir your noodles when they are in the pot. The second you put your water in the pot, place your onion and 1/2 stick of butter in the center of a high-walled saute pan and turn on the heat to medium. Immediately pour the tomatoes into a bowl and cut them up as much as possible with a pair of kitchen scissors. Add them to the pan as soon as the butter starts to melt.

Once the butter melts, add salt to taste and lower the heat to low. While the sauce is cooking, take a wooden spoon and crush the tomatoes as much as you can. Do not boil the sauce. When your noodles are almost finished, grate 1/3 cup of cheese and set aside. When your noodles have finished cooking, drain and immediately pour them into a large bowl with the cheese and the remaining butter. Taste your sauce and adjust with salt for taste. Remove the onion and pour into a serving bowl. Serve with a vegetable, bread, and a nice table wine.

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thanks

I’ll give it a try!

by littleboxes on Mar 7, 2009 1:16 PM CST reply actions

no problem...

…hope it goes well.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Mar 7, 2009 6:00 PM CST up reply actions

Gonna make this right now

Thanks!

by Rohan on Mar 7, 2009 3:23 PM CST reply actions

no problem..

…i hope you enjoy it.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Mar 7, 2009 6:00 PM CST up reply actions

Good luck tonight Wolves fans

It might be tough tho, the PTB are hungry for a win

"I'd rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are; because a
could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star. I'd rather be
a has-been than a might-have-been, by far; for a might-
have-been has never been, but a has was once an are." -- Milton Berle

by bow4meow on Mar 7, 2009 3:41 PM CST reply actions

Add some basil

by Auswolf on Mar 7, 2009 5:32 PM CST reply actions

mmmmm...

….basil. If I had some fresh basil I would have definitely added it to the mix with some garlic. Unfortunately, the Chia herb garden did not deliver as promised ;)

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Mar 7, 2009 6:02 PM CST up reply actions

The Liberal Media thinks you don't need all that water

From the NYT not that long ago:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25curi.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=cooking20pasta20in20less20water&st=cse

This will help save the planet, one (very) small step at a time.

I like my pasta boiled in a lot of water. The wife likes less.

Your dish sounds good. We’re being a bit more involved tonight — making my mom’s lasagna. Good times.

by Sterno on Mar 7, 2009 6:35 PM CST reply actions

Stupid liberal media...

….;)

BTW: one of the women he quotes in the article (Marcella Hazan) is the author of the must-have single volume on Italian Cooking.

It’s not quite up to the level of Julia Child’s French Cooking volume (i.e. the be-all/end-all of that particular style of cooking), but it’s close enough.

I’m glad the article makes note of the importance of pasta water. We reserve ours in the fridge and use it throughout the week. It’s something that everyone should have in their fridge: 4-6 oz of pasta water.

That being said, I’ll try the small water method next time to see how it turns out. The biggest problem here is the constant attention it requires. Typically, that’s right about the time you are bringing the entire meal together and you don’t have the time to be constantly stirring the pot.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Mar 7, 2009 7:28 PM CST up reply actions

I should also add...

….that the recipe for pork bolognese cooked in milk is worth the price of admission for Hazan’s Italian cookbook. I picked up my copy at 1/2 Price Books for about $10. They almost always have a copy when I go in there and look through the cookbook section.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Mar 7, 2009 7:30 PM CST up reply actions

Random thought for the off-(or on) season

I wonder if there wouldn’t be some interest amongst the Hoopus community for a one-time weekend pickup game? Seems like we have a lot of ballplayers on the site not too far from the TC. I’m a hack who just started playing again after a long hiatus, but wouldn’t mind an excuse to play more.

Something to talk about at Hoopus night at the wolves. . .

by Sterno on Mar 7, 2009 8:07 PM CST up reply actions

definitely....

…i think that would be a good idea.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Mar 7, 2009 8:25 PM CST up reply actions

And you know...

for a good ragu minced pork is the business. It’s a bit Hanoi meets Bologna, but still.

by Auswolf on Mar 7, 2009 8:53 PM CST up reply actions

It is delicious...

…BTW: what is the big foreign cuisine in your parts? I grew up in the south where everything was infused with TexMex. Is there a big Pacific Islander thing going on with Australian cuisine? Or is it more SE Asian?

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Mar 7, 2009 9:02 PM CST up reply actions

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