corner view

corner view :: before and after

Before 

After

You can find my husband's "recipe" for this very simple but very tasty pasta in this previous post:  Spaghetti al Pomodoro (after). Who knew that a can of tomatoes (before) could ever taste so good? We like the Cirio brand best; if you can't find it, then look for San Marzano variety of tomatoes. The tomatoes are key to this recipe.


Corner View is a weekly appointment shared by people around the globe, an appointment started in the spring of 2009 by Jane in Spain and currently hosted by Francesca over at Fuori Borgo. We welcome you to join us.

pesto: the taste of summer

It was Francesca who first inspired me to mix up a batch of pesto, and while I consult her original pesto post each summer, I now have the confidence to  judge the proportions according to my taste buds. Traditional pesto is a combination of fresh basil leaves, Parmigiano Reggiano, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil.  I use Grana Padano instead of parmesan because it's the hard cheese made in these parts, specifically down the road at the caseficio in Ponte di Barbarano.

This summer I never managed to get basil plants going well before the great summer stateside visit, but as soon as I returned I bought four small organic plants from a farm in Padova at my local grocery store, for less than 2 Euro a plant.  They are thriving in this hotter-than-hot August heat, and I've already "harvested" enough leaves for a couple of rounds of pesto, with several more to go.

We usually enjoy it with pasta (trofie) or as a savory spread on bread, and then I freeze the rest in an ice tray. After several hours in the freezer when the pesto cubes are good and frozen, I pop them out of the tray and place them into a freezer bag: "fresh" pesto, the taste of summer, all winter long...oh yes! It also keeps well for a bit in the fridge in a glass jar, with the top layer covered in olive oil.

So what are you waiting for?! I bet it would be a great addition to your summer menu as well.

spaghetti al pomodoro: simple and good, every single time

A couple of years ago we were on a ski trip with a rather large group of friends when the task of preparing dinner for the children was passed along to us one evening. I clearly remember the chuckle and the glance Richard and I shared as one of the other fathers proceeded to tell us how to prepare a spaghetti dinner for ten children. A father of three in a family that is always on the move, he considered us lightweights in large group meal preparation with our only child as our only experience...that and his sons are bottomless.  He began, "Get a few jars of spaghetti sauce from the commissary," and I let him continue before assuring him that we had it under control.

I don't remember exactly what Richard prepared that evening, but I can assure you that it did not begin with a can or jar of spaghetti sauce from any store. It's so easy to make a simple sauce with either fresh tomatoes or a can of good tomatoes.

Following is a series of images of one of his quick and easy pasta sauces: Spaghetti al Pomodoro.  Likely he learned it from some woman or another from Southern Italy. I didn't ask. 

Cover the bottom of a heavy pot with extra virgin olive oil and sautee a bit of garlic before adding the can of tomatoes.

Break up the tomatoes. A potato masher works nicely, but you can achieve it with a wooden spoon as well. Add a bit of fresh basil and just let it cook for a bit before tossing with pasta al dente. You can add a bit of salt if needed.

Ingredients:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic
A Can of Good Peeled Plum Tomatoes (We like the Cirio brand best; if you can't find it, then look for San Marzano variety of tomatoes. The tomatoes are key to this recipe.)
Fresh Basil
Pasta (Cooked al Dente)

This is so simple and so good. Trust me.
Hungry yet?