Velvet Pasta, aka Pasta al Pomodoro

Oh, I have so many many things to say about this innocent looking plate of pasta with tomato sauce, so hunker down with me for a little while.

First of all, I got it from the latest edition of the magazine Bon Appetit.  Now, I am a long-time friend of Bon Appetit.  I was with them back in the good old days, when they published more fabulous recipes than I could keep up with.  Then...as sometimes happens with long-term relationships, things got rocky.  (Note to Southern husband: I'm not talking about you, honey.  You are still the peas to my carrots and you always will be.)  Bon Appetit on the other hand...well, they got a little too fancy for a home cook like me.  I let my subscription lapse.  And then...there was a new editor-in-chief in town, and this May the new Bon Appetit launched, with this pasta dish on the cover.  And folks, I'm once again hooked...there are probably 10 different recipes from this issue that have migrated to the top of my "to-make" pile.  But what really sucked me in was their "Pasta Manifesto" - all the things you need to know to make perfect pasta.

Well, okay!  There's nothing that gets my attention like an article that suggests..with real, actual, concrete advice...that pasta can be made better.  So I jumped in with this recipe that claimed to be the silkiest pasta sauce ever.  And you know what?  It was.  The Southern husband actually decided that "silky" wasn't a good enough adjective for the wonderfulness...that it really should be called "Velvet Pasta."   Comments like that on an ordinary Monday night are when you know you have a hit on your hands.

The basics of this one are: you need to really salt the water before you add the pasta.  We aren't using enough salt in the water, people!  You need to undercook the pasta a little, and then finish cooking it IN THE SAUCE.  It makes total sense if you think about it.  There are a few other things about using some of the salty pasta water to thin the sauce, and adding a little butter at the end, and a few others that added up to a simple tomato sauce with pasta that was, well...velvet.

So what have I learned?

1. Salt the water.  Really salt it.  No fear.

2. Finish cooking the pasta for the last two minutes in the sauce.  I'm never going back.

3. Have faith that your favorite magazine/television show/etc. will come to its senses and get better.  Between Bon Appetit and this season's American Idol, I'm beginning to think anything is possible.

4. If you think your first shot isn't working, ignore your ravenous family, dump it on a new plate, take it outside and photograph it again.  Pasta reheats just fine.

I think my work is done here.  :)

Pasta al Pomodoro, from the fabulous new Bon Appetit

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 28 oz. can peeled tomatoes, puréed in a food processor
Kosher salt
3 large fresh basil sprigs
12 oz. bucatini or spaghetti
2 Tbsp. cubed unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino


1. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-low heat. Add minced onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 2-4 minutes. Add crushed red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute more.
2. Increase heat to medium, add puréed tomatoes and season lightly with kosher salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly and the flavors meld, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir in basil sprigs, and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a 5-qt. pot. Season with salt; add spaghetti or bucatini and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
4. Discard basil and heat skillet over high heat. Stir in reserved pasta water to loosen sauce; bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes.
5. Remove pan from heat; add butter and cheese; toss until cheese melts. Transfer to warm bowls; serve with more cheese, if desired. (Personally, I desired.  Just saying.)

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