This Recipe is part of the Spaghetti, 5 Ways Easy Dinners Menu
I created this recipe late one night after I’d been cooking for hours for everyone else. We used to call it Spaghetti Trasteverini, to honour its Roman roots, and provided a full description of it on the menu. It wasn’t until we wrote “for Italians only,” though, that it became wildly popular. I guess everyone wants to be Italian. This is by far the most requested recipe at our restaurants. My brother Mario still claims that this is his recipe. I’m happy to agree with him just to keep the peace. But we all know the truth. Right, Mario?
Ingredients
1/2 cup black turtle beans, uncooked (method following), or 3/4 cup cooked
1 lb spaghetti
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or enough to cover the bottom of a pan to 1/4-inch
2 tbsp roughly chopped Italian parsley
1 lb ground chicken breast
2 tbsp finely minced garlic
2 tsp chili flakes
1 cup tomato sauce
Salt
Directions
1. If beans are uncooked pick over them and rinse them under cold running water. Place them in a bowl, cover them with water and soak them overnight in the fridge.
2. Drain the beans then add them to a saucepan, cover them with fresh water and bring to a boil. Simmer them for 20 minutes, or until cooked and tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the age of the beans. You should have ¾ cup of cooked beans.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente (package directions minus 2 minutes). Drain the spaghetti and set it aside. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add the parsley and sauté it until it sizzles and is crisp. Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the chicken and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chili flakes and cooked black beans. Keep stirring for 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and stir the ingredients vigorously. Add a pinch of salt and the cooked pasta. Stir well and serve immediately in warm bowls.
Note: If you’re making this recipe for 6 people be sure to use a large enough sauté pan. Timing and temperature are key in this recipe so you need enough space to stir everything quickly.
Serves 6
Excerpted from Mangia with Quattro by Antonio Corsi with Patrick Corsi and Tanis Tsisserv. Copyright © 2009 by Antonio Corsi with Patrick Corsi and Tanis Tsisserv. Excerpted by permission of Whitecap Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the book!
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