This Recipe is part of the Spaghetti, 5 Ways Easy Dinners Menu
It’s fun to watch people’s reactions when this pasta present is served at the restaurant. As the parcel is opened and the aroma floats from table to table, people get curious and start talking. Even if they’ve already ordered or enjoyed their meal, they’ll often just have to try this dish. Serve this on a rainy day to warm your soul.
Ingredients
1 lb spaghetti
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed, stuck with a toothpick for easy removal
2–3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
3 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley
3 cups tomato sauce
1 tsp chili flakes
6 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup sliced black olives
12 fresh basil leaves, torn
Directions
1. 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.
2. In a clean large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil and sauté the garlic until it’s golden brown. Remove it from the pan, discard and add the anchovies. Cook them until they’ve dissolved.
3. Stir in the Italian parsley. Don’t be shocked when it sizzles! Add the tomato sauce and chili flakes and cook them for 3 minutes on high heat. Add the tomato concasse, olives and reserved spaghetti.
4. Cook the sauce and pasta for 3 minutes to combine the flavours and to reduce the sauce slightly. Cool for 5 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Pour the spaghetti and sauce on the prepared baking sheet and top it with the basil leaves. Bring the paper edges together, fold them and twist the ends to create a sealed package.
7. Bake for 10 minutes until the paper is golden brown. Transfer the package to a large platter and open it at the table.
Serves 6–8
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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