Pasta in the West may have first been worked into long, thin
forms in Sicily around the 12th century, as the Tabula Rogeriana of Muhammad
al-Idrisi attested, reporting some traditions about the Sicilian kingdom. In
the 5th century AD, it was known that pasta could be cooked through boiling.
The popularity of spaghetti spread throughout Italy after the establishment of
spaghetti factories in the 19th century, enabling the mass production of
spaghetti for the Italian market.
In the United States around the end of the 19th century,
spaghetti was offered in restaurants as Spaghetti Italienne (which likely
consisted of noodles cooked past al dente, and a mild tomato sauce flavored
with easily found spices and vegetables such as cloves, bay leaves, and garlic)
and it was not until decades later that it came to be commonly prepared with
oregano or basil.
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| ingredients: 1 pac dried long pasta 1/2 cup olive oil 4 medium garlic cloves Paprika 1 tsp. salt Freshly ground black pepper Red pepper flakes (optional) 1 or 2 Tblsp. minced fresh herbs such as parsley, fresh oregano or a mixture (optional) Freshly grated Parmesan (pass separately) | direction: 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta al dente and drain, saving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. 2. While the pasta is cooking, gently warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan, add the garlic either slivered or minced and heat just until the garlic turns golden. If are using the red pepper flakes, add them here. 3. Remove garlic or not according to your taste. Set oil aside until pasta is drained . 4. Place oil back on medium low flame and toss pasta, in the sauté pan, with salt until well coated. If the pasta seems dry add dribbles of the pasta water. 5. Add herbs and just heat through. Serve immediately with a good grind of black pepper, and pass the grated cheese at table. I also like to have a cruet of olive oil on the table so diners may add a drizzle if they wish. Altitude Adjustment: Cooking pasta at elevations over 2500 feet requires lots of water and some patience as it will take longer, since water boils at a lower temperature. Do not make the mistake of covering the pot. Keep the flame high and start testing at about 12 minutes. |
