This is another of Marcella's famous dishes. The way people rave on about it on blogs and the rest you would think it was the second coming. I thought I would give it a go, although part of me was scared of the butter.
Once I had all the ingredients it was simply a matter of throwing them in the pot. Well, peeling the onion and cutting it in half first.
My that is a lot of butter.
That's pretty well it. It simmers away for a while. The taste was pretty poor until the last few minutes, and then it seemed to come together in the end - good enough perhaps for it to be eaten out of the pot, as Marcella promises.
Of course I needed the pasta. Spaghetti I think.
And a bit of parmesan cheese.
The final product was very rich, and I must say, not as enjoyable as my other pasta dishes. I won't be making it again, at least to eat as a main course. Or even a first course. I might try again with better tomatoes, and perhaps as a sauce for gnocchi. But I must say quite disappointing I'm afraid. Pity.
This is another of Marcella's famous dishes. The way people rave on about it on blogs and the rest you would think it was the second coming. I thought I would give it a go, although part of me was scared of the butter.
Once I had all the ingredients it was simply a matter of throwing them in the pot. Well, peeling the onion and cutting it in half first.
My that is a lot of butter.
That's pretty well it. It simmers away for a while. The taste was pretty poor until the last few minutes, and then it seemed to come together in the end - good enough perhaps for it to be eaten out of the pot, as Marcella promises.
Of course I needed the pasta. Spaghetti I think.
And a bit of parmesan cheese.
The final product was very rich, and I must say, not as enjoyable as my other pasta dishes. I won't be making it again, at least to eat as a main course. Or even a first course. I might try again with better tomatoes, and perhaps as a sauce for gnocchi. But I must say quite disappointing I'm afraid. Pity.
I like Marcella Hazan's cooking books very, very much. I lived in Italy until was ten, then the whole family moved to Sydney. I just wanted to say that, when I saw what pasta you were using, I nearly had a heart attack. I really don't want to comment (and I hope the company doesn't see this) but basically Zafarelli pasta is very poor quality pasta (ehm, it's sh*t...). Golden rule when buying pasta: choose Italian imported (look at the back of the packet, see where it comes from). But I just talked to my mother, and she says it varies tremendously even with Italian pasta. "Barilla" is the standard mainstream version of pasta in Italy, the biggest company, and you can get it in Woolworths. A bit like Heinz and baked beans. But my mother isn't quite sure if Italians in Italy find it acceptable enough. She would have to ask family back home. Well, I've probably confused you more than helped. All I can say (and we all share this in our family), when we put a mouthful of al dente pasta in our mouths, after a few chews, we know whether it's acceptable pasta or rubbish. Rubbish pasta ruins the whole dish completely. Best for your cooking!
ReplyDeleteHey thanks if you can find out what is the best brand I will buy it. Anyone else care to comment?
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Adli supermarket brand is quite good. And cheap. Don't know if you have it in Brisbane. Just splurge on an expensive packet of "Barilla' spaghetti brand at Woolwoths, and see if you can taste any difference.Then try other brands that are cheaper and taste the same. And yes, I noticed that you use La Ginacanned tomatoes. They're good, in my opinion. And don't worry about "al dente" all that much. Italians like it a little, a lot, or in between. But never overcooked so it loses all bite. Have fun!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aldi.com.au/au/html/product_range/2744_8609.htm
ReplyDeleteMum asked a couple of Italian friends, and they said "De Cecco" is the best. i think it's quite expensive.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.arquilla.com/category/40
That's it, I think I have fully covered every bleedin' aspect of what pasta brand to use. Now for the proper sea salt to use in the water? (joke!)
Thanks. I use Marldon (?) Sea Salt. I'll buy some of that pasta and try.
ReplyDelete