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Epicurious

Spaghetti con Cipolle

Diced onions mix well with fusilli and penne, so those are the pasta shapes most often used here, but you can use spaghetti if you prefer. Best with Spanish onions (the large yellow ones); add a handful of black olives if you like, too.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Salt to taste
2 medium to large (about 1 pound) onions, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup any tomato sauce (see page 606, for example)
Black pepper to taste
Hot red pepper flakes to taste
1 pound penne, fusilli, or long pasta such as spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Combine the onions and all but a tablespoon of the oil in a skillet with a lid. Add 1/2 cup water and turn the heat to medium-high. Cover and let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring two or three times. The onions should be browning but not becoming crisp. Uncover and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato sauce, along with some salt, pepper, and red pepper and keep warm.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, cook the pasta until it is tender but not mushy. Dress the pasta with the sauce, stir in the remaining oil, and serve with the Parmesan.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
TagsPastaSpaghettiItalianEuropeanOnionRoot VegetableVegetableParmesanCheeseDairyStarterDinnerNut FreeVegetarian5 Ingredients or Fewer30 Minutes or LessCookbooks
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