Strangozzi with Tomato-Bacon Sauce
Like pasta itself, tomato sauces for pasta come in endless varieties. This one gets a depth of flavor from vegetable pestata and good bacon. The recipe makes enough sauce to dress two batches of pasta. Use half on fresh strangozzi, and pack up half for a future meal: it will keep in the freezer for 4 to 6 weeks and will be wonderful on any pasta you choose.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 7 to 8 cups, enough for 2 batches strangozzi or 2 pounds dried pasta, serving 12
Ingredients
FOR THE SAUCE (A DOUBLE BATCH)
FOR COOKING AND DRESSING THE PASTA (A SINGLE BATCH)
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
Preparation
Step 1
Drop the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic into the food processor, and mince finely to an even-textured pestata. Slice the bacon strips crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.
Step 2
Pour the olive oil into the big skillet, and set it over medium-high heat. Scatter in the bacon pieces, and cook them, stirring occasionally, until they’ve rendered much of their fat, about 4 minutes. Push aside the bacon, and spread the pestata in a clear space in the skillet; let it cook in the hot spot, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or so. As the vegetables wilt and dry, sprinkle the peperoncino in the hot spot and let it toast.
Step 3
When the pestata just begins to stick to the pan bottom, pour in the tomatoes and 2 cups of slosh water (used to rinse the tomato cans and bowl). Stir in the marjoram, basil sprigs, and salt, and bring the tomatoes to a boil over high heat; adjust the flame to maintain a steady bubbling simmer. Cook the sauce, uncovered, for about 1/2 hour, until it has good flavor and is reduced to a consistency you like for dressing pasta.
Step 4
You can use some of the sauce right away—you’ll need half of it to dress strangozzi—or let it cool, then refrigerate or freeze for later use.
Step 5
For cooking and dressing strangozzi: Bring a large pot of well-salted water (at least 6 quarts water with 1 tablespoon salt) to a rolling boil. Heat half the tomato-bacon sauce, about 3 1/2 cups, to a bare simmer in a wide skillet or sauté pan (if you’ve just made the sauce, use the same pan). If the sauce has cooled and thickened, loosen it with some of the pasta water.
Step 6
Shake any excess flour from the nests of strangozzi, and drop all the pasta into the pot, stirring and separating the strands. Rapidly return the water to a rolling boil, and cook the strangozzi for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until barely al dente.
Step 7
Lift out the pasta quickly, let it drain for a moment, and drop it into the simmering sauce. Over low heat, toss strangozzi and sauce together for a minute or two, until all the strands are coated and perfectly al dente. (Thin the sauce, if necessary, with hot pasta water, or thicken it quickly over higher heat.)
Step 8
Turn off the heat, sprinkle a cup or so of grated cheese over the strangozzi, and toss well. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, toss again, and heap the pasta in warm bowls. Serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table.
