Food is unifying. Everyone needs it to live. Everyone can enjoy it.
Besides enjoying eating (which I certainly do), the next step is to understand how to cook and provide for ourselves.
We start with recipes, but where do they come from?
The most fundamental recipes of any cuisine have been passed down from generation to generation, sometimes in writing, sometimes by word of mouth and physical demonstration.
This recipe comes from the latter:
I come from a large Italian-American family. Almost all the Italians who immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century came from Southern Italy, where it is not (and certainly was not at the time) as economically prosperous. This is why Italian-American food is representative of Southern Italian cultures. My grandfather’s parents came from Ortona de Marsi in Abruzzo, Italy and my grandmother’s parents came from Montemilone in Basilicata, Italy. I am so fortunate to have been able to visit these villages with my family to better connect with our heritage.
I try to be meticulous whenever I cook pasta. If I don’t get it right then how can I call myself (half) Italian-American? The following is my own recipe that I have adapted from learning from my Mom, Uncle, and Grandfather, who all learned from my Grandmother, who learned from her mother, and so on. There will be no specific measurements, only approximations.
You will need:
- Between two and four grams of salt pork or bacon (leave this out if you are vegetarian/vegan)
- Some garlic cloves (go on, add one more!)
- Fresh Parsley (though dried will do), chopped
- Cannolini Beans (or some kind of white bean), drained
- Tomatoes (I used a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes, but three medium sized tomatoes would work)
- A bitter green (last night I used arugula, but it is also great with escarole, kale, spinach, or any combination)
- Grated parmesan cheese (another thing to leave out if you’re vegan)
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
- One pound of pasta (or however much you want to make)
- One frying pan
- One big pasta pot filled with salted boiling water
The Procedure:
- First cut the salt pork into the smallest pieces possible. This is easier if it is frozen.
- Heat up the pan on medium and and brown the pork
- Add some red pepper flakes to the pork so the spice can marinate with the meat.
- Once the pork is browned, lower the heat and add some olive oil.
- Mince the garlic cloves, and add them to the pan. Make sure you don’t burn the garlic.
- Did I mention don’t burn the garlic?
- Add your tomatoes to the pan and turn the heat back to medium.
- Add the drained beans to pan.
- Add the greens!
- Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
- Bring your water to boil and make sure to salt it.
- Add the pasta and cook it to al dente (so the pasta has a bit of chew to it).
- Save a cup of pasta water for later and then drain the pasta.
- Mix the pasta together with the contents of your pan, add the fresh parsley and grated cheese, and it is ready to serve! If your pasta is dry, add some of the pasta water that you set aside earlier.
This is the meal I make for myself when I want to cook on auto-pilot. I think it is delicious and it directly connects me with my heritage. All you have to do to make this recipe vegan friendly is to forget the cheese and to skip the salt pork. Just start with olive oil and garlic and go from there!
Communal eating is one of the best feelings because everyone can participate and share the experience. I love to cook and eat with friends and family. Give this pasta a try and send me a picture of the results! I would love to share this experience with you.
What recipes are important to you and why? What kinds of foods do you connect with? I am always looking to learn more and try new things.
Happy creating.
