Spaghetti alla Checca

I had this dish on my last trip and it reminded me of just how good this dish can be and how easy it is to prepare. A specialty of Naples, this is a typical example of Italian uncooked or "crudo" sauces. It's a perfect example of how very simple, flawless ingredients can create something incredible.

Ideally, it is best in the height of summer when the tomatoes are bursting, but it's not too hard to find good quality cherry tomatoes in the colder months, and summer is almost here, so why not give it a try? Its very good and best of all it's delicious and healthy.

Ingredients

2 cups cherry tomatoes sliced in half

1 small bunch basil, torn into pieces

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

2 tsp dried chili

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A few grindings of Black Pepper

1 lb dried Pasta

Parmesan Cheese, or suitable substitute
1 Anchovy fillet, minced - Optional
1/2 lb full milk Mozzarella or Barrata, cut into smallish chunks - Optional

Combine all ingredients except pasta in a glass bowl and cover and let rest for 1-2 hours. There is no need to refrigerate.

Boil water, add salt and prepare pasta to directions. Once done, drain and combine with sauce, add salt to taste and finish with a little additional Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Comments

Marlow and Son’s Butterbeans, Garlic Confit and Preserved Tomatoes

I first saw this recipe in Bon Appetit and was fascinated. It used interesting ingredients combined in a unique way and I had to try it. The recipe was given in response to an email from BA writer to Marlow chef Patch Troffer, but the recipe had no measurements and timing. After making it, I adjusted a few things and added quantities and timing and was very happy with the results. I ordered my dried beans from Rancho Gordo in Napa and they were excellent. To make it spectacular, you really do need to make the garlic confit and preserved tomatoes. They aren’t hard to make, but set aside a bit of time. Make a full recipe and then use the rest for other dishes. Garlic Confit 3 heads of Garlic, peeled and left whole. 3/4-1 cup Olive Oil 4 springs fresh Thyme 2 Bay Leaves 2 dried Chili Peppers Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and cook on barest simmer for 1-2 hours. (This broad cooking time is due to the fact that some garlic has more moisture

Norfolk Style Seafood

This is such a good recipe and so simple to make. The story behind this recipe is interesting. When I was a young boy, we used to go to a seafood restaurant in Washington DC called O'Donnell's. They had wonderful food, and most importantly, they had Buck. Buck was a gentle giant at 6' 2" and was always talking to me about his recipe. He had invented this style of cooking seafood and had even developed special pans which could be used over open flame and then it could be delivered to the tables still sizzling. He was rightfully very proud of this. After being there quite a few times, Buck shared his recipe with me and told me to keep it a secret. Since this was over 40 years ago, I guess I can reveal it now. Ingredients 1/2 lb Shrimp, Jumbo Lump Crab or Langoustines, raw and shelled 2 Tbsp Butter 2 cloves Garlic, chopped Dash of Old Bay Seasoning Juice of 1/2 Lemon Few dashes of Tabasco Splash of White Wine Salt and Black Pepper Heat your pan u

Golden Mountain Sauce

I love making Thai food at home, and I've always prided myself on getting that authentic Thai flavor, but if I’m completely honest, I have to admit it always seemed to be missing a little something. Well, I have found out what that little something was. It's called Golden Mountain Sauce and it has been called the "secret of Thai cooking" and has been used in Thailand for over 50 years. Use it as you would soy sauce, but mix it equal parts with fish sauce to get the real Thai flavor. Here is the perfect dish to try it out. Gai Pad Prik Grapao/Chicken with Hot Chilies and Basil Thais’ love fresh basil, and use many different types. Most of us are familiar with Sweet Basil, and this is easy to find in any market. However, it’s the “Holy Basil”, known as Bai Grapao, which is the most flavorful and authentic. This basil has an anise type of flavor and gives this dish an amazing flavor and dimension that just doesn’t taste the same with sweet basil.

The Louisville Chef

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