Seattle —
Food writer Julien Perry's new cookbook "Seattle Cooks" is a one stop shop for all you Seattle foodies out there. This unique book takes recipes from 40 of our areas top chefs like Tavolata's Ethan Stowell, Revel's Rachel Yang and many more. Today Vendemmia's Brian Clevenger showed us how to cook his famous simple spaghetti dish.
Simple Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce (recipe from Brian Clevenger)
Serves 3 to 4
Tip: Adding too much sauce to this dish will take away from the flavor of the pasta. Use just enough tomato sauce to coat the spaghetti.
TOMATO SAUCE
- 6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus extra to taste
- 2 small white onions, finely chopped
- 1 (28-oz) can high-acid plum tomatoes 'A cup fresh basil leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
In a nonreactive stockpot on medium heat, combine oil, garlic, and salt. Lightly cook the garlic. Remove and discard. Add onions and sauté for 4 minutes, or until translucent. Remove pot from heat. Add tomatoes, including liquid, to the pot and cook on medium-high heat for 35 to 40 minutes, until tomatoes break down and sauce has thickened. Be sure to stir frequently with a wooden spoon, touching the bottom of the pan so the sauce doesn't burn. Pass the sauce through a food mill, then stir basil into it. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.
PASTA
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 lb dried spaghetti
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
Pour tomato sauce into a large skillet. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook for 2 minutes, until it bends enough to fit in the skillet. Using tongs, transfer pasta to skillet, and then pour in 11/2 cups of pasta water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, gently stir to agitate the pasta, and cook for 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the pasta is firm to the bite and not yet al dente. (Add more pasta water, if necessary.) Stir in oil and basil leaves. Remove from heat. Season with salt,pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste.
Plating: Divide the spaghetti into three to four bowls and garnish with basil. Serve immediately.
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