From his New York City home, Chef Michele Casadei Massari chatted with Editor-in-Chief Maddalena Fossati for a weekend episode of the #BUTTALAPASTA Instagram series.
When he arrived in New York City from Bologna, Italy, eleven years ago, Chef Massari sold pasta and cappuccinos on the street. He now owns several cafés and a restaurant in the Upper West Side neighborhood, Lucciola, which remains open for takeout, wine delivery, and virtual aperitivo.
For the recipe of this episode, Chef Massari showed us how to master the symbol of Italian food in the U.S.: Spaghetti al Pomodoro.
Chef Massari’s version involves a delicious discovery– crispy shallots– and activation of certain senses. Listen to the tomatoes simmering, says Chef Massari. This can indicate when the sauce is ready, more than watching and tasting.
But techniques aside, Chef Massari reminded us of the reasons we make spaghetti.
“Pasta is a meal you want to have every day,” he said. “It’s so joyful! It’s family!”
Spaghetti al Pomodoro by Chef Michele Casadei Massari
Ingredients:
Chef Massari uses six ingredients: spaghetti, salt, olive oil, shallots or onions, Parmigiano Reggiano (aged 24 months), and tomatoes (fresh, canned or puréed.)
More tips: Make sure to smell the olive oil rather than judge solely by its color. Use a good salt that’s natural and not loaded with chemicals.
Method:
Sauté the chopped onions or shallots in a pan with olive oil until brown. Remove the pan from heat and separate the onions from the olive oil with a strainer. Set aside the olive oil. Pour hot water on top of the onions to create an infusion and massage them with a spoon. Separate the onions from the water and place them on a tray in the oven to make them crispy and warm. Save the onion water.
Combine tomatoes, onion-infused olive oil and onion water into a pan. Let them simmer, but not for too long. Make sure to listen to the sound of the tomatoes to ensure they don’t overcook. (They should never be so hot they splatter, but sound “delicate.”) Their smell will indicate if more salt is needed. For consistency, stir to see if the tomatoes congeal or separate. If they separate, turn up the heat a bit to evaporate some of the water.
Cook the spaghetti for one minute less than the suggested cook time in salted water and set aside a little bit of pasta water. Add the strained spaghetti into the pan with the tomatoes, but do not stir yet. The spaghetti should start to absorb the tomato sauce. Add a little bit of pasta water for salt and hydration, so that the spaghetti keeps cooking for 2-3 minutes. Take two forks and move the spaghetti in circles, pulling the pasta from the bottom to the top. It’s ready when the sauce sticks to the spaghetti –it should not slide off.
Take the crispy onions or shallots out of the oven and sprinkle on top of the spaghetti. Grate Parmigiano Reggiano on top, and you are ready to go!