Davide Oldani is owner and Executive Chef of Michelin star restaurant D’O in Cornaredo, a town in the outskirts of his native Milan. The award winning celebrity chef is one of the fifty ambassadors of Italian cuisine in the world, and is known as the creator of the Cucina POP (pop cuisine) based on simple and primary ingredients.
He shares his recipe for Spaghetti al Pomodoro, one of the most popular Italian dishes and a constant topic of debate for proper ingredients and cooking techniques.
Why, in your opinion, is Spaghetti al Pomodoro the most popular and famous pasta dish in Italy and globally?
The first thing that draws to it is the spaghetti shape. The freshness and quality of tasty Italian tomatoes comes next. It is also a good but inexpensive dish that makes economic sense for many restaurants.
Why does it represent a perfect dish from a Mediterranean diet perspective?
Pasta is good for you, respecting the right portions and not too much fatty dressing. When choosing good quality products and cooking them responsibly, pasta is perfect for a balanced nutrition. Furthermore, thanks to the Double Pyramid model promoted by Barilla, we know that pasta and tomatoes are food with a lower environmental impact compared to others. There are many recipes for the sauce. Some make a soffritto, others add just a clove of garlic. Some use basil in the sauce, others just for decoration.
There is even a popular version using butter. Which one is the most authentic?
I use the oldest and most classic method, now considered modern and futuristic. I cook the pasta in a big pot with just an inch of water for about 3oz of pasta. When the water is boiling, I ease down the pasta, and add more water when it is half cooked. I make sure that the spaghetti doesn’t need to be drained, preserving their starch and nutritional properties, and requiring less oil and condiments. At the end of the cooking time, I add previously blended and strained fresh tomatoes, for a creamy and tasty sauce that doesn’t need a soffritto (aromatic mix of onion, carrots and celery). I think the soffritto is part of an outdated cooking culture, while this technique gives you the goodness of the sauce thickened with the properties of the pasta. It is important to pay a lot of attention when cooking spaghetti with little water, stirring them gently without breaking them.
How do you finish the dish?
Once I carefully plate them, I add some mint or mentholated basil, possibly Italian, and a touch of taggiasche olives olive oil. This is what would call “Spaghetti Freschezza (freshness) al Pomodoro.”
What are the best tomatoes to use?
Fresh tomatoes that ripe in the warmest season, like datterini and San Marzano.
What do you recommend when good fresh tomatoes are not accessible?
Pelati (peeled tomatoes) and other canned sauce products contain a lot of water so it’s best to let the sauce reduce by making it simmer or even by using a pressure cooker, and then blend it and put it aside. The sauce can then be added on the pasta using the previously mentioned method.
Let's talk pasta: What is the best spaghetti size for spaghetti al pomodoro?
I use Barilla Spaghetti n.5. When choosing short pasta, I like the Barilla Mezzi Rigatoni.
When cooking the pasta traditionally, what are the rules?
Use abundant water and make sure that it is boiling well when putting in the pasta (coarse salt can be added when water boils). The pasta needs to be totally immersed and cooking in constantly boiling water.
How can you guarantee to cook the spaghetti al dente?
I am stating the obvious, but just follow exactly the timing in pasta box instructions. That is what I do when I want the correct cooking time, and if I need my pasta more al dente, I will remove it one minute earlier.
What are the common mistakes that people make when cooking pasta?
Put in the pasta and move away to do other tasks. When preparing the pasta, the table needs to be already set, people need to be already seated. No distractions are allowed, but it is only for a few minutes. Of course using oil in the pasta water is wrong and a waste, as it separates from water and gives a greasy result.
Do you like to top the pasta with grated cheese?
It depends. If I don’t serve cheese for appetizers, I would add a grated Grana Padano aged 27 months, otherwise I don’t use it.
Do you feel, like many Italians, that the “scarpetta” (cleaning the plate with a piece of bread) is the best way to finish the dish?
I don’t mind it with a good quality naturally fermented bread. Otherwise I use the utensils that I have designed called pasta lunga, perfect to twist the pasta and pick up all the sauce at every bite.
Photo by Mauro Crespi