Friday Finds: Scented Spaghetti

Happy Friday to you-- and happy birthday weekend to me!

If you have followed this blog for any amount of time, you know that pasta holds a very special place in my heart. Like, the most special place of any food out there. And since it's my birthday weekend (and that means it is all about me) and since it's been a minute since I shared a pasta recipe here I figured it was high time for one. I also didn't want you to think that I was going all no carb on you...

This recipe comes from Za Za's Trattoria of Florence and His Recipes of Typical Tuscan Cooking by Stefano Bondi, the cookbook I picked up at one of my favorite spots in Florence, Italy. All of the recipes in this cookbook are for simple, flavorful, and classic Tuscan dishes. This dish is an interesting spin on your standard spaghetti and marinara. The flavor of basic canned tomatoes are kicked up a few notches with the addition of prosciutto, garlic, herbs, and white wine. I think that these fragrant additions to the sauce are likely where the dish gets its name of scented spaghetti from. The pan sauce comes together quickly and the pasta would be great on its own as a simple main dish (which is how we ate it) or as a flavorful side dish to a simply sauteed protein entree like chicken, shrimp, or Italian sausage.

Ingredients:

• 14 oz. uncooked spaghetti
• 2.5 oz. prosciutto
• 15 fresh basil leaves
• 4 fresh sage leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 10 oz. canned tomatoes *I forgot to buy these and ended up running to the convenience store. They had canned crushed tomatoes, which actually worked well. Petite Diced would probably also work well.
• 1 Tbs. butter
• 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Prepare a paste of the chopped prosciutto, sage, garlic, and basil and saute the mixture in a skillet with butter and oil, over low heat for approximately four minutes until it is just beginning to brown. Next add the white wine, let it evaporate, and then add the canned tomatoes, 2 Tbs. of hot water, lower the heat, simmer and taste to correct for salt and pepper. Cook the spaghetti "al dente," drain and pour directly into the skillet with the tomato sauce, add the grated Parmesan. Stir to combine over low heat and serve.