Easy Peasy: Spaghetti Amatriciana
This week I read a little factoid (in the LA Times, maybe, I can't remember) that people today spend about 15 minutes making dinner. Soon it will be 10 minutes. To me this means reheating prepared foods is becoming the norm.
I cook 5-6 nights per week. But contrary to popular belief, I promise, I don't make rabbit sausage every night. Everyone needs to have some easy stuff in their repertoire. Here's one of my favorites. What's your easy-peasy dish?
Spaghetti Amatriciana
A 1-lb. box of spaghetti
Bacon
Onion
Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes
Crushed red pepped (optional)
Salt
Put some salted water with a dribble of olive oil on to boil.
Dice some bacon (oh, I'd say 3 strips, more or less to your taste), or pancetta, or (my favorite) guanciale. Put it in a sauté pan over med. to med. high heat and let the fat melt a little.
Dice one small yellow onion (or if you shop where I do and they only carry enormous yellow onions, half of one.) Add these to your bacon and sauté until they get some color on them (or not if you don't have the time).
If you wish, add some crushed red pepper for spice.
Drain a large (28-32 oz) can of whole peeled tomatoes*. Dice them. Add them to your onions and bacon. Salt, to taste. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Boil your spaghetti, then drain it and return it to the pasta pot. Pour the sauce over it and mix it up. Plate it and grate some parmesan over it if that sounds good to you.
And there you go! Dinner.
*NOTE: I like my pasta sauce not too sauce-y. If you prefer it saucier, drain the tomato juice from the can into your onions and bacon, then chop the whole tomatoes, etc.
