By Christine Salins.
Veloce is an Italian word meaning ‘quick’ so it should come as no surprise that most of the recipes in Pasta Veloce can be prepared in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
Pasta Veloce: Irresistibly Fast Recipes from Under the Tuscan Sun (published by Abrams, $50) is a collaboration between Under the Tuscan Sun author Frances Mayes and Food & Wine magazine editor Susan Wyler.
Wylie was hosting a dinner party at which Mayes was a guest, and all the guests were marvelling at a rich, irresistible (and very simple) lemon and pistachio linguine which Wylie had served.
“Before we poured the last drop of wine, we’d decided to write this book,” Mayes says in the introduction to Pasta Veloce (which incidentally includes the aforementioned linguine recipe).
Both Mayes and her co-author love improvising and so they had great fun coming up with inventive recipes as well as perfecting tried-and-true favourites.
Inspired by a new generation of chefs who respect their heritage but are breaking some of the rules, staples like pesto, for example, take on a new incarnation: one recipe thickens it with breadcrumbs rather than pine nuts, while another presents it as a blend of toasted almond and red pepper.
They devised shortcuts to classics like ragù and eggplant Parmigiana, and even took inspiration from secondi (traditional meat courses), adapting the dishes to pasta “because we often want pasta to be dinner, not just a first course”. Thus was born their Tagliatelle with duck confit and chestnuts, and their recipe for Spaghetti with filet mignon and herbed balsamic onions.
Mayes and her husband divide their time between North Carolina, USA, and Tuscany. Through her books – which also include Bella Tuscany, Every Day in Tuscany, Bringing Tuscany Home, and other titles – she transports readers to the charming Italian countryside.
There’s plenty of Italian scenery in Pasta Veloce too, as the recipes and Steven Rothfeld’s gorgeous food photography are interspersed with evocative images of people at the table, gathered in cafés, shopping at the market, hauling in a catch of fish, and so on.
Mayes says years of cooking with Tuscans has made her an admirer of their intrinsic instinct for spontaneity. “Because pasta provides the chance for countless innovations, there exist out in the ether thousands of recipes never committed to paper.
“Many Italians eat pasta every day – sometimes twice a day. With such frequency you get creative.”
Always a crowd pleaser, Penne with Vodka Sauce was hugely popular in trattorias in Italy for years before it took the world by storm in the 1980s. It remains as popular as ever. This very simple recipe can be dressed up with frozen peas and/or strips of prosciutto, or sauteed pancetta or mushrooms.
Penne with Vodka Sauce
Serves 4 to 6
340g penne
¾ cup (180 ml) vodka
1½ to 2 teaspoons crushed hot red pepper
4 tablespoons (60g / ½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1½ cups (360 ml) passata
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup (75 g) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until just al dente, 10 to 11 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the vodka, hot pepper, and butter. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil; continue to cook until the butter melts, about 3 minutes. Stir in the passata and cream. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Return to a boil.
Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Simmer in the sauce over low heat for 2 minutes. Add the cheese and toss to mix well. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe and image from: Pasta Veloce: Irresistibly Fast Recipes from Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes & Susan Wyler, published by Abrams, $50.
