Spaghetti in Tomato-Apple Sauce Recipe
Vivia Cognani: From TV shows to cookbooks. A restaurant empire to gourmet
sauces. This chef has done it all. I am Vivia Cognani welcoming
you to Felidia in New York City where you can enjoy the flavors
of Italy. Today we are going to make spaghetti, but not with
traditional tomato sauce, so let us go behind the burner and meet
the chef.
So I am here with public television host of Lidia’s Italy, Lidia
Bastianich. Lidia you have a new book out, what is it about?
Lidia: It is Lidia cooks from the heart of Italy, and it is about Italian food
of course. But, you know Italy has 20 regions. So this book is
about 10 of those regions so the recipes are quite interesting and
the recipe that we are making today is tomato sauce with apples for
our spaghetti.
Vivia Cognani: I know, which is so interesting. I see the tomatoes, I see the apples
and like we are eating these together? So let’s get started.
Lidia: What you need of course, is a pot of boiling water, salt that we will
put the spaghetti.
Vivia Cognani: So you always salt your pasta water?
Lidia: I do. Never olive oil. Because when you put the pasta in there, the
pasta, there’s a little bit of starch that remains. And if you put oil,
the oil coats the pasta and the sauce slides off.
Vivia Cognani: And you just use a white onion?
Lidia: Yeah. Cut it in—diced it up into little pieces like this and the
celery the same. So what this will do is, that it will remain, it will
let texture to the sauce itself.
We let that simmer. We are using here some San Marzano whole
peeled tomatoes. Now, why they are good is because they have
thin skin, they have a lot of pulp, they have very few seeds. So the
seed is what makes the sauce bitter. And then you get into it and
you crushed like this, you see.
Vivia Cognani: Okay.
Lidia: This is great to do with your family. So this is a kind a floating
away, so I think now is about the time that we can throw in the
spaghetti. Dried pasta like this is made of a 100 percent semolina
flour, durum wheat, nothing else and water. So the durum wheat,
why is durum wheat is better? Because durum wheat is, that wheat
that has more glutens, more proteins in a way, so it really is
resilient in dried pasta. And what you need, is enough water
because more important about cooking pasta is that pasta sits in the
water then it begins to stick. So if you can imagine, if you have a
little water, you put a lot of pasta and everything sits in the bottom.
Vivia Cognani: Right so you need lots of water for that pasta to simmer.
Lidia; So, I am going to put this sauce right into the tomatoes.
Vivia Cognani: Of course that is a good tip do not loose that extra tomato sauce,
put some pasta water in it.
Lidia: We are going to have put you to work the apple. That is the
protagonist of today’s dish. I like the skin as well. And you just
give me good grading here. Now you could also dice it up.
Vivia Cognani: Right. But this is a lot easier.
Lidia: Yeah okay, so the apple goes right in. Now the pasta is al dente,
you can see how the pasta has that texture.
Vivia Cognani: It does. You can just tell by looking at it.
Lidia: Now, let us see, I am looking at this, and I say it is okay. Maybe
the pasta needs a little more cooking. It is a little too kind of --, so I
go back to the pasta water, and this is the kind of—you do not have
to fret “Oh do I put more butter, do I put stock” just plain pasta
water. Always say a little better.
Vivia Cognani: It does the job.
Lidia: You can drizzle a little bit of olive oil for me on top of the pasta,
right here.
Vivia Cognani: And I think it keeps a beautiful shine to the dish.
Lidia: Now I am going to just close the fire, put some oil a little bit,
Vivia Cognani: Apparently in was not generous enough with the oil. I was a little
stingy with the oil.
Lidia: And cheese. This is a Grana Padano, you see this embossment
here. To make sure that this is on the rind. Because this will ensure
that it’s traditional.
Vivia Cognani: From Italy.
Lidia: From Italy, Parmigiano Reggiano has the same thing the names on
it. You had the cheese, don’t be so stingy now.
Vivia Cognani: I love cheese. And this is the one thing I will not be stingy with, I
promise. Pieces of apple, pieces of San Marzano tomato getting in
there.
Lidia: Yeah, and you kind of make a nest. Because this way, plate warm,
the heat stays in there while you ridding it.
Vivia Cognani: A little bit celery, a little bit onions. And I am ready to eat.
Lidia: So am I.
Vivia Cognani: Let’s do it. Lidia this is my favorite part, we get to eat.
Lidia: Absolutely.
Vivia Cognani: I got to tell you this tastes out of the world. You get a little bit of
that nuttiness from the pasta. You are getting the apple, which is a
little bit tart and sweet and crunchy. The tomatoes are pretty sweet.
Lidia: The texture, I guess it’s the—between the tomatoes and the apple,
the interaction. You know, there is a double dose of acidity but
there’s the sweetness then also of the apples. So I think it’s
refreshing. I think kids would like it, certainly I have grandkids.
They love it.
Vivia Cognani: They do. I am sure they love all you’re cooking. So cheers Lidia.
Thank you so much for having me.
Lidia: [Foreign Language].
Vivia Cognani: Stay tuned to behind the burner. We’ll be giving you the tips, tricks
and techniques that are lighting the culinary world on fire. For the
recipe, Q&A, photos and more, visit behindtheburner.com
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