Cucina del Sole A Celebration of Southern Italian Cooking Spaghetti alle Olive Verde Spaghetti with Green Olives and Lemon Zest Serves 4 to 6 This Pugliese pasta is quick and easy, relying on the kinds of ingredients good cooks have on hand. Ingredients: 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, sliced 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs, preferably homemade (page 139) 1/4 to 1⁄3 cup well-drained canned tuna, preferably oil-packed 2 tablespoons capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup mixed flat-leaf parsley and fresh basil leaves 2⁄3 cup coarsely chopped pitted green olives (about 1 pound with pits) Sea salt Crumbled dried red chili 1 pound spaghetti Grated zest of 1 lemon, preferably organic Instructions: Combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the garlic in a small skillet and cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic starts to turn golden. Remove the garlic slices from the oil and discard. Add the bread crumbs to the oil in the pan and toast, stirring frequently, until the crumbs are golden and crisp. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a food processor, combine the tuna, capers, parsley, and basil with the chopped olives. Process briefly to make a coarse paste, then add 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil and process again. Taste and add salt if necessary (the olives may provide enough salt) and chili to taste. Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil, add sea salt and the spaghetti, and boil rapidly until the pasta is done. Drain, turn into a bowl, and dress immediately with the olive paste. Toss it to mix the paste throughout, then add the grated lemon zest and toss again. Finally, top the spaghetti with the toasted bread crumbs and serve immediately. Pasta del Principe Spaghetti with Green Herbs and Crumbled Tuna Serves 4 to 6 I found this quick and easy pasta dish in the Monte Iblei, the mountainous region inland from Siracusa in southeastern Sicily, although no one could tell me why such a humble dish would be called "the prince's pasta." It leads to romantic daydreams of some rustic Cinderella preparing this for a hungry prince and thereby winning his heart, but that is not a very likely Sicilian story. Ingredients: 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 garlic cloves, chopped Sea salt 2 or 3 anchovy fillets, chopped 1⁄3 cup dry bread crumbs, preferably homemade 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably from the Monte Iblei 1⁄3 cup drained canned tuna, preferably oil-packed Grated zest of 1⁄2 lemon, preferably organic 1 pound spaghetti Freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted almonds Instructions: Combine in a mortar the mint, parsley, and garlic with a small pinch of salt. Work together to make a creamy paste, as you would a pesto (see page 145). Add the anchovies and continue working until the anchovy bits are incorporated. In a small saucepan, toast the bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, stirring, until the crumbs are crisp and golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a serving bowl large enough to hold the pasta, break up the tuna with a fork to make a coarse paste, as if you were making tuna salad. Blend in the herb-anchovy mixture, along with the remaining olive oil, using only as much oil as you need to make a thick sauce. Stir in the lemon zest. If you are going to be using the sauce right away, add the bread crumbs now. If not, wait until the pasta is done before adding the bread crumbs; otherwise they may get soggy. Taste and add more salt if necessary and several grinds of black pepper. Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil, add a tablespoon or so of salt, and turn in the spaghetti. Cook until the pasta is done. Just before draining the pasta, remove a ladleful of hot pasta water and stir it into the sauce in the bowl. Drain the pasta and quickly turn into the sauce, stirring and tossing. When the pasta and sauce are well mixed, sprinkle with the almonds and serve immediately. Cucina del Sole A Celebration of Southern Italian Cooking . Copyright © by Nancy Harmon Jenkins. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold. Excerpted from Cucina del Sole: A Celebration of Southern Italian Cooking by Nancy Harmon Jenkins All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
