Penna Alla Rocca Recipes

PENNE ALLA PUTTANESCA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta and the sauce: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir, and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes less than what the box advises. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by heating oil in a skillet over low heat. Rinse the anchovies and the capers under cold water to remove the salt, then soak in a small bowl of water for several minutes. Remove the pits from the olives by quickly smashing them with the side of a knife, then fillet the anchovies by removing the backbone (the longer they're soaked, the easier this will be). Add the anchovies, capers, garlic, olives, and parsley to the skillet, and cook until the anchovies are broken up and the garlic is lightly browned. Using a fork or your hands, break up the tomatoes in a mixing bowl and add to the skillet. Simmer sauce for 1-2 minutes, then check for seasoning (sauce will be naturally salty) and adjust with pepper.
• Assemble the dish: Perform the pasta "marriage ceremony" by reserving 1 cup of the pasta water and draining the rest. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the pasta water and puttanesca sauce into the pot. Cook over low heat, gently tossing the pasta with the sauce for 2 minutes to allow it to marry with the sauce. The pasta should still be firm to the bite. Transfer to a platter or bowl, garnish with more chopped parsley, and serve.

PENNE ALLA BETSY

Steps:

• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the penne until al dente (firm yet tender). Drain and set aside.
• Begin by peeling and deveining the shrimp and rinsing them under cold water.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the shrimp. Stir and cook on both sides until just starting to turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and allow to cool slightly.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and onion. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Pour the wine into the pan if using. Stir and allow it to evaporate, about 45 seconds. Pour in the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the cream. Mmmm. Stir well to combine; reduce the heat to simmer.
• And now for the fun part: remove the tails from the shrimp, chop the shrimp into medium-size pieces and add them to the sauce. Stir gently to combine.
• Next, dump in the parsley and basil and stir. Add the cooked, drained pasta. Stir gently to coat. If the sauce is too thick, splash in a little milk to get it to the right consistency. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper. Be sure to taste the seasonings at the end, adjusting if necessary.
• Serve directly out of the skillet, or pour the contents of the skillet into a pretty serving bowl. Serve with crusty French bread - and more wine.

PENNE ALLA PANNA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a skillet.
• On a high heat, quickly fry the ham or prosciutto until starting to brown, keep stirring it continuously to stop it from burning.
• Turn down to a low heat or if cooking on an electric hob turn it off, pour in 250 ml of cream.
• Add the cayenne pepper and stir in the parmesan.
• If the sauce seems really thick add some more cream, the pasta shouldn't be dry, but neither should it swim in sauce.
• Stir in the pasta and serve straight away.