RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Karen Selwyn Pasta: Cold Pasta with Tomato Sauce - pareve
I'm always learning something new! A few days ago, I posted a recipe for "Curried Macaroni Salad" with the caveat that I wasn't certain it was an example of Jewish cuisine, but it was a great pareve recipe for Lag B'Omer picnics. Imagine my shock and pleasure when I learned that my recipe was an example of fusion Jewish cuisine. Today, I came across an essay in Claudia Roden's cookbook, THE BOOK OF JEWISH FOOD, which explains that cold pasta salads are distinctly Italian Jewish cuisine. She writes, "When nobody in Italy was eating cold pasta, Jews were eating what is now known as pasta salad." What follows is an authentic example of cold Jewish pasta from Roden's book. The original recipe specifies tagliolini (thin tagliatelli) or spaghetini, and this makes sense when the dish was originally served as a cold Saturday meal. If you're going to use the recipe as a modern pasta salad, you might want to consider a shorter shpaed pasta. I think something like orecchiette "little ears" would work well. It's at the light end of pasta choices, and its shape is a cup for the sauce. The sauce is Venetian. Karen Selwyn * * * * * * * Cold Pasta with Tomato Sauce (Tagliolini Freddi alla Salsa di Pomodoro) 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tablespoons extra-vrigin olive oil 2 lbs. (1 kg) ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped OR 28 oz. (800 g) can peeled tomatoes, chopped peel of 1 lemon (optional) 2 tablespoons wine vinegar 3 teaspoons sugar salt a good pinch of cayenne or red chili powder a bunch of flat-leafed parsley or basil, chopped 1 lb (500 g) tagliolini (thin tagliatelle) or spaghettini Saute the garlic in the oil till just colored. Add the tomatoes, lemon peel, vinegar, sugar, salt and cayenne or chili powder. Simmer for about 25 mintes, or util the sauce is thick. Remove the lemon peel and add the flat-leafed parsley or basil. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until done al dente, and mix with the tomato sauce. Serve at room temperature.
