Note: Lulu’s carrot soup recipe will be shared next Wednesday. Shit
I feel like everyone’s dad has a specialty dish. And I’ll just say this. My father’s spaghetti is the best. At least, it’s a great drink this time of year. It’s warm, salty, flavorful and comforting. When the first week of January rolls around, the desire hits me like clockwork and my dad would claim that I liked it simply because he made it for me, but in this case, that’s not true. My dad passed away 11 months ago and I’m still feeling deep sadness, but I can tell you that I love this pasta just as much when I make it myself. Sorry, Dad!
The recipe itself is simple, even suspiciously so. Garlic, crushed tomatoes, olive oil, and salt. Still, it took years of practice and many phone calls to get it right. I couldn’t understand how my father could take such basic ingredients and create a sauce that looked like nothing was sprinkled on top of spaghetti, yet bursted with such depth of flavor. It was like a magic trick.
In fact, there are two tricks to making this pasta. Both are decidedly mediocre, but the ratios and cooking temperatures. The proportions are ridiculous – you end up using so much garlic. It’s more than that. No more. So, do you get this? It won’t turn brown. It didn’t turn on the flame until the end, and I could barely turn the knob. You’ll feel completely wrong while doing it. The day I finally perfected this dish was the day I ignored all my cooking instincts and just did what my dad told me to do. It’s not always the right thing to do, but sometimes it is.
dad’s spaghetti
8-10 cloves of garlic (I told you so)
3/4 cup olive oil, or a little more
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (no basil), ideally Red Pack or Cento
1 box of cappellini
salt for pasta water
Dad’s Note: The first thing my dad will tell you is that you have to buy good quality canned tomatoes, ideally Red Pak or Cento. He reiterated this advice because it is important. Understood? wonderful. The next thing he says is that cappellini is not the same thing as angel hair and that angel hair is too thin.
Chop or press the garlic. If your cloves are smaller, be sure to use 10. You need enough garlic. Add to the pot with the olive oil (do not turn on the heat yet). There should be enough oil to completely cover the garlic.
Put the crushed tomatoes in the pot now Reduce heat. Let it hang out there for a while to warm up, but not boiling. You may need to reduce the heat to medium-low, but don’t let it boil. Again, this sauce is actually “cooking” rather than “heating.” The flavor melts and the garlic mellows, but it still has a firm bite even after you’ve finished eating. Gently move the sauce around occasionally with a wooden spoon to coat it with the oil. However, it doesn’t blend in completely (this is also a proportional key!).
While the sauce is heating, boil the pasta in salted water. When I say “salty” I mean a few more shakes than normal. No salt is added to the sauce, so balance is key with salty pasta. Boil the pasta until just done al dente (The cappellini will cook in about 2 minutes; they will finish cooking in the sauce.) Drain and toss the whole thing into the sauce immediately. Turn off the heat, toss the pasta until well coated, and let the divine garlicky steam fill your kitchen.
Serve immediately. I like this pasta without any dipping sauce, but if you’re a fan of fresh Parmesan, give it a try. That’s what my father does.
So what is your favorite dad’s dish? Please feel free to share, especially if it contains very important guidelines. Those details are the best part.
PS Alex Beggs shares his dad’s delicious turkey meatloaf. If you’re still in the mood for spaghetti, how about some spaghetti pie?
Source: Cup of Jo – cupofjo.com
