Spaghetti can be eaten with a variety of meat sauces
Spaghetti, which means "little strings" in Italian, according to Jeni Wright in "The Pasta Bible," was one of the first commercially produced pastas in Italy. It was developed in Naples in the late 18th century. It quickly became a staple of the Italian poor, because it was easy to store and cheap to make out of durum wheat flour and water. The popularity of spaghetti spread throughout Italy and the world. This is because of the versatility of spaghetti, which can be eaten with a variety of different dressings and sauces. Many of the most popular use meat.
Spaghetti Amatriciana
Tomato-based sauces with meat were the first types of sauces eaten with spaghetti. Amatriciana sauce originates a little farther north than Naples, in the town of Amatrice near Rome. The basis of the sauce is tomatoes and onions. The meat is pork. Traditionally this was pig cheek or "guanciale," but today bacon or pancetta can be used. The chopped pork is sauteed in olive oil, finely chopped onions, garlic, a pinch of chili pepper, and a small amount of black pepper before adding ripe plum tomatoes -- canned or fresh.
Spaghetti Alla Gricia
Amatrice also provides a second variation on Amatriciana sauce, " Alla Gricia." It is known as a white sauce because it lacks the tomatoes that lend color to its close cousin. Alla Gricia is prepared in exactly the same way as Amatriciana. Instead of using tomatoes, a local cheese such as Romano is added to the spiced cooked meat just before serving to lend the sauce an extra piquancy.
Spaghetti Carbonara
Another white meat sauce for spaghetti is carbonara sauce. No one can agree whether the origins of carbonara lie with Italian charcoal burners, Italian revolutionaries or as an innovative use of end of war American rations. But a true carbonara does not involve a cream sauce as many believe but cheese and raw eggs. Fry a diced onion until soft before adding cubes or strips of bacon or pancetta to the pan and cooking for 10 more minutes. Meanwhile, beat four eggs, 12 ounces. of parmesan cheese and black pepper in a bowl. Add al dente spaghetti is to the cooked meat mixture, and turn off the heat. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the warm meat and pasta and toss to ensure the sauce lightly cooks in the heat of the food. Serve immediately.
Other Italian Sauces
Many other Italian meat sauce recipes have equal portions of meat and fresh vegetables. "Alla Zappatora," a sauce from Apulia includes red peppers and garlic with bacon. Similarly, "Al Rancetto" from Spoleto in Umbria is another sauce that makes good use of fresh local vegetables, combining ripe fresh plum tomatoes, marjoram and fresh basil to fried pancetta and lightly cooking for a few minutes before serving with a grating of pecorino.
Spaghetti Bolognese
The most famous meat sauce is not an Italian dish. Spaghetti Bolognese was actually devised by Italian migr s to America. Saut onions and garlic until soft, and then cook with about 1 pound of minced beef and Italian herbs such as oregano. Once the meat is brown, add 1 pound of plum tomatoes, tomato paste, seasoning , 450 ml of vegetable or chicken stock, and 3 tablespoons of red wine. Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes once it has come to a boil. Serve over pasta.
Tags: Alla Gricia, eaten with, meat sauce, plum tomatoes, Amatriciana sauce