Region: Italy
Category: Pasta with Pork
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy
I first made this preparation while in the midst of recipe testing for my book Some Like it Hot book published in 2005 by Harvard Common Press.  (3)LO.jpg)
At that time we had been cooking and eating very spicy-hot Indonesian and Thai food for weeks. So when my son Seri asked for "normal food" he meant our home food which is basically Italian. So this is our "normal food" and it's really good. My friend Sarah, Seri, and I gobbled it up.
[photo: Clifford A. Wright]
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Preparation Time: 35 minutes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, excess fat removed, cut into thin slices
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cut in half, seeds squeezed out, and grated against the largest holes of a grater down to the peel
3/4 pound green (spinach) spaghetti
6 ounces baby spinach leaves
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over high heat for 15 minutes.
2. Lightly oil the pork and onion slices then cook them in succession in the skillet. Cook the pork until it is crispy golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Cook the onion slices until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside with the pork. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic, tomatoes, and remaining olive oil and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring. Return the pork and onions to the skillet and keep the heat on low, stirring occasionally, until needed.
3. Meanwhile, for every pound of pasta, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil over high heat, salt abundantly with up to 1/2 cup of salt, then add the pasta in handfuls. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn?t stick together, until al dente. Add the spinach to the pasta water and then drain both in 1 minute. Drain without rinsing. Toss the pasta in the sauce and then serve with the cheese.
Posted: 12/20/2006