Fettuccine with Caramelized Onions
Triya bi'l-Bassal
Region: Egypt
Category: Pasta with Vegetables
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy but long cooking time

The food of Upper Egypt is quite simple because the people are poor. But there is some relative wealth in tourist spots such as Luxur or Aswan. I spent some time in Medinet Habu, a village near Luxor, when I was researching one of my books and became friends with Gamal Mohamed, a young man who worked at a local inn that doubled in the day time as part of the local cottage industry making furniture. We would lounge around with Gamal wiling away the day making small talk while he took those long somnambulant breaks from working. One day we came back ravenous and asked Gamal if there was any food around. Gamal whipped this trīya bi'l-bassal up for us and we were very delighted, especially when we saw how simple it was and how few ingredients. Trīya is an old Arabic word for a kind of pasta like vermicelli, but Gamal used fettuccine when he made this. Egyptians like their pasta cooked soft unlike the Italian who prefer al dente. When I got home I made this dish for a large party at some friends house (I was responsible for the pasta dish).  Everyone loved it and wanted to know "what I did."  Well, nothing really.  This is a very simple recipe that just packs a lot of taste because it's based entirely on the onions.  It's a great first course for a dinner party, to be followed by chicken or pork or meatballs.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 6 servings
Preparation Time: 1:45 hours in all

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 pounds sweet onions, thinly sliced

8 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/4 pounds fettuccine

1. In a large flameproof casserole, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat, then cook the onions and garlic until the onions are very soft, golden, and slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper.

2. 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. Drain without rinsing. Transfer the pasta to the casserole and toss well. Serve hot without cheese.

Posted: 12/23/2006