Ingredients for 4 people
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced onions
2 finely diced garlic cloves
8 tablespoons olive oil
1 chili, minced
4 cups dry red wine
1 ½ cup vegetable broth
3 stalks thyme, chopped
1 piece of Parmesan rind 3 inches by 3 inches
2 leaves fresh or dried laurel
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 stalks parsley
½ cup panko crumbs (if you can’t locate panko crumbs you can substitute walnuts or almonds, chopped)
Salt and pepper for seasoning
4.5 ounces of spaghetti pasta per person
1 cup Ricotta salata cheese (if you can’t locate ricotta salata, you can also use feta cheese)
Preparation
In a wide based pot, heat olive oil. Simmer carrots, celery, onions, and garlic for two minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Put chili, red wine, vegetable broth, thyme, laurel, brown sugar, Parmesan rind and one stalk parsley in the same pot and let it come to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
In another pan, place 2 tablespoons olive oil, add panko or nuts if you choose and let them brown for two minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and let them drain onto a paper towel.
In another pot, boil spaghetti for two minutes. Strain. Remove all the vegetables and parmesan rind from the liquid in the first pot, leaving a red wine sauce. Add the spaghetti to the red wine sauce and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. The liquid will almost be absorbed into the spaghetti. At about 6-8 minutes of simmering, add the vegetables back in. Season the spaghetti again to taste.
Chop the parsley for garnish. To plate, put the spaghetti in a deep dish. Garnish with fresh ground ricotta salata, the panko crumbs or nuts. Drizzle with olive oil and you are ready to serve.
Ricotta salata is salted and dried ricotta from sheep milk. It is tasty and fresh, but definitely different from your typical ricotta.
Guten Appetit!
If you are interested in setting up a cooking class with Klaus, he can be found on facebook at www.facebook.com/CookingWithKlaus or via email at CookingwithKlaus@web.de.
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