Another excellent example is one of my favorite cookbooks, The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers. The subtitle says it all: "A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco's Beloved Restaurant." The book starts off with an interesting biographical "introduction," then goes into a thoughtful essay on "what to think about before you start, and while you are cooking." I recommend it highly. Dylan will already be somewhat familiar with The Zuni Cafe Cookbook from the recipe for Rodgers' famous Zuni Roast Chicken that we have made together. (You can use her same dry-brining technique to make Thanksgiving turkey as well.)
Sometimes you have to read other parts of a cookbook to get all the information you need for a recipe. The best example of this is the recipe for Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, which shows up everywhere on the Internet, including the New York Times, Smitten Kitchen, Food52, and Orangette. But I haven't seen anyone who tells you to add an extra tablespoon of fresh butter at the end when you're marrying the sauce with the pasta. That's because it's not in the recipe, it's in the 25 pages of discussion that precedes the first recipe in the chapter on pasta. It seems like such a small thing, so how do I know it's important? Because Hazan told me so herself in the book, not once but twice. On page 128, in the section labeled "the essentials of cooking pasta," Hazan says that
[w]hen the sauce is butter-based, add a dollop of fresh butter and give the pasta one or two last tosses. If the sauce has an olive oil base, follow the same procedure, using fresh olive oil instead of butter.Just in case you missed it the first time, Hazan includes the following "reminder" on page 151, in the section labeled "pasta sauces":
If the sauce has butter, always toss the pasta with an additional tablespoon of fresh butter; if it has olive oil, drizzle with raw olive oil while tossing.The famous recipe for Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter appears on the very next page. So add that extra tablespoon of butter at the end, as Hazan intended. And try reading something else in your cookbooks other than the recipes; you'll learn something new.
Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (1992) by Marcella Hazan; see also Marcella Hazan's son's take on this recipe from Hazan Family Favorites (2012) by Giuliano Hazan via Epicurious (he doesn't say to use the extra tablespoon of butter at the end, but he does say to add about ⅓ cup of freshly grated Parmesan when you toss the pasta with the sauce)
If you're using fresh tomatoes, you can read how to prepare them here. In addition to being delicious on all shapes of regular commercial pasta, this sauce is especially good on homemade potato gnocchi.
Sauce
1 (28-ounce) can high-quality tomatoes, such as San Marzano, chopped coarsely, with their juice; or 2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes (see note)
5 tablespoons (2½ ounces) butter, plus 1 tablespoon (½ ounce) for tossing
1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Pasta
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 to 1½ pounds pasta (see note)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Whatever kind of tomatoes you're using, put them, along with their juice, in a large saucepan or saucier. Add the 5 tablespoons of butter, the onion halves, and the salt, and place the pan over medium heat. When the sauce starts bubbling, turn the heat down to maintain a slow, but steady simmer. Cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened considerably and, if you're using fresh tomatoes, they are no longer watery, up to 45 minutes, depending on your patience level and the type of tomatoes you're using. (The original recipe says to cook the sauce "until the fat floats free from the tomato"; Marcella's son likewise says "[t]he sauce is done when the butter has separated from the tomatoes.") Stir the sauce occasionally, using the back of a wooden spoon to mash up any larger pieces of tomato.
2. While the sauce is cooking, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large stockpot. Add the fine sea salt to the boiling water and stir to dissolve. Add the pasta and stir for a minute. Cook until al dente, then drain, reserving a mugful of the pasta cooking water.
3. Discard the onion from the sauce. Taste and adjust for salt. Combine the drained pasta, the sauce, and the extra tablespoon of fresh butter and toss well. You can add pasta cooking water as needed to adjust the consistency, though I've never had to do it with this sauce. Serve immediately, passing the grated Parmesan at the table. Serves 4 to 6.
Spaghetti with Roman Garlic and Oil Sauce
Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (1992) by Marcella Hazan
Time: 22 minutes
2 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 pound spaghetti
⅓ cup (70 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for tossing
2 medium garlic cloves, minced very fine or pressed (~2 teaspoons)
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a roiling boil in a large, covered stockpot over high heat. Stir in the fine sea salt until dissolved. Add the pasta and stir a few times during the first minute or two to keep it from sticking. Cook until al dente, then drain.
2. While the spaghetti is cooking, put the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and place the pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is colored a pale gold. Do not brown the garlic or you'll have to start over!
3. Combine the drained spaghetti, the sauce, and the extra tablespoon of raw olive oil and toss well. Taste and adjust for salt. Add the parsley, toss again, and serve immediately. Serves 4.
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