Being Italian and a mix of Romana and Napolitano, so many strict Italian food rules were dictated to me that trying to follow my moms cooking that enjoying it was intimidating. I feared being shamed by family berating my “inferior Italian-American food culture,” or lack thereof. At the same time, I noticed that as sure as someone told me inviolable Italian food rule #500, others were contradicting it! Eventually I stopped listening to the strict recipes and listen to my mom and started cooking with passion and love. I at times ingredients that I like, and use the ingredient names to describe the dish. So what we have today is Pasta with Leeks, Fennel, Tomatoes, and Guanciale.
When I think about pasta sauces, I can’t imagine there is anything out there that hasn’t been done. So I’m not sharing this under any trick that it is new, but for me it represents the changing seasons here in Italy. The last of the good cherry tomatoes meet the very early leek and fennel season, which will last until late winter or early spring.
Il Ragu with Leeks, Fennel, Tomatoes, and Guanciale
At my house, our pasta dishes always start with an onion or garlic, whichever we have at hand, and chili. On top of that we layer tomato, or a vegetable, or both, and at the end we top it with Parmesan or whichever cheese we have that we are digging. There is always Parmesan in my refrigerator, it is my ultimate favorite. We don’t always have anchovies, capers, olives, sausage, pancetta, or guanciale, but when we do, adding one or two of those is kind of like dressing up your outfit with a fabulous shoe. It’s a little fancy.
Because I’m really are not sticklers for rules, I share this with the encouragement to add, omit, or vary any aspect of it to fit your palate. Regardless of how exactly you make it, put passion and love in your cooking and you will not go wrong.
Pasta with Leeks, Fennel, Tomatoes, and Guanciale
INGREDIENTS
- Salt
- Pasta ( Rigatoni /Paccheri/Pennoni) 1 pack
- 1 medium leek
- 1 small fennel bulb
- I can of San Marzano tomatoes
- Red chile/pepper flakes
- fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- guanciale or pancetta
- olive oil, divided
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Quarter 1 medium leek lengthwise. Cut the white parts crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 packed cup). Halve 1 small fennel bulb. Dice 1 half, then very thinly slice the other half. Halve 10-12 ounces of tomatoes. Red chili pepper. Coarsely chop fresh parsley leaves. Cut guanciale or pancetta into thin matchsticks if using.
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, cook the guanciale and vegetables.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat until shimmering. Add the guanciale and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the guanciale to a plate. Cover to keep warm.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan. Add the leek, chopped fennel, chile, and a large pinch of kosher salt. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the fennel and leeks are very soft but not browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the chile.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, tomatoes, and a large pinch of kosher salt to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and are mostly soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente.
- Add the thinly sliced fennel to the sauce and cook for 3 minutes. If the pasta is not ready yet, remove the pan of sauce from the heat.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine over low heat. If you prefer the pasta to be a bit saucier, add the reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Remove from the heat, add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the parsley and guanciale on top. Serve immediately.
Boun Appetitto
Ciao
Joanna Picardi