Celebrate Spaghetti

Photo Terry Brennan, Food Styling Lara Miklasevics

A plate of pasta is a classic comfort food—especially on these cold days. So, it’s the perfect time to whip up this Spaghetti Pomodoro with Italian Sausages recipe and more in honor of National Spaghetti Day, which is celebrated on Jan. 4.

Photo Adobe

There are hundreds of pasta shapes, but, according to the National Pasta Association, spaghetti is America’s most popular shape. It gets its name from the Italian word “spaghi” or “spago,” which mean “lengths of cord,” “twine,” or “thin string.” The origins of spaghetti are disputed—whether it was Marco Polo bringing back a culinary invention from the East, an Arab trade-route delicacy, or a homegrown Sicilian treat dating back to the 12th century—according to the folks at National Today, who keep track of these “holidays.”

Whoever gets credit for it, we’re grateful for this long, thin piece of pasta that mixes wonderfully with a variety of sauces and swirls entertainingly around a fork as well as between two diners a la “Lady and the Tramp.” When you think of “spaghetti” you probably imagine a classic red sauce atop these noodles in the dish of the same name, but this shape also pairs well with chunky Bolognese, light or cream sauces, fish or oil-based sauces, and carbonara. Spaghetti noodles are also used in Asian recipes and more. It is made predominantly with durum wheat flour and water, plus whole-wheat flour or multi-grain flour is sometimes used and there are gluten-free options. Thin varieties include “spaghettini” or small pasta and “capelli d’angelo,” which is angel hair.

How to Cook Pasta Perfectly

You no doubt have made your fair share of pastas, but there’s a formula for perfectly cooked pasta, and it’s easier than you think. Review these steps from the National Pasta Association to get it right every time.

1. Make sure there’s enough water in the pasta pot. Boil 4 to 6 quarts of water for each pound of dry pasta. This allows the pasta plenty of room to cook and keeps it from sticking.
2. Bring water to rolling boil before adding the pasta.
3. Add the pasta with a stir and return the water to a boil.
4. As soon as the water comes back to a boil, add a generous sprinkling of salt to the pot (about 2 tablespoons per 4 quarts of water). Salt adds flavor and keeps the pasta from sticking.
5. Gently stir the pasta occasionally during cooking.
6. Follow the package directions for cooking times. If the pasta will be used as part of a dish that requires further cooking, undercook the package by 1/3 of the cooking time specified on the package.
7. Taste the pasta part way through cooking to determine if it’s done. Perfectly cooked pasta is “al dente,” or firm to the bite, yet cooked through.
8. Drain pasta immediately and follow the rest of the recipe.

Pasta Pro Tip: Never add oil to your pasta water—it keeps sauce from sticking to the pasta.

Spaghetti Pomodoro with Italian Sausages

Makes 4 servings

Master this easy recipe and have a great go-to dinner option in your back pocket. Unless it has meat in it, tomato sauce shouldn’t cook for hours, noted cookbook author Roy Finamore, who created this recipe for Real Food. This is the simplest, purest of sauces (the sausages are cooked separately), and you can have dinner ready in nearly the time it takes to boil water and cook spaghetti.

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 sweet Italian sausages
3 good-sized garlic cloves (1 only peeled and 2 minced)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed plum tomatoes
½ cup water
1 bay leaf
Crushed hot red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound spaghetti
Freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, for serving

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Prick the sausages all over with the tip of a paring knife. When the oil shimmers, add the peeled garlic and sausages. Cook, turning them as necessary, until the sausages are browned all over and just cooked through, about 15 minutes. When garlic browns, discard it. Remove the skillet from heat.
2. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on to boil over high heat.
3. Put the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and the minced garlic in a 12-inch skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until the garlic barely starts to turn gold, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes. Rinse the can with the water and add it to the skillet along with the bay leaf, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, and then turn the heat down to low.
4. When the water comes to a boil, season it with 2 tablespoons salt. Add the spaghetti and cook it until it is about 1 minute shy of al dente.
5. Turn the heat under the sauce up to high and discard the bay leaf. Use tongs to transfer the spaghetti to the sauce and add ¼ cup of the pasta water. Use tongs to stir the spaghetti into the sauce, lifting it up to separate the strands as you stir. If the sauce is very thick, add a little more pasta water. Cook for 1 minute.
6. Divide the spaghetti among 4 pasta bowls, add a sausage to each bowl, and serve immediately. Pasta waits for no one. Pass the cheese at the table.

Things to Know

• Older garlic cloves will have a sprout in the center, and it’s bitter. So cut garlic cloves in half and pull out the green sprout before you mince them.
• Chefs use a paring knife to mince garlic, but it’s easier to smash garlic with the flat of a chef’s knife, add a pinch of salt, and then chop. Press down with the flat of your knife, pulling it across the garlic and crushing it with the knife. Chop and crush again and again until you almost have a paste.

Nutrition info Spaghetti Pomodoro (Per Serving): Calories 999 (393 From Fat); Fat 44g (Sat. 11g); Chol 43mg; Sodium 1331mg; Carb 114g; Fiber 10g; Protein 36g

Plus, check out these recipes made with spaghetti.

Go nuts and include almonds in the mix in this Spaghetti with Broccoli and Creamy Almond Sauce Recipe.

Photo Terry Brennan, Food Styling Lara Miklasevics

Twin Cities chef and culinary instructor Jason Ross guides you through whipping up his creamier twist on carbonara that you can easily make any night of the week: Easy Pasta Carbonara with Peas Recipe

Photo Terry Brennan, Food Styling Lara Miklasevics