Spaghetti Spezzati con Piselli – “Broken-Up” Spaghetti with Peas Recipe
“BROKEN-UP” SPAGHETTI WITH PEAS
At Il Majore, a restaurant that specializes in pork in the Sicilian hill town of Chiaramonte Gulfi, I watched a lone, well-dressed man at the neighboring table savor a lunch of brothy pasta with peas. I decided he was a local businessman who ate there often, and on that day his jaded palate wanted something utterly basic and comforting. Although the dish wasn’t on the recited menu—probably because it was seen as too humble to offer visitors—I asked to have it, too.
Cooking the pasta with the peas produces a much more savory dish than if they were cooked separately. The peas, onions, and herbs impart flavor to the cooking water, which the pasta soaks up and gently thickens.
Don’t serve the dish immediately. It benefits greatly from standing, allowing the flavors to equalize and the pasta to absorb any remaining liquid. It will stay hot.
Serves 4 to 6
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
Generous pinch of hot pepper flakes
4 pounds English peas, shelled (about 4 cups)
1 pound spaghetti, broken in fourths
2 or 3 fresh basil sprigs
Salt
Preparation instructions:
Heat 6 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot over moderately low heat. Add the onion and hot pepper flakes and sauté until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the peas, spaghetti, basil, and 6 cups water. Season with salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, cover partially, and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and peas are tender, about 15 minutes. The pasta should absorb almost all of the liquid, but the dish should not be dry.
Cover completely, remove from the heat, and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and taste for salt. You don’t need to remove the basil sprigs, as they will be quite soft. Serve the pasta in warm bowls.
Recipe from the “Four Seasons Pasta: A Year of Inspired Recipes in the Italian Tradition” cookbook.