Anna Sultana’s Spaghetti Pie #3

Ma served Spaghetti Pie a few times a month when I was growing up.

Spaghetti, as well as all types of pasta, is very kind to the budget.

Our Sundays weren’t Sundays if we hadn't eaten a plate of spaghetti as our first course.

And yet there was always quite a bit of leftover spaghetti - enough for Monday’s dinner.

Ma also always had eggs in the fridge.

During the fifties, no one worried about cholesterol.
Eggs are an economical source of protein.
On Mondays Ma would use a half dozen or so to make a pie.

Ma always added bits of leftovers to the pie to give us a little variety.

Spaghetti Pie is a delicious, easy recipe and there are so many ways to prepare it.

I posted Ma’s recipe for Froġa tat-Tarja - Spaghetti Pie, Maltese Style - a couple of years ago.

I also posted a variation of Ma’s Spaghetti Pie, along with a recipe for her Pasta with Butter and Ricotta, a few months after that.

About that time I also posted the recipe for Carmela Soprano's Spaghetti Pie.

Yes, the Sopranos enjoyed Spaghetti Pie.
Even if money is no object, or the ingredients just ‘fell off a truck’, Spaghetti Pie is a treat everyone enjoys.

A recipe that uses similar ingredients is Ma’s Spaghetti alla Carbonara.
Bacon, onion, cheese and spaghetti… what more do you need.

Hint:

Vermicelli is the traditional pasta used for this dish.

But, if you have spaghetti or spaghettini, no problem.

Just adjust the boiling time for the pasta.

Ma would cook the spaghetti pie until the underside was golden, about 6 minutes. 
The she would place an inverted large platter over the skillet and, with oven mitts, firmly grab both the platter and the skillet, and carefully flip them over. 
Then she would place the platter on the counter and lift the skillet off the spaghetti, place the skillet back on the stove and add 2 Tablespoons olive oil to the skillet.
Then she would slide the spaghetti from the platter (raw side down) back into the pan to cook the other side.

While the pie was cooking she would wash the large platter.
After the pie had cooked 8 minutes she would take the clean platter, invert it over the skillet and, with oven mitts, firmly grab both the platter and the skillet, and carefully turn them over.
Then she would serve the Spaghetti Pie. 

Yes, that is a bit tricky.

You can also cut into the pie with a heat-proof spatula and turn over the sections.

I posted my easier method.

Forgive me, Ma.

                        Spaghetti Pie

Serves 2 to 6

In a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Add

400 grams (about 1 pound) spaghetti or vermicelli

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta well and place it in a large bowl.

WHILE THE SPAGHETTI IS COOKING:

Heat in 10-inch oven proof skillet over medium heat

1 teaspoon olive oil

Add

4 rashers bacon, diced

Cook until browned.

Add 

1 1/2 Cups onion, chopped 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. 

Add 

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Cook about 1 minute. 

Pour the mixture into a small bowl. 

In a large bowl, lightly beat

6 large eggs

1 Cup ricotta

1/2 Cup milk

Stir in the onions, along with

3/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated 

1 Tablespoons parsley, dried

1 teaspoon basil (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Add the cooked pasta.

Mix the ingredients well.

Heat in the same skillet over medium heat

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Pour the pasta mixture into the skillet.

Cover the pan and cook 10 minutes.

The eggs should be almost set and the bottom lightly browned.

Preheat the broiler while the pie is cooking.

Place the skillet under the broiler to brown the top (about 3 to 5 minutes).

Slide a spatula under the pie to loosen it.

Tilt the pan near a serving platter and slip the pie onto the platter.

Cut into wedges.

Serve hot, cold or at room temperature with a sprinkling of parsley.

Anna Sultana’s Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil and Chili Pepper, Maltese Style

Yesterday we wished Canada a Happy 147th Birthday.

The weather has been a problem here in the prairies, but that didn’t get in the way of folks getting into the spirit and celebrating all we have to be grateful for in Canada.

Hey, we’re Canucks, and the weather is something we’ve learned to ignore.

Yesterday was also the 26th Anniversary of our moving into our present home.

While our previous home had been built in 1911, this one was built in the 1980s.

I cringe when folks on Property Brothers dismiss a house because it looked like it was last furnished and decorated in the 80s.

I mean, that was only about a quarter century ago.

The 1911 house is still standing, so this one is practically new.

When did popcorn ceilings go out of style?

Summer is the time most folks move.

Especially if, like us in 1988, they have to respect a child’s school schedule.

Life is hectic enough without transferring a kid during a school year.

Twenty six years ago we woke up to face a bunch of packed boxes.

We didn't have a clue which box held our dishes.

So, we went to Sal’s for a pancake breakfast before we tackled the boxes.

Sometimes it’s fun to pull out all the stops and make something like Carmela Soprano's Sunday Gravy (Tomato Sauce with Meat) and Homemade Meatballs.

And sometimes, especially when you’re unpacking, a quickie meal is handy.

A quickie is also good when you’re older and just want to put something on the table.

Ma had put in enough years making big Sunday dinners for a big family.

But, when it was just Pop and her, a quick meal with less leftovers fit the bill.

She found this recipe to be handy.

And, lately, so have I.

Hints:

Ma left the garlic cloves as they were.
If you would prefer not biting into a chunk of garlic, you can also mince them.
In a pinch - or if your garlic has gotten nasty looking - you can also use garlic powder.

The recipe can be mild or very spicy, depending how much chili pepper you add.

This isn’t a contest.  Suit your tolerance.

                        Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil and Chili Pepper

Serves 4 

Separate and peel the cloves of 

1 head of garlic 

Do not chop them.

In a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Stir in

1 pound spaghetti 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.

Set aside 1 Cup of the cooking water.

Drain the pasta.

WHILE THE WATER IS BOILING:

In a large fry pan or dutch oven pour

1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil

Add

the garlic cloves

crushed red chili pepper (amount - your choice)

Cook, stirring over medium heat, for about 2 minutes.

You want the garlic to be lightly golden.

Stir in

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Add the pasta to the sauce in the pot.

Over medium heat, toss the pasta until it is coated.

Add some of the reserved cooking water if it seems too dry.

Remove from heat.

Serve hot.

Anna Sultana’s Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Ah… June… summer.

Time to stay cool by cooking a few easy quick meals.

And, if they include spaghetti, so much the better.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara is not a Maltese recipe.

Nope, it’s a popular Italian recipe, created in the mid twentieth century.

Popular enough for us Maltese to hear about it.

And make a few of our own improvements.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara means "coal miner's spaghetti".

Another spaghetti dish with an interesting translation is Spaghetti Puttanesca.

Perfect for when gal pals gather.

Gotta love spaghetti recipes.

Something for everybody.

Hints:

If you’d prefer - or have on hand - a different pasta, such as vermicelli, no problem.

For a little variety you can add a cup or two of cooked peas, broccoli, mushrooms, or a mixture or other vegetables when you are reheating the pasta before serving.

                        Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Serves 4

In a large pot place

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil

Heat the oil and fry

4 ounces bacon, chopped (or guanciale or pancetta) 

Place in a large bowl

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 ounce grated Pecorino Romano

Beat well together.

Scrape the fried bacon and oil into the egg mixture.

In a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Add

1 pound spaghetti  

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta well.

Add it to the large bowl containing the beaten eggs.

Toss the pasta immediately and very quickly.

Pour the pasta back into the large pot.

Cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or two to cook the eggs.

Place the pasta on a large platter.

Garnish with

3 ounces grated Pecorino Romano

fresh pepper

Serve hot.

Carmela Soprano's Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce

The Valentine wish with the picture of the puppy reminded me of the dogs in Disney’s cartoon Lady and the Tramp.

Remember the scene in the restaurant?

The one where they shared a plate of spaghetti to the tune Bella Notte?

Not a bad way to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day.

If you’re craving an Italian dinner but it’s too late to make a reservation in the local Italian restaurant - or you just want to stay home - no problem.

Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce, one of the recipes in Entertaining with the Sopranos which I chatted about back in 2010, would do just fine. 

Make it a dinner and a movie night…

Rent Sophia Loren's Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

This movie goes especially well with Carmela’s Spaghetti Puttanesca.

Hint:

Carmela got a little specific in this recipe:

3 pounds very small clams, such as Manila or mahogany clams, or New Zealand cockles (or mussels).

I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The local stores carry mussels from Prince Edward Island.

So, I made Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce using P. E. I. mussels.

If you are using mussels…

After the mussels have soaked, scrub them with a stiff brush to scrape off any barnacles or seaweed.

Discard any mussels with cracked shells.

Also those that don't close tightly when tapped.

Debeard by pulling the beards toward the narrow end of the shell.

This can be a great recipe for any holiday.

All that prep work probably saves someone from a punch in the nose.

As does Carmela’s recipe for Mussels in Spicy Tomato Sauce - Zuppa di Cozze.

                        Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce

Serves 4 - 6

With a stiff brush scrub under running water

3 pounds very small clams, such as Manila or mahogany clams, or New Zealand cockles (or mussels) 

Debeard them and place them in a bowl.

Rinse several times until there is no sand left in the bowl.

Throw away the clams with broken shells or ones that don’t close up tightly.

In a dutch oven pour

1/3 Cup olive oil

Add

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

a pinch of crushed red pepper

Cook, stirring over medium heat, for about 2 minutes.

You want the garlic to be lightly golden.

Stir in

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

add

2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half

pinch of salt to 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened about 5 minutes. 

Add the clams, cover the pot, and cook 10 minutes. 

Discard any clams that haven’t opened. 

WHILE THE SAUCE IS SIMMERING:

In a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Stir in

1 pound spaghetti or linguine

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.

Set aside 1 Cup of the cooking water.

Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce in the pot.

Cooking over medium heat, toss the pasta until it is coated.

Add some of the reserved cooking water if it seems too dry.

Remove from heat.

Serve immediately.

Ma’s recipe for Homemade Tomato Sauce and Meatballs is easy.

So is Sophia in Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

And, with enough pasta and wine, you can be, too.

Wishing you a Bella Notte.

Anna Sultana's Spaghetti Pie and Pasta with Butter and Ricotta, Maltese Style

As I said in 2010, Carmela's recipe for Crunchy Chicken is better than Ma's.

But then, Ma's recipe for Spaghetti Pie is better than Carmela's.

What can I say - win a few, lose a few.

I had posted a recipe for Ma's Spaghetti Pie - Froġa tat-Tarja - a few months ago.

Of course, she had another recipe.. or two... for vermicelli.

And here are a couple of them.

Try them both.

Ma's recipes are healthier than Carmela's, too.

And that's a good thing.

What you save from not buying soppressata and prosciutto, spend on some wine.

And that's also a good thing.

Hints for the Froġa:

Vermicelli is the traditional pasta used.

But, if you have spaghetti or spaghettini, no problem.

Just adjust the boiling time for the pasta.

Before cooking find a plate or pizza pan that can cover the surface of the frying pan.

When the eggs have set you'll cover the pan and flip the omelette onto the plate.

Then you'll slide it back into the frying pan so the other side can brown a bit.

If that worries you, no problem.

Just cut into the pie with a large, heat-proof spatula and turn over the sections.

                        Froġa tat-Tarja

Serves 2 to 4

In a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Add

1 pound vermicelli

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta well and place it in a large bowl.

Lightly beat

3 large eggs

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pour the egg mixture over the pasta and mix well.

Heat in a large skillet pan over medium high heat

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Pour the pasta into the pan.

When it has set, turn the Froġa and cook the other side until it is lightly browned.

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of parsley.

                        

                        Pasta with Butter and Ricotta

Serves 2 to 4

In a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Add

1 pound vermicelli

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta well and place it in a warmed large bowl.

Stir in

1 pound ricotta

1/4 pound grated Parmesan cheese, more or less

1/4 pound butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Sprinkle over the pasta

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

Serve immediately.

Carmela Soprano's Spaghetti Pie

Back in 2010, in that second post, I also compared a second recipe.

Like I said, I was a beginner and, in addition to being snide, I wasn't pacing myself.

Okay… now I know better - one recipe per post.

Less risk of getting lost in all the directions, too.

Carmela's recipe for Spaghetti Pie in Entertaining with The Sopranos is a little pricey.

Like she's trying to prove they have the bucks.

When Ma made Spaghetti Pie it was either Friday or time to pay the heating oil bill.

Ma's recipe is also safer for folks watching their cholesterol intake and blood pressure.

Carmela said, You will not need salt, because the meats and cheeses are salty.

You've been warned.

Hints:

Carmela's recipe calls for spaghetti or bucatini.

Personally I can't see the bucatini, which is thick pasta.

Ma would've used vermicelli.

Use what you have.

Just adjust the boiling time for the pasta.

                        Spaghetti Pie

Serves 8

In a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Add

1 pound spaghetti or bucatini

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta well and place it in a large bowl.

In a large bowl, lightly beat

8 large eggs

1/2 cup of Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

freshly ground pepper to taste

Add

the cooked pasta

2 ounces sliced Genoa salami or soppressata, chopped

2 ounces sliced prosciutto or boiled ham, chopped

Toss well.

Heat in 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Pour half of the pasta mixture into the pan.

Scatter over the pasta

4 ounces of provolone, chopped

Pour the remaining pasta mixture into the pan.

Turn the heat to medium low.

Cover the pan and cook 5 minutes.

Slide a spatula under the pie and lift it gently under the edges 

so the uncooked eggs can slide underneath.

Cover the pan and cook 10 minutes.

The eggs should be almost set and the bottom lightly browned.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.

Place the skillet under the broiler to brown the top (about 3 to 5 minutes).

Slide a spatula under the pie to loosen it.

Tilt the pan near a serving platter and slip the pie onto the platter.

Cut into wedges.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Anna Sultana's Tuscan Sun Chicken

Yes, my Ma was Maltese.

No, she never went to Tuscany.

But, to me, this recipe will always be Ma's Tuscan Sun Chicken recipe.

Sometimes recipe names are pretty straightforward.

Take peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

What you said is what you get.

Then there are recipes that have a little story that only means something to the cook.

For example, in The Sopranos Family Cookbook Artie Bucco has a chapter Mia Cucina.

In it Artie sometimes explained how he got his inspirations.

Artie's recipe for Quail Sinatra-Style, in Mia Cucina, was inspired by Artie listening to Frank Sinatra singing the song Luck be a Lady.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

As I said last January, Ma and I used to exchange recipes, especially during this time of the year, what with all the holiday recipes floating around.

In 2003 Ma had sent me a package of recipes she'd clipped from newspapers, such as the New York Daily News.

A few of them were chicken recipes.

High cholesterol runs in the family.

She wasn't going to send me a recipe for a standing rib roast.

After the package came, Paul and I went to see the movie Under the Tuscan Sun.

It's a movie about Frances, a writer who gets divorced.

She joins a gay bus tour in Italy.

During a stop Frances notices a poster for a villa for sale in Cortona. 

A little further on, the bus stops to allow a flock of sheep to cross the road. 

Frances realizes that they've stopped in front of the villa that she had seen for sale.

She believes it is a sign. 

Frances goes to meet the owner.

While there, a bird shits on Frances.

The owner believes it is a sign. 

She agrees to let Frances buy her broken down villa in beautiful Tuscany.

Your basic rom-com.

Okay… back to the recipes that Ma had sent me.

The day after Paul and I saw the movie, I cooked this chicken recipe.

While we ate it, we talked about Under the Tuscan Sun.

Whenever we eat Tuscan Sun Chicken, we remember the movie.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

                        Tuscan Sun Chicken

Serves 2 generously

In a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Add

1/2 pound spaghetti, or any favourite pasta

When the pasta is almost ready add

4 cups broccoli florets

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta and broccoli and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking

In a large saucepan heat over medium-high heat

2 teaspoons olive oil

Add

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Cook 7 minutes on each side or until done (170ºF). 

Top with

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Remove chicken from the pan.

Cover to keep warm.

Add to the large saucepan

1/4 cup Italian Dressing

1/4 cup chicken broth

Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Add 

cooked pasta and broccoli

Toss gently and place on heated platter.

Top with 

the cooked chicken

3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Serve with a green salad.

Wine is nice, too.

Lindsay Duncan, as the character Katherine, had a few memorable lines in Under the Tuscan Sun.  One of my favourites:

Regrets are a waste of time. They're the past crippling you in the present.

Don't have regrets.

Have Tuscan Sun Chicken.

Anna Sultana's Froga tat-Tarja - Spaghetti Omelette, Maltese Style

In addition to Barbuljata, Ma had another quickie egg meal.

Froġa tat-Tarja, Spaghetti Omelette.

It takes a little longer, but not much.

Apparently Spaghetti Omelette is popular in Italy, too.

Back in 2010, when I started comparing Carmela Soprano's recipes to Ma's recipes, 

I posted about Carmela's Spaghetti Pie.

It's similar to Ma's recipe, but it is a bit more complicated.

And more expensive.

Ma's recipe is healthier, too.

And that's a good thing.

Hints:

Vermicelli is the traditional pasta used.

But, if you have spaghetti or spaghettini, no problem.

Just adjust the boiling time for the pasta.

Dried parsley can be used instead of fresh.

Don't worry about the salt and pepper.

Folks can spice it up at the table, too.
You can also add odd bits of ham, veggies etc.

It's all good.

Before cooking find a plate or pizza pan that can cover the surface of the frying pan.

When the eggs have set you'll cover the pan and flip the omelette onto the plate.

Then you'll slide it back into the frying pan so the other side can brown a bit.

If that worries you, no problem.

Just cut into the pie with a large, heat-proof spatula and turn over the sections.

                        Froġa tat-Tarja

Serves 2 to 4

In a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Add

400 grams (about 1 pound) vermicelli

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta well and place it in a large bowl.

Lightly beat

3 large eggs

Add

1 garlic clove, minced

4 Tablespoons milk

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon each should do)

Pour the seasoned eggs over the pasta and mix well.

Heat in an omelette pan over medium high heat

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Pour the pasta into the pan.

When it has set, turn the Froġa and cook the other side until it is lightly browned.

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of parsley.

Carmela Soprano's Spaghetti Puttanesca - Whore's Style Spaghetti

Tomorrow's my birthday.

I'm still a little rattled by the Jay Leno turning 63 kerfuffle.

I could do with a heavy dose of carbs.

it's time to visit the shrink, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, M.D., M.A., M.F.T.

I know she is nowhere near 63.

But she always tries to help, no matter how old her client is.

Bingo!!

Jennifer's chapter Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, and Food in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook has a nice simple spaghetti sauce recipe, Spaghetti Puttanesca.

It's a classic, kind of like the classic opera Carmen.

Yes, Puttanesca is Italian for whore.

It's more commonly known as Spaghetti alla Puttanesca (whore's style spaghetti).

The earliest known mention of it is in a 1961 Italian novel.

There are some other variations of Spaghetti Puttanesca.

With anchovies, without anchovies.

With green peppers, without green peppers.

With crushed red pepper, without crushed red pepper.

With Extra Virgin olive oil, or with oil that's been around.

Hey, different strokes for different folks.

Hint:

If you have fresh tomatoes, you can substitute

2 1/2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

The sauce also goes well with penne, bucatini, linguine and vermicelli.

Make it a dinner and a movie night…

Rent Sophia Loren's Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

Ah, the sixties!

                        Spaghetti Puttanesca

Serves 4 to 6

In a dutch oven place

1/3 Cup olive oil

Add

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

pinch of crushed red pepper (or 1 small dried peperoncino, crumbled)

Cook over low heat until the garlic is golden.

Raise the heat to medium and add

1 28 to 35-ounce can Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

pinch of salt

Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is reduced.

Stir in

1/2 Cup pitted and chopped oil-cured olives

1/4 Cup capers, rinsed

8 to 12 anchovy fillets, drained

1/4 Cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cook for 2 minutes more.

WHILE THE SAUCE IS SIMMERING, in a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Add

1 pound spaghetti

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta and place it in the sauce.

Toss the pasta until it is coated.

Serve immediately.

Would I make Spaghetti Puttanesca again?

Sure, It's easy.

So is Sophia in Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

And, with enough pasta and wine, you can be, too.

Works for me….

One recipe down.  Seventeen more to go.

Anna Sultana's Maltese Bragoli, Beef Olives with Tomato Sauce with Peas, Maltese Style

On Saturday I posted Carmela Soprano's Veal Rollatini with Peas.  

The whole idea was: take a bland piece of meat and wrap it around something with a bit more flavor.

Okay... everybody, including Maltese, has been doing something like that for a long time.

If you're on a budget, it's called "stretching".

Most people don't use meat for a stretcher.

That's kind of like gilding the gold.

The meat should be enough as is.

Especially meat as expensive as veal.

If you can even find it.

Not everybody has Carmela's 'resources'.

  

Normally stretching is a matter of grinding meat and adding bread crumbs to soak up some flavor and give the impression that the meat serving is bigger.

Every chef knows, you eat with the eyes first.

If you see a big enough portion, that's half the battle.

This is a Maltese take on the Rollatini.

No veal.

Beef - your choice of cut.

The filling uses up bits you have leftover.

You can adjust to use up what you have.

That's just our way.

                        Beef Olives / Braġoli

    

for the sauce

                    

In a large dutch oven fry

2 onions, chopped

Add

1 small can tomato paste

1 pound tomatoes, chopped (or 28-ounce can)

1/4 to 1/2 Cup water

Simmer for 30 minutes.

Add

10 ounces frozen peas

for the filling

In a large bowl combine

1/2 pound ground pork

1/4 pound ham, chopped

1/4 pound bacon, chopped

1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped

1 hard boiled egg, chopped

seasoning to taste

for the braġoli

Lay out

1 pound steak, pounded as thin as possible

Cut into portions.

Put some of the pork mixture in the middle of each portion and roll up.

Either pin with a toothpick or tie them closed with a string.

Add to the tomato sauce and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cook

2 pounds spaghetti

Pan fry

1 1/2 pounds potatoes, sliced

Prepare

Salad (what's in season) or

Frozen vegetables, your choice

Serve the sauce with the spaghetti as a first course,

and the beef olives as a separate dish with salad and fried potatoes.

Here is a recipe for Ma's budget version of Braġoli.

Carmela Soprano's Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce, Anna Sultana's Fish

We don't live like Tony and Carmela Soprano.  

In addition to not having a big house on a hill and not having people shooting at us, we don't live on the east coast.  Not even close.  We live in Manitoba.  That's in the middle of North America.  We're in the prairies.  Not like Tony and Carmela in New Jersey, near the ocean.

Carmela has her pick of seafood.  She probably used to send her nephew Christopher, before Tony whacked him, to Fulton's Fish Market to get fish fresh off the boat.  

Carmela has a recipe for Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce in Entertaining with The Sopranos.  She gets a little picky in this recipe: "3 pounds very small clams, such as Manila or mahogany clams, or New Zealand cockles (or mussels)".

She just takes for granted everybody waltzes past barrels of fresh seafood every day.

Some girls have it all.

Okay.  This week, as part of Dollar Days, Sobeys is taking a buck off their 2 pound package of live P. E. I. mussels.  This is important because normally our local Sobeys doesn't carry mussels, dead or alive.  They make an effort to get some when mussels are mentioned in the flyer.  Ladies in my neighborhood can get a little ticked off at the "Our supplier didn't send us any" line when there's a sale.  I mean, we're not second class citizens. 

So, I made Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce using P. E. I. mussels.

Like I had a choice.

Once you get the mussels, the recipe is pretty easy.  Clean the mussels and throw away the broken or dead ones.  Cook 2 pints of halved cherry (or grape) tomatoes with the mussels and some olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, parsley and salt.  Save some of the pasta's cooking water if the mixture seems a little dry.

It's a bit of a hassle eating clams.  Maybe that's why we didn't have any at Ma's house.  We had fish.  Sometimes it was fresh bluefish which was bought from the fellows at Sheepshead Bay.  I also remember Pop bringing home some clams from Oyster Bay.  

But, we kids never ate them.  Maybe we made a scene or a mess when we were little and Ma figured it wasn't worth the bother.  

  

I'd make Red Clam Sauce - with mussels - again.  Just have to wait for another Dollar Day. 

Another recipe down.  Fifty-four more to go. 

Carmela Soprano and Anna Sultana's Pasta E Ceci (Pasta and Chickpeas, Maltese Style)

Sorry I'm a bit late with today's posting.  Yesterday was my sixtieth birthday and, as Bob Crachet said, I was making rather merry.

What're you gonna do?  Fire me?

Back to Entertaining with The Sopranos...  

It's amazing the way a good photo can make something simple look fantastic.  When I'm flipping through Entertaining with The Sopranos, I can understand how folks who never had to make these things can be impressed with the title of a recipe.  If it has a foreign name, even hot dogs and beans can seem exotic. 

Pasta E Ceci is a Mediterranean version of hot dogs and beans.  We're talking noodles and beans here.

This is one of those times when Carmela and my Ma are on the same wave length.  Well, okay, Carmela gets a little fancy.  She adds a couple of ounces of pancetta.  Since the recipe is supposed to serve 6, she's using the meat as a garnish.  

Ma served a more honest Pasta E Ceci.  Hers was meatless.  It made sense.  If you were having pork and beans you wouldn't expect to see a pork chop instead of that lump of lard that passes for pork.     

With or without pancetta Pasta E Ceci is a watery tomato sauce with garlic, crushed red pepper, 2 cans of chickpeas (you can find them right next to the pork and beans) and pasta.  

Carmela's recipe calls for 8 ounces spaghetti, broken into bite-sized pieces.  Don't go to any trouble.  Elbow macaroni will do just fine.  Since the sauce is a bit thin, it's eaten with a spoon, as a soup.  The extra liquid is supposed to fill you up.

Hey, if it wasn't the end of the month, you wouldn't be eating Pasta E Ceci.

Another recipe down.  Sixty-four more to go.   

Carmela Soprano's Chicken, Anna Sultana's Spaghetti Pie

The lasagne was a success. Paul liked my new hobby.

Last week Sobey's had a 2-for-1 deal on chicken breasts, so I went back to my new cookbook Entertaining with The Sopranos and looked for a chicken recipe. Carmela's Crunchy Baked Chicken looked simple and extremely familiar.

Carmela had the same basic ingredients as Ma's Crunchy Fried Chicken: mix some dry bread crumbs with grated cheese. Throw in a few Italian spices. Dip the chicken pieces in a beaten egg, roll the chicken in the crumb mixture and bake.

Bake?

Eureka!!! I had found something better than Ma's recipe. I loved my Ma's fried chicken. To eat, not to make. When I made it, grease flew all over me and the kitchen. And when I served it, well, some parts were burned and some parts were raw. Ma's fried chicken was a fond memory never to be recreated by me. But, baking? No problem. No muss. No fuss.

Baking the chicken wasn't enough of a challenge. I flipped through the book and found another old favorite, Spaghetti Pie. With that recipe in mind, I cooked enough spaghetti to serve with the chicken and to use for the pie.

Paul raved about the chicken. He thought I'd made my Ma's recipe. Okay. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. We've been married almost 38 years. A little lie once in a while is par for the course. We're talking cooking, not sex.

A couple of nights after the chicken success, I decided to make the Spaghetti Pie recipe.

Hmmm. Carmela is married to a well to do fellow. She has nails out to there. And her Spaghetti Pie recipe showed that the Sopranos were eating high off the hog. It had a few extra ingredients: 2 ounces each of both Genoa salami or soppressata and prosciutto or boiled ham, plus 4 ounces of provolone and a 1/2 cup of Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Carmela also said, "You will not need salt, because the meats and cheeses are salty." Hello? Has Tony checked his blood pressure lately?

When Ma made Spaghetti Pie we knew it was either Friday or time to pay the house's heating oil bill.

Ma's Spaghetti Pie was simpler than Carmela's. Cheaper, too. No meat. Some milk stretched the eggs. Parsley, garlic and pre-grated, store-brand Parmesan cheese boosted the flavor. Comparing the 2 recipes, I'd say Ma's was safer for folks watching their cholesterol intake and blood pressure. Folks like Paul and me.

When it came to the Spaghetti Pie, I decided to stick to Ma's recipe. Like I said last week, I'm not Julie Powell slavishly trying to recreate Julia Child's classic recipes. Going back to my food roots was the goal. There's more to life than fancy cold cuts and cheese. What I saved on the soppressata, prosciutto and provolone, I blew on some wine.

The Spaghetti Pie was a success. The wine was good, too.

Four recipes down. Eighty-two more to go.