Pasta Piccante Abruzzese con Prosciutto e Zucchine

I officially have a favorite go-to cookbook. I just completed my third recipe from the Marlena Spieler cookbook, "Pasta" and it was fantastic! I have come to believe that recipes from this cookbook are just plain dependable. There is an authenticity to these dishes that makes them special but they are not too complicated for a novice cook like me. I love that I can choose a recipe from this book and create a gourmet dish that wows my family and anyone dining with us. Tonight I prepared Pasta Piccante Abruzzese con Prosciutto e Zucchine. I can't say enough about the flavors of this dish. As with the other dishes I have prepared from this book, there is a rustic flair that I have not been able to create with recipes from any other Italian cookbook. Kudos to Marlena Spieler for compiling a collection of recipes that never ceases to please.

Ingredients:

2 large red or yellow peppers (I chose yellow because the color is springy)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 small to medium courgette (zucchini) diced

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 ounces prosciutto, cut into shreds

5-7 cloves garlic, chopped

15 ounce can chopped tomatoes or 1 lb, 5 ounces fresh tomatoes, with 2 Tbsp tomato puree

2 pinches crumbled dry chilli

5 ounces dry white wine or stock

pinch of mixed dried Italian herbs or oregano

pinch of sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb gigli pasta (lily shaped pasta) or any other pasta with ruffled edges, penne will work as well

5 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino, plus extra for serving if desired

10-15 leaves or more fresh basil, shredded

4 large Tbsp ricotta cheese

Preheat grill or oven to high and grill peppers until charred and blackened all around; watch them carefully and keep turning them. Place in bowl, cover and leave for at least 15 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, lightly saute onion and courgette in olive oil in a large pan until softened, then stir in prosciutto and garlic. Keep stirring for a few moments and remove from heat.

Peel and coarsely chop peppers, discarding skin, stem and seeds and add them with their juices to the pan along with tomatoes, chilli, wine, dried herbs, and sugar. Season to taste. Return to heat and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer to thicken sauce while you cook pasta.

Bring large pan of salted water to boil and cook pasta until al dente, the length of time will depend on type of pasta. Drain and toss with sauce, Parmesan and basil, then serve in large bowls each topped with a dollop of ricotta and, if desired, a little extra basil and Parmesan. Serves 4.

A couple side notes. I used a pasta called campanelle which is lily shaped and I assume much like gigli. The point of using this type of pasta is to have nooks and crannies so the sauce has somewhere to sit. I also made a point to cook the pasta al dente. This recipe requires that the pasta is not overcooked. It seemed to me that it was better to undercook the pasta a bit because it continued cooking when it was stirred into the pan of sauce.

This is delicious! I highly encourage you to try a few of the dishes from this cookbook or to purchase the book. I actually found mine at my favorite local bookstore called Leisure Books for $10. This is one of the best $10 bills I have ever spent. Buon Appetito!