Pasta Milanese

By norsegal8

This sauce is a classic for New Orleanians of Sicilian descent and for those of us who love their food. What it has to do with Milan beats me. The recipe varies from household to household, but I’ve found that good-quality canned tomatoes can be brought back to life by adding a little extra spice and pinch or two of sugar.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bulb fennel, diced
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 3 12-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and ground
• Leaves from 4 large sprigs fresh basil, chopped
• Leaves from 2 large sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon Basic Creole Spices
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Salt
• 2 lbs Basic Homemade Pasta or dried fettuccine
• 1 recipe Mudrica, optional

Preparation

Step 1

•Heat a large saucepan over moderate heat. Add the olive oil, then the fresh fennel and onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and caramelized, 10–15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook very briefly, then stir in the anchovies. Add the diced tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, ground fennel, basil, oregano, pepper flakes, Creole Spices, and black pepper to the pan. Simmer the sauce for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
•Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender. Drain the pasta. Serve the pasta in a serving dish with the tomato sauce ladled on top. Sprinkle the Mudrica over the sauce, if you like.