Special sauce: a twice-yearly treat
By Pam Turano
Providence
My family got to have this sauce roughly twice a year, Christmas Eve and Easter. Each holiday had a different twist to the basic sauce and for Easter, it was the addition of Ceci beans (chickpeas). My grandfather could eat macaroni every day, if my grandmother would have made it for him. She would purchase dried baccala (codfish) for Christmas and many times would buy extra and keep it in the cold cellar.
My grandfather would eat what my grandmother put in front of him, except he wasn't big on vegetables, unless they were from his garden. Even so, he lived to be 94!
When Lent rolled around, many times I'd stop by for a visit and my grandfather would come up from the cellar after smoking a stogy. He was not allowed to smoke them in the house because they are a very nasty-smelling cigar and Gran would not tolerate that.
He would look at me and wink, as he walked to my grandmother with the dried salted cod and said, "Hey momma, how about some homemade macaroni and baccala sauce with ceci beans?"
She would yell at him in Italian and then turn to me and say, “You want to stay for lunch?”
My reply was always, “Yes! “
We would proceed to make the sauce and a batch of homemade fettuccini. I have very fond memories of my grandparents and all the traditions we have for holidays, which stem from our Roman Catholic upbringing, which I am so proud of.
Maybe for Christmas, I'll share the twist which serves up a totally different taste for the palate. Enjoy!!
Baccala and Ceci Beans with fresh Pasta
1lb. dried boneless salted cod
1-28oz. can tomato puree
small onion chopped
1/2 c. fresh chopped basil (1 1/2 tbsp. dried)
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1/3 c. fresh chopped parsley (1 tbsp. dried)
1/4 c. olive oil
1 can Progresso Chickpeas
1 lb. fresh fettuccini
Soak baccala overnight in water to get rid of the salt, then drain.
Sauté the onion, garlic and cod in olive oil. Add the puree, then 2 cans of water, along with basil, parsley and salt to taste. (depends on the saltiness of the cod) Bring it to a boil, then, cook for 2 hours on simmer, adding the chickpeas the last hour or so.
Serve over homemade fettuccini, if you make it. If not, run to Gem Ravioli and get it fresh, because boxed pasta does not cut it. Fresh pasta absorbs the sauce; while boxed, the sauce rolls off it. You will have enough sauce for company or freeze it for another meal.
Tortellini and seafood
By Elsie Hall
Wakefield
This recipe originated in the Providence Journal Food Section many years ago. It is yellowed and has tattered edges in my recipe box, but it is a quick and easy Lenten supper or lunch. With a salad and crusty bread it is even company fare. I hope you enjoy it.
1 12-ounce bag of frozen tortellini
1 can Progresso Tomato Basil Soup
1/2 of 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 6 1/2 ounce can minced clams*
Dash of hot sauce, if desired
Parmesan Cheese
Cook tortellini as package directs. While it is cooking, heat the soup and tomato paste until bubbly. Add hot sauce if using it. Add the minced clams to heat through.
Drain the tortellini, top with sauce, and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.
Enjoy.
* I like to substitute the minced clams with a can of small shrimp.
