Sinatra Pasta
This is a pasta recipe is based off of a recipe that is considered to be Old Blue Eyes’s favorite tomato sauce. I started making the original recipe because my dad LOVES Frank Sinatra and I was looking for a fun dish to make for the family one night. Since then I’ve really paired down the ingredients to become a simple any-night dinner that still tips its hat to the original.
Ingredients:
2 servings Perciatelli Pasta (AKA Bucatini)
2 tbs Olive Oil
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 large or 4 small cloves Garlic
4 medium size Tomatoes (Vine or Roma work well)
Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Large Pinch of dried Oregano
Large Pinch dried Basil
Large Pinch Onion Powder
1/4 cup Reserved pasta water
Small Pinch Sugar*
*IF your tomatoes are overly acidic (usually this happens when tomatoes are out of season, so in the winter months in the US)
Cook your pasta in boiling salted water according to the packaging. My favorite pasta to use for this recipe is Perciatelli Pasta - also known as Bucatini. Bucatini noodles are long like spaghetti, but much thicker, and have a hole running through the center. They are most commonly found in Lazio & Rome. I like that this oil-based sauce gets caught inside the noodles so you continue to taste as you slurp.
However, if you’re here because you’re a Sinatra fan I think it’s important to let you know that everyone has a different opinion on what his favorite pasta truly was, so feel free to mix it up here and maybe try a new pasta and maybe even find your new favorite.
While the pasta is cooking:
Add Olive Oil, Red Pepper Flakes & minced Garlic to a pan. Turn on the heat to medium and once the Oil begins to gain a reddish hue and the garlic becomes translucent** add diced tomatoes, Black Pepper, Sea Salt, dried Oregano, dried Basil & Onion Powder.
Cover the pan and allow the Tomatoes to break down, you can help along this process by pressing them gently with a wooden spoon. Stir sauce occasionally as it begins to bubble.
** If the garlic begins to become blonde before the oil takes on a red color, remove from heat and continue cooking on a lower heat.
Once the sauce begins to come together, taste and add a pinch of sugar if needed.
After your pasta is ready, turn your sauce pan to higher heat.
Strain your pasta, but reserve 1/4 cup water with the pasta.
Add both pasta and reserved water to the bubbling sauce, give it a quick toss to coat all of the pasta, and allow the sauce to reduce. Toss as needed.
Once reduced, (the sauce should no longer look like you added water to it, it should be a fully integrated consistency) bring the heat down & taste - add more salt if necessary.
Serve immediately & enjoy.
This image shows Spaghetti and not Bucatini. I had some slow-dried Semolina Spaghetti I wanted to test, but I would still recommend using Bucatini for this dish.
Yields: 2 Servings