stella interiors

Fusilli al Telefono

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 pound good-quality fusilli
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 (1-pound, 12-ounce) cans peeled whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 15 large fresh basil leaves, julienned
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound whole milk mozzarella di bufala, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with 5 quarts water; season with 2 tablespoons salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add fusilli to boiling water and cook according to package directions.
2. Add grape seed oil and garlic to a medium skillet and place over high heat. Cook until edges of garlic turn golden, about 1 minute. Using your hands, break up and squeeze tomatoes directly into skillet. Immediately add basil, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil; immediately reduce heat to medium.
3. When pasta is cooked, remove sauce from heat. Stir mozzarella into sauce until well combined. Using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer pasta to sauce. Fold fusilli into sauce until mozzarella has attached itself to the fusilli.
4. Serve immediately with Parmesan, if desired.

i'm making this for dinner tonight and i'm soooooo excited! i'll also make my all time favorite garlic bread that i will warn you is dangerously delicious and impossible to not continue to eat till every last bit is gone... i learned how to make it from my very dear friend who happens to make delicious food all the time, and who was my go-to for recipes and how to cook stuff when i was learning to cook....thanks jo. so here's how to make a bomb garlic bread:

loaf of bakery bread -(i like hannaford's semolina loaf, or any good bread not made with enriched flour...)

minced garlic, about 3 tbs.

melted butter, about 1/2 stick

slice the loaf lengthwise and spread melted butter over both halves. spread minced garlic evenly. i always add a little fresh dried basil or parsley for flavor, and grated parmesan is never a bad idea: )...wrap in foil and bake @350 for about 20 minutes. happy eating!                               

Photo credit: "Pasta Sfoglia," by Ron and Colleen Suhanosky (Wiley) as seen on Martha Stewart