Ode to Pasta Puttanesca

i took Mom to Wegmann's this week and got VERY inspired. here is something i made tonight that Mom said i should blog about.

this recipe is called "Ode to Pasta Puttanesca" because i only vaguely remembered what i saw Nadia G. do when she made Nadia G's Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca. (hmm, looks like i only got the olives and anchovies right). here's my version, (for one).....



Ingredients (in order of appearance)

Pasta - 1 serving. something with a fun shape is best but any kind will work.

Butter - 1-2 Tablespoons.

Button Mushrooms - 2, diced.

Cipollini Onion - 1, diced. if you've never seen a cipollini, it looks like a cute baby vidalia onion. if you can't find a cipollini, just use a vidalia onion. 1/4 cup diced should be plenty.

Anchovies - 2-4 fillets.

Oyster Mushrooms - 5-6 "leaves," tear up larger pieces; smaller pieces can be left whole.

Pasta Water - 2 Tablespoons. this is exactly what you think it is. when the pan starts to get dry, throw a little of the water the pasta is cooking in into the pan.

Broccoli - 1/2 small crown, or 1-2 large stalks. if using large stalks, separate florets from stalks; dice stalks.

Sake - 1/2 cup or so, just enough to "wet" the pan. instead of sake you can use wine or vinegar.

Tomato Sauce - 1 cup. can be homemade, store bought, out of a can, whatever you have.

Oregano - 1 teaspoon, or a few shakes from the bottle.

Marjoram - just a dash, or one shake from the bottle.

Black Olives - 1/4 cup, diced.

Bacon Bits - 1 tablespoon.

Sun-dried Tomatoes - 2-3, julienned.

Hard Italian Cheese - any kind you like, however much you like! in this recipe i used Pecorino Toscano DOP.

Fresh Parsley - however much you want.

What To Do

1. a get all of the ingredients together and prepare as directed above.
2. decide how much pasta you want to eat, and then make it. 
1. you can do it properly by following the directions provided on the package, OR just throw the pasta in some water (water should be 1/2 inch or so above the pasta), turn on the burner and wait for it to boil. while you wait you can begin to cook the mushrooms (step 3) or just wait.
2. once it starts boiling, turn the heat down some and stir every once in a while so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. when done, remove pasta from the water and set aside using a slotted spoon or spider. the pasta will be added to the sauce later. save the water for par-boiling the broccoli (keep the water warm).
3. put the butter in a frying pan (medium sized should be fine) and let it melt over medium-high heat.
4. once the butter is melted, put the diced button mushrooms in the pan and let them cook for a few minutes until they begin to tender and get brown.
5. add the diced onion to the button mushrooms and cook until the onion begins to brown and get tender. add a little more butter to the pan if needed.
6. add the anchovies and oyster mushrooms to the pan. once the onions begin to brown and get tender, add the pasta water to the pan.
7. turn down the heat to medium and let the ingredients cook together a few minutes.
8. when the pasta is cooked and removed from the water, put the broccoli in the left over water and bring to a boil. cook the broccoli long enough to tenderize it. when done, add it to the pan.
9. cook the broccoli in the pan with the mushroom-onion mixture for a few minutes until done.
10. add the sake to de-glaze the pan and add a little more liquid to the ingredients.
11. when the sake evaporates, add the pasta to the pan and let it cook a few minutes in order to re-heat.
12. add the sauce to the pan and mix it in well. sauce should just coat the ingredients.
13. add the bacon bits, olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. stir everything together.
14. turn off the stove and plate up!
15. shred however much of the cheese you want on top, and add parsley to taste.
16. eat!