Spaghetti with Tuscan Diced Vegetable Sauce

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 large artichoke
1 large lemon, cut in half
2 medium-sized zucchini
1 large stalk celery
1 medium-sized red onion, peeled
1 medium-sized carrot, scraped
20 large sprigs parsley, leaves only
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ripe, fresh tomatoes or 1 pound canned tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
1 pound dried spaghetti
salt

PLACE the artichoke in a bowl of cold water with the lemon halves; put the zucchini and celery in a second large bowl of cold water and soak both for 30 minutes.
CHOP the onion, carrot, and parsley. Place the oil in a heavy, medium-sized flameproof casserole over low heat, and when the oil is warm, add the chopped ingredients and sautè for 10 minutes.
CLEAN the artichoke and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into quarters, then into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the celery into similar-sized pieces. Add the vegetables to the casserole, sautè for 2 minutes, then cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring every so often with a wooden spoon.
CUT tomatoes them into pieces. Pass fresh or canned tomatoes through a food mill, using the disc with the smallest hole into a ceramic or glass bowl. Add tomatoes to the casserole and season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Cover and cook for 20 minutes more. Add the broth, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, taste for salt and pepper. (The sauce may be prepared a day in advance, refrigerated in a covered ceramic or glass bowl and reheated before using.)
BRING a large pot of cold water to a boil, add coarse salt to taste, then add the pasta and cook for 9 to 12 minutes depending on the brand. As the pasta cooks, warm a large serving dish and ladle some of the sauce onto it. Drain the pasta, transfer it to a prepared platter, add the remaining sauce, mix well and serve hot.

Spaghetti con le Vongole

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh clams
1 pound spaghetti

3 cups chopped canned tomatoes

1 clove garlic

1 cup dry white wine

pinch of red hot pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

salt to taste

COVER the clams with cold water in a bowl and add a fistful of salt. Let them stand for 30 minutes. Then rinse the clams well under cold running water discarding any clams that are open.

HEAT one cup of dry white wine in a pan and then add the clams. Cover and cook at a high heat for about five minutes or until they open. Once they've opened remove them from the heat and then scoop the clams out from their shell and set them aside, leaving a few in the shell for decoration.

FILTER the liquid the clams were cooked in and set it aside. In a large pan put the olive oil and a pinch of red hot pepper and cook it for a couple of minutes and then add the clove of garlic finely chopped, the tomatoes and the liquid from the clams. Simmer uncovered until it starts to thicken and salt to taste if necessary.

COOK the spaghetti as directed. When the sauce has thickened up add the clams and the parsley to the sauce and simmer for another two minutes. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Mix and serve.

TIP:Choose small clams and ake sure that you discard any clams that are already opened.

Linguine with Arugula, Tuna & Hot Pepper

4 Servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound dried linguine

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, finely minced

hot red pepper flakes

7 ounce can tuna in olive oil, drained

salt

3/4 pound baby arugula

COOK linguine al dente.

HEAT olive oil, garlic and hot pepper flakes over moderately low heat until garlic is fragrant and sizzling. Add tuna and shred it into fine flakes with a fork. Season with salt and add a few tablespoons of boiling water from the pasta pot to make the mixture moist and sauce-like. Keep warm over low heat.

SET aside 1 cup of boiling water just before the pasta is ready. Drain pasta and return it to the warm pot set over moderate heat. Add arugula and contents of the skillet and toss vigorously with tongs, moistening with some of the reserved pasta water. The arugula will wilt in the heat of the pasta. Serve immediately.