Ooh!  This was very tasty.  Quite spicy with the chilli flakes.  I liked it.  Easy too.  I made it for just me myself and I, halving the recipe, eating half and popping the other half in the frozen archives.  This recipe was featured in a newspaper article in 1989, and Hector recommends enjoying the dish with a lusty Spanish Rioja or Italian red wine.  Hmm.  I shall do that next time for sure!  Lusty wine.  Yes!

Swell me a bowl with lusty wine,
Till I may see the plump Lyaeus swim
Above the brim:
I drink as I would write,
In flowing measure filled with flame and sprite.

Ben Jonson

Hector Elizondo's Pasta Pomodoro

Hector Elizondo’s Famous Pasta Pomodoro

1 lb linguine or spaghetti

1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4-6 fresh cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 can flat anchovies

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

3 fresh sprigs rosemary (or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

12 fresh plum tomatoes

Put tomatoes in pan of boiling water until skins crack. 

Sautee crushed garlic in olive oil.  Add anchovies and pepper flakes (Important that you don’t allow these to brown.)

Peel tomatoes under cold water so you won’t burn your fingers.  Drop tomatoes whole into sauteed sauce.  As you mix them in, sort of chop them – you want the sauce to be a little lumpy.  Add rosemary and a dash or two of black pepper.

Make pasta according to package instructions and drain.  Pour sauce over pasta and add grated Parmesan to smooth out flavours.

Hector Elizondo in Columbo

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