Bucatini and Chocohotopots

This past Friday we had our friend Jon over for video games and bucatini all'amatriciana. I have trouble picking out wines to go with this dish; it's so darn spicy! All those red chili flakes really mess with your palate, and I'd welcome recommendations for pairing. The recipe is another one of those big on flavor, short on time staples. If you don't have some good bacon, onion and bucatini in your house at any given time then I don't know what you keep in your pantry. Yes, we use bacon. It's one of the pitfalls of our small town. I will go into the ring with Mario Batali for saying that everyone in this country has access to good pancetta. We don't. We really, really don't. So to our fellow Moscowites and other small-towners, good bacon will suffice. We look forward to making our own guanciale, but until our apartment grows up into a house that can wait.

Nethaniel and Stephen joined us all after dinner for some Chocohotopots, a Nigella Lawson recipe we were trying out for the first time. They're not a particularly nuanced dessert, but they definitely satisfy any chocolate monster. Best as I can describe, they're a gooey, semi-brownie molten chocolate. Nigella recommends serving them hot, by which she means blazing fires of Mordor hot. Of course, I burn myself nearly every time I cook (I like to think it's endearing, even cute, in that absentminded professor way). We weren't sure how many people were coming over, so what I did (and will probably do anytime I make these!) is double the recipe and divvy it all up before dinner. Then when people came over around dessert time all I had to do was pop the right number in the oven. The rest went into the fridge and were a great addition to lunch on Saturday! I don't know if you've ever seen a Nigella Lawson show on Food Network, but the woman is great for giggle. I just can't get down all those coy looks she throws over her shoulder at the camera, as if to say, "Hello sailor, I'm whisking!"

Bucatini All'Amatriciana (serves 4, or with more to the meal easily 6-8!)
(slightly modified Mario Batali recipe)

1/4 c olive oil
3/4 pound guanciale/pancetta/bacon, cut into half inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 red onion, halved and sliced in half-moons
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
2 cups tomato sauce, recipe below
1 lb bucatini
Pecorino Romano freshly grated over the dish!

Big pot of water, rolling boil, salted.

In a large saute pan, warm the olive oil and cook the bacon/guanciale/pancetta. Continue until most of the fat has been rendered but the meat isn't crisping. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes (throw some salt on the onions, too) and continue to cook until everything is light golden in color.

Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomato sauce, reduce the heat, and allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. While that's happening cook the bucatini until al dente. Drain and add to the sauce, toss to coat over medium-high heat. Plate and top with the pecorino.

Tomato Sauce (from Mario Batali):
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion (I just use whatever onion is looking best at the store that day), chopped in 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried (I think I've used both and haven't objected to either)
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded (I left this out once and it was no great tragedy)
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes (San Marzano's are preferred and The Wine Shop stocks them), crushed by hand and juices reserved
Salt

In a 3-quart saucepan (I like my dutch oven for this) heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot, and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
(unless you make tons of pasta in one week's time, I recommend putting it into multiple smaller containers and freezing, that way you can defrost the right amount for your next recipe)


Chocohotopots (serves 4) by Nigella Lawson
1 stick unsalted butter
4 oz semisweet chocolate (60% cocoa solids)
1/2 c white chocolate morsels
2 eggs
3/4 c superfine sugar (just put 3/4 c granulated in the food processor and turn it on for 15 seconds)
3 tbs all-purpose flour
Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Butter the ramekins or other oven-safe cup. Melt the dark chocolate (I recommend the double boiler method, just put the bowl of chocolate and butter over a pan of simmering water) and let it cool a bit.

In another bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar and flour with a hand whisk and beat in the cooled butter and chocolate mixture. Fold in the white chocolate morsels. Divide the mixture between the 4 buttered ramekins. Bake for about 20 minutes, by which time the tops will be cooked and cracked and the chocolate gooey underneath.

Place each ramekin on a small plate with a teaspoon and serve. Make sure to warn people that these desserts will be HOT!