© John Kernick
$4 Spaghetti That’s Almost as Good as $24 Spaghetti
- ACTIVE: 30 MIN
- TOTAL TIME: 3 HRS
- SERVINGS: 4 to 6 servings plus 4 cups of sauce
- •HEALTHY
- •STAFF-FAVORITE
- •VEGETARIAN
“The $24 spaghetti from Scott Conant’s Scarpetta in NYC is so delicious,” says Roy Choi of L.A.’s Kogi empire. “My $4 version tastes almost as good.” Roy’s trick: flavoring tomato sauce with a quick mushroom broth and slow-cooked garlic.
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- 4 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup peeled garlic cloves (4 ounces, from about 4 heads)
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Two 28-ounce cans peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1/4 cup torn basil leaves
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
- In a saucepan, bring the mushrooms and 3 cups of water to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the broth is reduced to 1 cup, 1 hour. Strain and discard the mushrooms.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the garlic and olive oil to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until the garlic is very tender and golden, about 30 minutes.
- In a large enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven, bring the tomatoes and the garlic and oil to a boil. Add the mushroom broth and, using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth. Bring the sauce back to a boil, then simmer over moderately low heat until thickened, about 1 hour. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain the spaghetti and return to the pot. Add 2 cups of the sauce and cook, tossing, for 1 minute. Transfer the spaghetti to bowls, top with the basil and serve with grated cheese.
Make Ahead
The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Suggested Pairing
Fruit-forward, medium-bodied Italian red.
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