Comfort Food: Norcino Pasta (Butcher's Spaghetti)

One of my favorite New York restaurants, Beppe, closed its doors a couple of months ago. Beppe was a warm, welcoming space with delicious Italian foods prepared by chef Cesare Casella. Cesare grew his own herbs, both in clay pots outside the restaurant and in his own garden, and generously flavored his foods with herbs, both fresh and fried. His Tuscan fries—french fries with quick fried herbs and sea salt were a favorite of many returning customers, including me.

But my favorite dish there was a simple bowl of Norcino pasta, or butcher’s spaghetti. It is such a delicious, satisfying and comforting dish—so simple in its ingredients and so pleasing to the palate—it became my only main course as I went back again and again with friends to introduce them to this amazing comfort food. The mix of flavors and spices is complex and rich, and as hard as I tried I could not seem to replicate it at home. A friend and I found a recipe on an Italian website which came close—but it did not quite match Cesare’s dish.

I recently came across a blog written by Cesare (Italian Cooking in the Loop) in which he divulges the recipe for this revered dish. Imagine my delight when I saw HIS recipe, and realized that I could make this at home for my family. I am certain it will become a staple in our comfort food repertoire.

And since my daughter and I promised to start making comfort foods from different cultures and countries on our Sunday cooking days, we will gladly make this one. Grazie Mille, Cesare, for generously sharing this recipe with your fans. Comfort food—with a lovely Italian accent.

Norcino Pasta (Butcher’s Spaghetti)

2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic

1 1/2 cups roughly chopped red onions

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 1/2 pounds hot sausage, casings removed and meat crumbled

1 cup dry red wine

3 1/2 cups canned whole tomatoes, with their juice, pureed or finely chopped (You can also buy pureed tomatoes, but whole ones are less acidic and of higher quality)

Large pinch crushed red pepper

Large pinch grated nutmeg

Large pinch ground cloves

Large pinch ground cinnamon

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound spaghetti or tagliatelle

Grated Parmesan cheese, for finishing

In a food processor puree the garlic and onions to a coarse paste.

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the olive oil. Add the garlic and onion paste and the rosemary and sauté over medium heat until the mixture begins to color, 10-15 minutes.

Add the sausage meats, stirring with a wooden spoon to break them up. When the sausage is brown, add the wine and reduce completely, 8-10 minutes

Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and 4 cups water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over low hear for 3 hours, adding additional water, a little at a time, if the mixture starts to look too dry. When the sauce is ready, skim off the excess fat and adjust the seasonings.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until just under al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Add the spaghetti to the sauce with 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes for the pasta to absorb some of the sauce, adding more pasta water if the mixture becomes too dry. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve.