Better-Than-Store-Bought Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Spaghetti Pomodoro 365

If you were to commit one recipe to memory from this book, let it be this spaghetti pomodoro. The beauty of this dish centers around the tomato, a fruit I’ve dedicated countless hours of my life to worshiping. The most vivid memories from my childhood come from the late summer, when my family would spend weeks preserving the ripe tomatoes we’d use for the rest of the year. To me, the tomato is so much more than an ingredient: I’ve slept, worked, and lived in pursuit of its greatness. This recipe is the ultimate presentation of that dedication.

Pomodoro is really a testament to the wonders of Italian cuisine: a handful of simple fresh ingredients that, when made well, dazzle. This recipe, adapted from my mother’s, is what grandmothers are making in Italy at this very moment. It’s what I’d eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Of all the pastas in the world, this is my favorite.

 

Serves 4 (double if making for recipe above)

Total time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients

• Salt
• ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 15 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 30 to 40 basil leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
• Pinch of red chile flakes
• 2 (24.5-ounce) bottles Mutti tomato puree (passata)
• ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 

Directions

In a deep pan or soup pot, combine the olive oil and garlic.

Set the pan over medium-high heat and begin to toast the garlic, making sure to break up any piles of garlic, continuously agitating the pot to ensure it cooks evenly. Add the basil and chile flakes and continue cooking until the garlic is a nice amber brown (but not burnt).

Now that the oil is infused, stir in the tomato puree and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve garnished with Parmesan and some basil.

Excerpted from Everyday Delicious, copyright © 2024 by Rocco DiSpirito. Used by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

 

Cook With Rocco

DiSpirito shared two more recipes from Everyday Delicious for AARP members to try:

Curry Kani Salad

The word kani in “kani salad” (a mayo-based dish popular in Japan) is short for kani kama, the imitation crab sticks used by Japanese sushi restaurants.

Spring Saffron Risotto With Chicken

This vibrant yellow risotto is tinted and flavored by saffron, an almost otherworldly spice with floral, sweet, and earthy notes that must be experienced to be understood.

Read about Rocco DiSpirito’s cookbook, Everyday Delicious.