Spaghetti al Fumo
MAIN DISH: PORK
Contributed by Maria Angela Franceschini
Professor in Radiology, Harvard Medical School
Co-Director Optics @ Martinos
Servings: 4
This pasta sauce was invented by Adriana Accordi, a great chef of my hometown, Cortona,
during a catering trip in the north of Italy. Today this recipe has become a cult-dish of
Cortona area, and the recipe has spread to many restaurants in Italy. Every time I make this
pasta, I feel like I’m home.
Ingredients
~1 pound of thick spaghetti
7 ounces of smoked bacon*, finely ground
3.5 ounces of tomato paste
3.5 ounces of heavy cream
2 garlic cloves
1 rosemary sprig
Hot pepper
15 ounces of vodka, olive oil, and salt
* Alternative: bacon substitutes, any meat
or meatless smoked hot dogs, finely ground.
Method
1. Cook the minced bacon over high heat until brownish. Remove from heat and drain it
from the fat.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan, add the garlic, rosemary and hot peppers. Let it
brown. Add the bacon and then the glass of vodka. Let the vodka evaporate then add the
tomato paste. Let it cook for 5-10 min at low heat, turning often and making sure it
doesn’t stick to the pot or burn.
3. Remove the rosemary sprig and the garlic (Tuscans do not like to eat garlic). Add the
cream and cook over low heat for another 5 min. Do not let the cream boil.
4. Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti in salted water and when it is ready mix it in the pan with
the sauce.
5. Serve with parmesan and a sprinkle of black pepper.
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