Fettucini Diablo by Tyler Florence

Entered for safe-keeping, I love "diablo" pasta sauces for a change of pace. Note that creamy ricotta may not be substituted for the hard cheese sold as ricotta salata; if you can't find it, use shavings of the best hard Parmesan or Romano cheese available to you. San Marzano tomatoes are a variety of plum tomatoes considered by many chefs to be the best sauce tomatoes in the world; brands available in supermarkets include Cento, La Bella, Solinia and Vanita. As for the olives: does your supermarket have an "olive bar" that allows you to get a little of this and a little of that?

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• SAUCE

• 1 -2  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  dried red chilies or 1  teaspoon  crushed  red chili pepper flakes
• 28  ounces san marzano tomatoes, drained (Brands include Cento, La Bella, Solinia or Vanita)
• 1⁄2 cup fresh basil, torn
• 1  medium onion, finely chopped
• 1  cup  pitted  olive, assortment encouraged
• 3  fresh thyme sprigs
• 1  bay leaf
•  kosher salt, to taste
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste

• PASTA

• 16  ounces fettuccine
•  kosher salt ("to make it like sea water")

• GARNISH

•  fresh basil leaf, for garnish
•  ricotta salata, shaved (for garnish)

Directions

1. PREPARE SAUCE:
2. Take a large skillet and add a 2-count of olive oil over medium heat.
3. Once you get a shimmer, add the minced garlic and dried red chiles and cook for a minute until fragrant.
4. Add the chopped onion, pitted olives, torn basil leaves, thyme and bay leaf then cook until translucent -- about 2-3 minutes.
5. Strain the San Marzano tomatoes and hand crush into a separate bowl, than add to skillet.
6. Bring to boil, turn heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. (It is important to cook it down so there won't be a watery pool beneath the pasta.).
7. PREPARE PASTA:
8. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook the pasta. (The salted water should taste like the sea.)
9. Cook the fettuccini al dente.
10. Drain (reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water) and dump directly into the diablo sauce.
11. (If the sauce is too thick, with a ladle, add some of the pasta water to thin out the sauce.)
12. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
13. Garnish with basil leaves and some shaved salata ricotta.