Get ready for your next pasta dinner with this dish of mine, accredited with all the mmmms and wows that every cook longs for. The recipe is my own version of a pasta dish that we used to order at an Italian restaurant during our vacation on the island of Rhodes, Greece some 25 years ago, recreated to the best of my ability. The sauce is so very rich with probably more calories than one needs, so that’s why I have prepared it only a few times, maybe four or five to be exact, over the past quarter century. But forget the calories for just one evening, the melted cheese over the pasta is absolutely worth it!
There is not much to this recipe apart from making a classic tomato/marinara sauce and adding a few more ingredients.You can use your own marinara recipe or you can even open a jar of your favorite brand, or use my own recipe (in a saucepan, sauté one medium chopped onion with one tablespoon olive oil, add two minced garlic cloves, one large can crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and a little sugar. Cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes).
Once you have the marinara sauce ready, follow these simple instructions: Just before serving, use a saucepan to bring about 2 cups of marinara sauce to a boil, add 1/4 cup heavy cream and about 10 oz (300 g) shredded fresh mozzarella [use the large holes on a box grater to shred the cheese]. Make sure that the sauce is boiling when you add the cheese, then lower the heat to medium-low until the cheese melts completely, stirring continuously with a fork. Serve over your choice of cooked pasta and enjoy immediately, before the cheese cools again. Sprinkle with minced parsley or basil (optional).
cleaning tip: fill the saucepan with hot water and let it sit overnight to easily clean the leftover melted cheese.
