sf wrote:
> On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 02:18:29 -0400, Bob (this one) wrote:
>
>> But it's a funny thing. Because there's a small hole that runs through
>> the middle of each strand, you can't suck them up like you can
>> spaghetti. It's like trying to suck a drinking straw into your mouth. So
>> naturally, that's what we did as kids while the grownups acted like they
>> didn't notice.
>>
> Does the "ini" part of bucatini refer to the hole?

buco = hole
-tini (suffix) = small

> They don't twirl
> well either... although I have a package in the cupboard as we speak,
> I rarely use it because I'm usually at a loss about what to do with it
> too. It's just plain hard to eat w/o cutting. LOL

I think it's a parallel to Norwegian lutefisk. They invented it as a
practical joke for foreigners and the slow of wit. Must be why she
served them to us.

>> My northern Italian grandmother served both semolina and whole wheat
>> bucatini with very thick sauces. Usually tomato-based with strong flavor
>> elements (sausage, salty ham, pecorino cheese, etc.), but sometimes a
>> heavy cream sauce (occasionally including fish or seafood).
>
> Did she serve the bucatini whole? Can you give us the basic recipe
> (or at least a grandma style one) for her cream sauce?

Easy enough. A little butter to wet the bottom of a skillet, maybe two
tablespoons on medium heat. Two very smashed and minced cloves of garlic
dropped into the butter and sauteed for maybe two minutes. A good pinch
of "dark salt" (what she called sea salt - they were from near Venice);
one oil-packed, roasted, red pepper minced coarsely; three strips of
bacon or pancetta, finely chopped. About a pint of cream, brought to a
hard boil and reduced to about half - until it coated a spoon. Then,
maybe 30 seconds before serving, a handful of finely minced raw shrimp -
maybe 4 or 5 ounces. Drain pasta (reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking
water and dump into a bowl. Pour water over and then cream sauce. Toss
and serve. If shrimp or fish, no parmesan. If chicken, ham or any other
meat, a generous grating of parmesan cheese.

This works for virtually any pasta. In later years, I've made it with
roasted garlic puree, roasted pepper puree and a hell of a lot more
shrimp. Occasionally get wild and crazy and drop in crumbled gorgonzola.
Made it a few times with chopped smoked salmon and it's wonderful. And -
horror - I put parmesan on it, seafood or not.

Pastorio