In the Tuscan Kitchen w/Chef Matteo
Our guest chef is Matteo Romani from Tenute di Badia, an agriturismo in Lucca, Tuscany. Chef Matteo offers cooking classes to his guests and wants to share this delicious and easy pasta recipe with you.
Many of you know, the Tuscans are very proud people, and food is without a doubt our biggest pride!
Here’s the recipe for their famous Pasta alla Carrettiera. Our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the basic ingredient for dish, representing the quintessance of the true Tuscan Flavor.
So, let’s begin!
Ingredients
(serves 4)
For the Sauce
5 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Olio
1\2 Onion, finely diced
1\2 Carrot, finely diced
1\2 Stock of Celery, finely diced
1 – 15 oz. can Tomato Sauce
5 Leaves of fresh Basil
20 Stoneless Black Olives
3/4 lb. Italian Pasta
Salt and Black Pepper
Warning! Pay close attention to the quality of your tomato sauce! I found a pretty good one in the U.S. and it was called Hunt’s Tomato Sauce. Just for example 
Directions:
Prepare a potful of water and let it boil. When the water comes to a boil add 3 Tbsp salt.
Pour the Extra Virgin Olive Oil on a large frying pan. Wait one minute, than add onion, carrot and celery.
Put a bit of salt and pepper.
Just before the onions start to change color, pour in the tomato sauce.
Once the water in the potful is boiling, add the Italian pasta and let it cook according to package directions.
Add the stoneless olives to the sauce and, after a couple of minutes, add the basil too.
Blend your Carrettiera Sauce with a wooden spoon and then, when pasta is done, drain it and add it to the sauce, directly into the frying pan.
Blend the pasta very quickly in the pan and then serve it while it’s hot!
If you like Parmisan Cheese, sprinkle some on your dish of pasta before you taste it!
Here we go, I hope your pasta is great, and I let me know what you think!
contributed by Matteo Romani Tenute di Badia!
