Thread: Peasant Dishes; Simple and Hearty

The Italian word paisan has come to mean friend or compatriot. It comes from the word peasant. Human beings typically are at their best when they at their worst. When we are faced with great challenges, we surprisingly muster up the kindness to help one another. It is that spirit that gives us some of the best food in any culture. Stew, soup, pot roast, cassolet, and many other wonderful recipes are considered peasant food. If you look at these very different meals you will find surprising similarities. They use ingredients that can often be found in the pantry when all other food has been devoured and they stretch the key ingredient to feed many without sacrificing quality. Some of my favorite Italian dishes originated as peasant chow but often have become very trendy grub for the nouveau riche. That is not me nor do I share my recipes with any pretense. I share what I eat. I hope that at least one of you will give it a try. I think you'll dig it and have fun cooking it!

There are many variations on this simple dish called pasta con aglia e olio di oliva. That's pasta with garlic and olive oil. You can make this hearty meal in the time it takes to boil the macaroni.

Bacon, cooked, drained and chopped; Olive oil; Garlic cloves, Anchovies (in a jar); Fresh cracked black pepper and fresh lemon juice.

This is very special oil. Notice the color and the cloudiness due to heavy sediment. This oil is so tasty it is better on bread than butter. A dish like the one we are making doesn't need fancy oil, in fact, it sort of defeats your purpose. You can use lesser olive oil and it will still be delightful. The anchovies on the other hand...

I never use anchovies in cans, ever. They are simply too salty. These are still salty but not brutally so. If you've never had the anchovies in jars, you really owe it to yourself to try them. In this dish and others that call for anchovy fillets like puttanesca, the quality of those little fish can make or break the meal.

Who says cooking isn't an art? After you cook the bacon and remove it to drain on a brown paper bag (infinitely better than paper towels), pour out the bacon fat (I save it in a mug in the fridge) and pour into the same pan the olive oil. Cook the anchovies over medium heat and smash them into the bottom of the pan with the flat bottom of a fork. Then add the crushed red and black peppers the garlic (crushed and chopped) and the drained, chopped bacon. Saute (stir while in hot oil) until the garlic just begins to brown and remove from the heat.

Mix all the "sauce" with all your pasta and plate from the bottom of the mix. Squeeze some lemon juice onto each serving and serve with either good Italian Parmigianno Reggiano or no cheese at all.

Have Fun!
Brad