Spaghetti with Peas, Tomato Sauce and Mushrooms Featuring De Cecco

From meticulous wheat selection using only durum wheat, to a milling process whose roots date back to 1886, to exclusive ownership over the mountain spring water used in their dough, the "De Cecco Way" produces a pasta that is not only of the finest quality, but also steeped in tradition.  

De Cecco pasta begins its story in fields of durum wheat, where expert inspections ensure that only pale yellow grains are harvested for use in production.  Upon arrival, the wheat is checked for purity using state of the art machinery, ensuring the most accurate and rigorous testing possible.  Grain shape and coloration is carefully examined, with any stains or imperfections being rooted out, resulting in only pale yellow and properly shaped wheat being placed on the production line.

Once the grain has been selected, it is then milled.  Even before the company's founding in 1886, Don Nicola De Cecco made 'the best flour in the countryside' using his own stone mill.  Even today, all of the wheat processed by De Cecco is ground and blended on the spot using freshly made semolina flour.

One of the most important ingredients in De Cecco pasta is pure and cold water, but not simply any water, De Cecco uses only "De Cecco spring water."  The company has exclusive ownership of their own source of mountain spring water.  The water is kneaded into the dough only at very low temperatures, ensuring a highly consistent dough able to hold perfectly while cooking, ensuring a quality final product.

De Cecco "Extra Virgin Olive Oil 100% Italian Olives," is, as the name implies, made exclusively from Italian olives, making it the perfect accompaniment for De Cecco's pasta.  The oil is packaged in dark glass to preserve the organoleptic and nutritional qualities of the product.  The rich texture and harmonious taste is sure to enhance every dish it graces.

The recipe for De Cecco's Pesto Genovese is a creation of renowned international chef Heinz Beck.  Made in Liguria with extra virgin olive oil, basil, pine seeds, Grana Padano and Pecorino Romano cheese, this Genoa style pesto embodies the essence of Liguria's Western Riviera.

**I was given these products for review.  I was not financially compensated for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Ingredients:

1 cup of peas - fresh or frozen

1 medium onion - sliced

5 cloves of garlic - chopped

½ cup of chicken broth

2 tablespoons of wine

28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

½ cup of fresh Italian parsley - chopped

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ - ½ tsp. red pepper flakes

½ tsp. dried oregano

Pinch of sugar

2 - 4 tablespoons olive oil

Fresh grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

1 lb. of De Cecco Organic Spaghetti

Heat a large frying pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the sliced onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is transparent and the garlic is fragrant. 

Add the peas, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, wine, parsley and seasonings.  Gently simmer on low with the pan almost covered.  (I use a metal, shallow baking pan to slightly cover my cast iron frying pan.)

For the Mushrooms:

1 quart of button mushrooms - sliced

1 tablespoons wine

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon butter

¼ cup fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat a medium sized frying pan with the olive oil and butter.  Add the mushrooms, parsley, wine, salt and red pepper flakes and sauté for a minute or two.

Set aside while preparing the spaghetti.

Lift the spaghetti out of the water, draining as you lift, and into the sauce. 

Plate the spaghetti.  Place the mushrooms in the pan the sauce was in to quickly reheat and top on the spaghetti.

Garnish with grated cheese a drizzle of olive oil and dash of red pepper flakes.

There is nothing like a good plate of spaghetti.

Enjoy with Love,

Catherine

xo

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