GUIDANCE for your Friday Night Dinner

(following not applicable if you wait until Saturday.)

Hello and welcome to your Friday Night Dinner!

Components:

  • 2 - Spaghetti (cooked according to Albert D’ente’s recommendations)

  • 1 - Red sauce (the sauce that is red) (vegan unless you put a meatball in it)

  • 4 - Meatball (all beef, no bull)

  • 1 - Hunk of Parmesan Reggiano

  • 1 - Salad (frizzy lettuce and pea shoots, pew pew)

  • 1 - Dressing (similar to Chef Oliver Jardin’s)

  • 1 - Garlic Bread

  • 2 - Holy Cannoli

Guidance:

  1. Remove all ingredients and inspect the box for mobsters. If no mobsters, proceed. If mobsters, stop reading this.

  2. Preheat the oven to 375°-400°.

  3. Set a 4 quart pot or a 1 gallon pot, with water in it, on the stove and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down until you have a stern simmer. Add a tablespoon of salt.

  4. In a separate pot, slowly reheat the sauce and the meatballs with a little water, approximately 2 ounces. Cover with a lid and let reheat slowly. The sauce should be steamy but not bubbling. This will take about 8 minutes.

  5. Unwrap your garlic toast and leave on top of the foil. Blast it in the oven for about 6-8 minutes or until crunchy, browned but not burnt.

  6. Ok, when you’re ready to go set out a large mixing bowl, a small mixing bowl, a strainer, tongs (clack them together 3 times to make sure they still work), grater for the cheese.

    1. When the sauce and balls are hot, blanch the pasta in the water for approximately 30 seconds. If you want the pasta more well done, leave it in the water for up to 2 minutes. Remove from water and drain pretty well.

    2. Place 3/4 of the hot red sauce in the larger mixing bowl. Remove the meatballs and set aside. Place the pasta in the red sauce and toss to coat for 1 minute. For real.

    3. Grate a third of the cheese into the pasta and mix in. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

    4. Stick your clackety tongs into the pasta and pinch gently. Twirl the pasta around the tongs and place that portion on a plate. Repeat with the remainder. Try to make it even. Place the meatballs on the pasta. Top the meatballs with the remaining sauce and grate the rest of the cheese on top.

    5. In the smaller mixing bowl add most of the dressing. Place the greens on top of that and give it a toss. Adjust seasoning. Fresh herbs, some spice, salt, pepper. Place that in a serving bowl.

    6. Now sit down and “Slainte”!

    7. Oh, and as the Godfather said “Leave the hate. Take the cannoli.”

stirring the pot since 2016