Spaghetti in Tomato-Apple Sauce

Name: Spaghetti in Tomato-Apple Sauce
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 3 cups (one 28-ounce can) canned Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano; 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 large stalks celery, cut in 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup); 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 pound tart, firm apples, such as Granny Smith; 1 pound spaghetti; 1 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for passing; A food processor or blender; a heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, 12-inch diameter or larger; a large pot, 8-quart capacity, for cooking the pasta

By Lidia Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali

March 28, 2010

Image may contain Cutlery Fork Pottery and Saucer

Photo by Chelsea Kyle

I know you might do a double take at the name of this recipe. But I assure you it is a simple, delightful rendition of spaghetti in quickly cooked tomato sauce. The unique touch comes from shreds of fresh apple, which lend the sauce a lovely aroma and flavor and feel good in the mouth. When I tasted this for the first time in the Val di Non of Trentino, I wondered, Why didn’t I think of this long ago? Spaghetti is my choice of pasta here, but linguine, ziti, or rigatoni would be just as good.

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Heavenly Halva Cake

Serve a thick slice for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu

Reliable cabbage is cooked in the punchy sauce and then combined with store-bought baked tofu and roasted cashews for a salad that can also be eaten with rice.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.