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.

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