Pappardelle al pomodoro alla carbonara

Pasta alla carbonara literally means: 'the pasta of the coal miner's wife' in Italian and is one of my favorite Italian dishes.

There are as many versions of this recipe as there are pronunciations, and in all of them, raw eggs are added to the sauce and cooked with the heat of the pasta (this for me is the secret of the taste- no cream is necessary!). '

Pasta alla carbonara, made with pomodoro pappardelle (fresh tomato pappardelle)

Bouillabaisse, à la minute!

Well, I don't know about the Bouillabaisse part but the tastes are very much the same. How incredibly easy to make, and what a taste! This is tortellini taken to a different level; and for a pasta & fish lover like myself, it's a match made in heaven.

How to

Boil some tortellini with optional filling to 'al dente' texture, (approximately 4 minutes). Drain all of the water and add some spiced tomato sauce (basil, garlic) or plain tomato sauce mixed with pesto. Let simmer and add just a splash of cooking cream for a richer sauce base. 

Here's where you go nuts with the spices: I used sweet paprika, mixed peppers and mediterranean salt (infused with rosemary among other things).

Taste the soup and adjust the tomato sauce, cream and spices til' you've achieved your desired textures and tastes.

Pour the tortellini + sauce into a bowl, serve with tunafish and garnish with some basil.

Bon Appétit!