Clean Plate Club

Cioppino Pittsburgh in the Strip

Last night I had dinner at Cioppino in the Strip District and Wow! was it fantastic.

A friend of mine co-owns the restaurant with his family and I have never been more happy with a pasta dish in an Italian restaurant. I sat in the bar with a couple of friends and ordered the Spaghetti All’Amatriciana – lots of onion, tomato and garlic – just what I wanted.

The only downside was it tasted so good I ate the whole thing – No leftovers for lunch today and I am craving that garlic like none other. I’ve already looked up a recipe online and am going to give it a try the first chance I get – maybe tonight! It has a really short prep time, which makes me think I could turn out a pretty good plate!

Here it is:

Ingredients

• 1/3 lb. pancetta or 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
• 1 lb spaghetti, cooked or other pastas, strands cooked
• grated pecorino romano cheese, to serve

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions.
2. Cook bacon in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat, stirring often, just until fat is rendered (3-5 minutes). Add onion; cook, stirring often until soft (about 5 minutes). Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes with their liquid. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
3. Gently toss pasta with sauce.
4. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.