Ingredients

for 1 pound of pasta

　　6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　5 plump garlic cloves, sliced (about 1/3 cup)

　　1/2 teaspoon dried peperoncino (hot red pepper flakes)

　　Two 6-ounce jars (1 3/4 cups) marinated artichoke hearts, drained, sliced thin

　　2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained and sliced in 1/2-inch strips

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

　　Hot water from the pasta-cooking pot

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

　　1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano

　　

Step 1

Start cooking the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water 5 minutes before you begin the sauce if you are using dry pasta, or just after if using fresh pasta.

　　

Step 2

Pour 4 tablespoons of the olive oil into the big skillet, scatter the garlic slices in, and set the pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute, until the garlic is sizzling.

　　

Step 3

Toast the peperoncino in a hot spot for 1/2 minute; stir in with the garlic.

　　

Step 4

Add the sliced artichokes and tomatoes, salt, and lemon zest; stir well. Cook for about 4 minutes, shaking the pan and tossing the vegetables occasionally, as everything sizzles and the juices in the pan thicken.

　　

Step 5

Ladle 2 cups of boiling pasta water into the skillet, stir up the sauce, and cook at a perking boil for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half.

　　

Step 6

Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the sauce. Keep it at a low simmer until the pasta is ready.

　　

Step 7

When the pasta is done almost al dente, scoop it up and into the skillet to finish cooking, adding more pasta water or reducing it as necessary. Add the parsley during the initial tossing; off the heat, toss in the cheese just before serving.

　　From Lidia's Family table by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright (c) 2004 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Published by Knopf.Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York. Jay Jacob's journalism has appeared in many national magazines.From the Trade Paperback edition.