Ingredients

for 1 pound of pasta

　　2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

　　8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　Hot water from the pasta-cooking pot

　　1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano

　　

Step 1

Toast the bread crumbs in a small skillet (see page 93), tossing and stirring them, until they start to color. When they are almost completely browned, drop in 2 tablespoons of butter. Take the pan off the heat, and swirl it to melt the butter and stop the crumbs from darkening further.

　　

Step 2

Melt the remaining butter in a big skillet over medium heat; grind pepper in generously.

　　

Step 3

Ladle in 1 cup hot pasta water and cook actively for a couple of minutes, reducing the sauce slightly. Keep at low simmer until the pasta is ready.

　　

Step 4

Toss cooked pasta and sauce together in the skillet. Off the heat, toss in the cheese and sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs on top of the pasta, just before serving.

　　

Toasted Poppy Seed and Butter

Step 5

Follow the recipe for Toasted Bread Crumb and Butter Sauce above, but substitute 2 tablespoons poppy seeds for the crumbs. Toast them in the dry pan until they are fragrant, reserve some for topping if you like, then add the butter and swirl them together.

　　

Step 6

Toss cooked pasta and sauce together in the skillet. Off the heat, toss in grated cheese and sprinkle the reserved toasted poppy seeds on top, just before serving. This sauce is especially good with Ricotta Ravioli.

　　

Good With . . .

Step 7

Egg pasta—tagliatelle

　　

Step 8

Cornmeal pasta

　　

Step 9

Ricotta Ravioli (page 181)

　　

Step 10

Potato, Leek, and Bacon Ravioli (page 186)

　　

Step 11

A simple pasta such as rigatoni or linguine

　　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.