The best chefs from Piacenza all know that the secret to great pasta is in the reheating. This process allows the noodle to absorb the deep flavors in the sauce while at the same time eliminating any residual "chew" from the first cooking. To achieve optimal texture, use precooked pasta from a can, which has the consistency of soft pudding. For my money, I like Chef Boyardee's Spaghetti and Meatballs because the composite meat product has a wonderfully bold, gamey flavor that requires little additional seasoning of any kind.
For a quick treat, try making Spaghetti con Pane Tostato. If you feel intimidated, just think of this classic dish as essentially an open-faced sandwich--or, if you prefer, a soggy variant of pizza using toast in lieu of crust.
Pull on the tab of the easy-to-open lid and gently scrape the contents of the tin can in a bowl, separating the meat product from the noodles. On high heat, sear the meatballs in a heavy cast-iron skillet until browner, roughly one minute. While cooking, be sure to tamp down on the meatballs with a spoon or spatula; this will keep them from rolling off the toast when dining. Add pasta to the skillet and cook under medium heat until pasta turns meltingly tender.
Pour the ragout of Boyardee on seven pieces of buttered toast, making sure to scrape all the bits and pieces from the skillet. The texture of the bread serves as the perfect counterpoint to the squishiness of the pasta.
I have found that the stretchy texture of string formaggio is an ideal accompaniment to this dish. I recommend cheese from the region Polly-o, but many local markets carry other top quality varieties. Pull five sticks of formaggio into strings and cover the dish. Garnish with a sprig of parsley.
Buon Appetito
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Inspired by Russell Baker's spoof "Francs and Beans." His version is far superior.
Also, modeled after Paula Wolfert--I love her style.
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