The origin of the “whore Spaghetti” was invented by one particular working girl. Another story is that it was the favorite recipe of the girls themselves. Yet another version of the putanesca recipe is that the name is only descriptive. Whatever the origin, the girls love flavors of Putanesca. I usually cook this pasta dish during birthdays or anniversary celebration. It’s so easy to cook.

8-12 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
8 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup capers
1/2 cup black olives
2 packs tomato paste (each pack is 150 grams)
1 cup water
6 whole tomatoes, stewed and chopped
Basil and Rosemary to taste

2 cans anchovies in olive oil (no capers) , served separately
Parmesan Cheese to sprinkle
Pasta noodles

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During our dorm days at Sampaguita Residence Hall at UP Diliman, my aunt shared with me her fabulous Tuna Spaghetti. I remember preparing this dish one year for our annual Open House at “Sampa.” Check it out!

For every two boxes of Italian spaghetti (regular-sized box), use the following:

1 can of tuna or tuna flakes (in oil or water, your preference)
2 cans of tomato sauce (I did not say tomato paste)
1 box of grated Kraft cheddar cheese (the same size as a bar of butter)
2 cans of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
pepper to taste
salt to taste
dash of Italian seasoning

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I normally cook Creamy Carbonara but here is a recipe for those that can’t stand creamy pasta sauce.

Spaghetti

500 grams spaghetti
6 qarts salted boiling water
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Add spaghetti noodles to salted boiling water, bring water back to a boil.
2. Cook spaghetti until Al Denter (barely tender) about 6-8 minutes (Tasting is the only way to test doneness. Never overcook pasta)
3. Add oil during the last 2 minutes. To keep spaghetti from sticking together wen it is drained.
4. Drain but leave hot, ready to use.

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My husband’s favorite pasta dish has got to be lasagna. Since it’s Valentine’s day, I decided to cook lasagna. Lasagna involves three steps: The tomato meat sauce, boiling the pasta and the preparation of the bechamel sauce.

Let’s make the Bechamel sauce first:

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cans evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

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One of the dishes I prepared for Christmas day lunch in the year 2005 was Chicken Cannelloni. The young ones particularly raved the rich creamy Chicken Cannelloni. The recipe came from my sister, Lorna who modified it many times. I forgot to take a close-up photo of the Cannelloni dish but it’s the rectangular pyrex on the table. The great thing about Cannelloni is that I can prepare it a day before , freeze it and heat it on Christmas Day itself. It takes the stress away from cooking so many dishes in one day.

Cannelloni usually refers to rectangular pasta sheets that are rolled with a filling. However, sometimes the pasta dough is replaced with a cooked crepe, generally 3 to 4 inches in length and once rolled, one inch in diameter. After cooking the crepe (or boiling the pasta), it is typically filled with a savory stuffing which may include ricotta cheese, spinach, and various meats. It is then covered with a sauce, typically classic tomato or bechamel sauce, although many variations exist.

(wikipedia)

My Cannelloni version uses Bechamel sauce, chicken and ready made pasta as shown below:

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