Penne alla maitò

A creamy first course of pasta thanks to the combination of tomato puree, butter and parmesan. Here are the penne alla maitò.

Today we are going to discover an unusual recipe, particularly appreciated by VIPs but little known to us Italians. We are talking about penne alla maitò, a first course born in Versilia which, with its creaminess and unique taste, has won the hearts of entertainers of the caliber of Robert De Niro, Sophia Loren and Al Pacino .

In essence it is a pasta dish, rigorously smooth penne, seasoned with a tomato sauce, basil and Normandy butter . The characteristic of the recipe is that the penne are literally drowned in the sauce, thus differing substantially from the classic tomato pasta recipe.

How to prepare the recipe for penne alla maitò

1. Pour the tomato puree into a pan, flavor with basil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes , stirring occasionally.
2. In the meantime, cut the cold butter into cubes, taking care to choose a quality one. Add it to the sauce, stirring well until it has dissolved, then continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
3. Then cook the pasta in plenty of salted water for the time indicated on the package. Drain it with a slotted spoon directly into the sauce, adding a ladle of cooking water .
4. Stir in the grated parmesan, added several times, until you obtain a smooth and silky cream. Serve the penne alla maitò piping hot.

If you love simple but tasty recipes we recommend you also try penne alla vodka , a dish perhaps old-fashioned but with its own reason.

storage

The maitò pasta can be kept in the refrigerator, closed in an airtight container, for 2-3 days . We recommend heating it in a pan before consuming it.

History of the first course

As regards the origin of the name, however, it seems that Maitò was the nickname of the grandmother who cooked these delicious penne for the first time and who today also gives her name to the family's restaurant (one of the most famous in Forte dei Marmi).