Babbo is the Tuscan word for ‘Dad.’ Most other regions say ‘Papá.’ This pasta dish can be made at any time of the year, but it is best in the warmer months. My Babbo brings home from his café a little bit of his prepared bruschetta topping to make this pasta. I posted a recipe for it previously so, please, look to it for the instructions. As an interesting side note, here’s an article written about my Babbo’s cafè:
Ingredients:
Bruschetta topping
- 3 cloves of garlic – peeled, whole
- 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 5 medium size tomatoes – cubed
- 10 large basil leaves (chopped finely)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
The rest
- 1 lb of penne
- 4 small mozzarellas (or 2 large mozzarellas) - cubed
- 2 cans of tuna (preferably canned in olive oil) – drained
Procedure:
It is best if the bruschetta topping is made a couple of hours ahead of time since the garlic will be allowed to give off its flavor.
Fill a pot with water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the penne; stir every few minutes. As the pasta is cooking, you can prepare the sauce. Please keep in mind the cooking time suggested on the box of pasta. You don’t want to overcook it.
Place the bruschetta topping in a large serving bowl; add the tuna and mozzarella.
When the pasta is al dente, drain the water and add the pasta to the sauce. Mix thoroughly. If the pasta seems a little dry, add olive oil.
Enjoy!
