Stanley Tucci, Oscar-nominated actor, filmmaker, cookbook author and host of food and travel documentary series “Searching for Italy,” is stopping by the TODAY kitchen to whip up a couple of his go-to vegetable-forward recipes: super comforting pasta fagioli (pasta and bean soup) and a pasta sauce he learned to make from a Florentine family friend and uses on the regular.
The year my family was living in Florence my sister Gina became best friends with a young girl named Mirca. My parents in turn became friends with Mirca’s parents — Vittorio, who was a policeman, and his wife, Maria Rosa. To this day they remain friends, phoning throughout the year and visiting whenever they have the opportunity. Maria Rosa taught my mother how to make this sauce. We serve Salsa alla Maria Rosa with penne, farfalle, ziti or any other long tubular pasta such as rotini or fusilli. This sauce freezes very well.
As I said, for almost two years, with the exception of stocks and broths, I ate a primarily vegetarian diet. The following dish was a staple, as it was easy to swallow and basically contained all the nutrients I needed to keep myself healthy. I can honestly say that after all this time I am still not sick of it because it’s really delicious. This recipe, along with scrambled eggs, oatmeal and various soups, basically kept me going and helped rebuild my strength.