La Marca Recipe

Prepare pasta water

Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt to the water. Keep it at a rolling boil so you can add the pasta when the sauce is nearly ready.

Cook aromatics

In a wide, deep skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the sliced garlic and diced shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and aromatic, about 2–3 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown.

Deglaze and reduce

If using optional sausage or shrimp and you want to cook it in the same pan, push the aromatics to one side, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and increase heat to medium-high. Add crumbled sausage and brown, breaking up with a spoon, 4–5 minutes (for shrimp, cook 1–2 minutes per side until just opaque). Remove cooked sausage or shrimp to a plate and set aside. Pour the white wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping any fond from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes.

Build the tomato sauce

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and stock, then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Add the sugar, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.

Start pasta

When the sauce has about 6–8 minutes left, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente according to package directions (typically 8–10 minutes). Reserve 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta cooking water before draining.

Finish sauce with pasta water

Stir half of the reserved pasta water (about 1/2 cup) into the simmering sauce to loosen it. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining kosher salt and black pepper as needed.

Combine pasta and sauce

Drain the spaghetti and transfer it directly to the pan with the sauce. Toss vigorously over medium heat for 1–2 minutes so the pasta absorbs the sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add more reserved pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the sauce coats the pasta lightly.

Finish with butter, cheese and herbs

Turn off the heat. Add the cold cubed butter, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, torn basil, chopped parsley, and lemon zest. Toss or gently fold until the butter and cheese melt into a silky sauce that clings to the spaghetti. If you cooked sausage or shrimp earlier, return it to the pan and toss to combine, warming through for 1 minute.

Adjust and serve

Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, lemon zest) as desired. Plate the pasta in shallow bowls, sprinkle additional Parmigiano if desired, and finish with a drizzle of remaining olive oil or a few small basil leaves as garnish.