Spaghetti With Garlic and Oil Sauce √

Serves 4.

From Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking."

• 1 lb. spaghetti or spaghettini

• 1 tbsp. salt

• 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tsp. very finely chopped garlic

• Chopped hot red chile pepper, to taste

• 2 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

Directions

Put water and salt in pasta pot; heat to boiling and put in pasta; cook according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, put the olive oil, garlic and chopped pepper in a small saucepan, and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook and stir the garlic until it becomes pale gold; do not let it turn brown.

Drain the pasta and toss it with the contents of the saucepan, turning the strands over and over in the oil to coat them evenly. Taste and, if necessary, add salt. Add the chopped parsley, toss once again and serve immediately.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories610Fat20 gSodium460 mg

Carbohydrates92 gSaturated fat3 gCalcium28 mg

Protein15 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber4 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 6 bread/starch, 4 fat.

Pork Loin Braised in Milk, Bolognese Style √

Serves 6.

Adapted from Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking."

• 1 tbsp. butter

• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

• 2 1/2 lb. boneless pork rib roast or Boston butt

• 1 tsp. salt or more, to taste

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or more, to taste

• 2 1/2 to 3 c. whole milk, divided

Directions

Put butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium-high heat. When the butter foam subsides, put in the meat, fat side down. Cook, turning the meat as needed to brown it evenly all around. Season with salt and pepper on all sides. If the butter starts to become very dark, lower the heat.

Add 1 cup of milk (add the milk slowly so it doesn't boil over). Allow the milk to come to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, then turn the heat down to low and cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Cook at a very lazy simmer about 1 hour, turning the meat from time to time, until the milk has thickened, through evaporation, into a nut-brown sauce. When the milk reaches this stage, add 1 more cup of milk and let simmer for about 10 minutes; then cover the pot, putting the lid on tightly. Check and turn the pork from time to time.

After 30 minutes, set the lid slightly ajar. Continue to cook at low heat, and when you see there is no more liquid milk in the pot, add the other 1/2 cup of milk. Continue cooking until the meat feels tender when prodded with a fork and all the milk has coagulated into nut-brown clusters.

Altogether it will take between 2 1/2 and 3 hours. If, before the meat is fully cooked, you find that the liquid in the pot has evaporated, add another 1/2 cup of milk. Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Let it settle for a few minutes, then cut into slices about 3/8-inch thick or slightly less, and arrange them on a serving platter. Tip the pot and spoon off most of the fat, being careful to leave behind all the coagulated milk clusters. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water, and boil away the water over high heat while using the wooden spoon to scrape loose cooking residues from the bottom and sides of the pot. Spoon all the pan juices over the pork and serve immediately.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories444Fat25 gSodium526 mg

Carbohydrates5 gSaturated fat9 gCalcium133 mg

Protein47 gCholesterol140 mgDietary fiber0 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: ½ milk, 6 lean meat, 1½ fat.