No problem.

I should have posted this earlier so you’d have time to prepare although there is no magic here.  I think I forgot because on Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, my brain was weak from the first few hours of chocolate abstinence.

How do I remember not to eat meat on Fridays? My mother reminds me in subtle ways. She’ll ask me what I am having for dinner, at 7am, so I have time to rebound and change my menu. I can also hear, actually hear my grandmother touting the benefits of sacrifice and what it does for us as Italian Catholics. You gotta love it.

So let’s make it!

What you need:

• One pound of pasta, fresh or dried, your choice
• 4 gloves of garlic
• I prefer about 4 plum tomatoes cored and chopped. You can use tomato sauce as well.
• Fresh mozzarella, Burrata is preferred.
• Basil! A ton shredded!
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Oh, and you need guilt and family pressure so don’t make the sauce with meat during Lent so you can use it on Friday.

What to do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add your pasta and stir it occasionally. Cook to al dente never more. We do not want baby food.

Meanwhile, in a pan heat the oil, garlic and tomatoes. Again, watch this so it does not turn to mush, no baby food. Turn off the heat and watch the pasta.

Drain the cooked pasta and return to the pan and add the tomato mixture. Serve on warm plates (microwave them for 30 seconds). Top with shredded basil and add the ball of Burrata to the center, cut it open and watch it ooze. As close to heaven as you can get!

Note: we called it macaroni back then, not pasta and you added whatever you had in the fridge that was not meat. Shrimp, veggies whatever you find.

Serve with hot Italian bread preferably from Perreca’s and a salad. No guilt.