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Illeana Douglas' Grandmothers Recipes - Cappellini with Pisto Sauce, Caponata al Abbondanza, & Sauce Puttanesca (Season 3, Ep. 3)

About the Recipe

In this episode, Illeana Douglas talks about growing up in two worlds of food, that of her Hollywood Royalty Grandfather Melvin Douglas and her Queens, NY Italian/Romanian family. She describes her father’s creating a hippie commune, and later her on-and-off camera relationship with Martin Scorsese, along with an extraordinary evening with Scorsese and Marlon Brando

Ingredients

Cappellini with Pisto Sauce

  • 1 lb cappellini

  • 1 bunch fresh sweet basil

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 2 oz olive oil

  • 3 tbsp pine nuts

  • 1/3 cup grated parmesean cheese

  • 1 tsp salt


Caponata All Abbondanza

  • 1 sliced onion

  • 1 medium eggplant (cubed & parboiled)

  • 2oz Sicilian dishes (sliced)

  • 1 celery heart, chopped

  • 2 oz capers

  • 3 tbsp fresh chopped tomatoes

  • 1 oz sugar


Sauce Puttanesca

  • 1lb rigatoni spagetti - cooked "al dente"

  • 2 cans peeled plum tomatoes (2lb 3 oz)

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 4 cloves crushed garlic

  • 8 anchiove fillets

  • 1 can Niscoise black olives (quartered)

  • 1/4 cup capers

  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley

  • 1 teaspoon oregano

  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika (optional)

  • 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

  • 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)


Preparation

Cappellini with Pisto Sauce

  1. Remove basil leaves from stems & cut into small pieces.

  2. Mince garlic & pine nuts

  3. Combines the three in mortar with salt - pound until mixture is pureed (you can use a blender for this)

  4. Add cheese

  5. When mixture is soft, slowly add olive oil & stir

  6. When mixture has taken all the olive oil, it should have a thick reamy consistency.

  7. Cook cappellini in boiling salted water until al dente!

  8. Drain & place in warm dishes.

  9. Spoon a few tablespoonfuls of "pisto" over top of hot cappellini.

Caponata All Abbondanza

  1. Combine all ingredients in a frying pan in olive oil to taste

  2. Saute over a low flame for 2 minutes

  3. Can be served hot or cold


Sauce Puttanesca

  1. Drain tomatoes - squeeze out ALL liquid

  2. Saute garlic in oil, add anchovies, then tomatoes - bring to a boil & at med to boil

  3. Add remaining ingredients one at a time

  4. Reduce heat - cover & simmer til sauce is thickened to likening

  5. Serve with fresh Italian parsley as garnish


I usually add sugar to take away bitterness, salt to taste (as there is a lot of salt already inherent in olives & anchovies)

My secret ingredients have always been paprika and aold bay seasoning which give it an extra kick



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