Penne alla Calabrese

Name: Penne alla Calabrese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 400 g Penne; 2 Anchovies; 100 g Black olives; 100 g Green olives; 30 g salted capers; 150 g Tuna; 500 g Tomato sauce; Oregano (as needed); Pecorino cheese (as needed); Salt (as needed); Pepper (as needed)

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In Calabria, maccaruni d’a zita was always served at wedding luncheons. Today, this pasta is more popularly called penne Zita, which can be used for this Penne alla Calabrese recipe. The differences between regular penne and penne Zita is that the latter has a smoother surface and is slightly bigger in diameter.

According to tradition, in the place of honor sat “a donna” (the bride) and “lu patriu” (the parents of the bride) while to the bride’s right sat the best man. And at the reception, wine bottled the same year as the bride birth year was served. The luncheon lasts until the evening, with the throwing of “confetti” up in the air, with music from the “organetto”. In Italy, “confetti” are almonds with a hard sugar coating. This tradition was still alive in the 1950s.