Jeanie’s Pasta con Prosciutto

Dan Fedeli’s family first opened Ferraro’s Ristorante in Atlantic City back in 1929. Across the street from a popular nightclub, the restaurant served its share of hopeful young entertainers, like Sinatra, Lewis, and Martin, while they were still hoping for their first big break.

Fifty years later, when Atlantic City became a gaming center, Dan and his mother Jeanie moved the restaurant up the Jersey shore to Margate City, renaming it Fedeli’s, The Original Ferraro’s. While Jeanie retired, Dan says her flavorful, homestyle recipes (like this one for Jeanie’s Pasta con Prosciutto) still bring generations of loyal regulars back for more!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• dash dried Greek oregano
• 1 tablespoon seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 9 ounces fresh egg linguine
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

Instructions:

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, cook, stirring, until soft. Add garlic; cook briefly. Add prosciutto, cook 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly crisp. Add wine; season with salt, pepper and oregano; and cook briefly.

Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs; cook, stirring, until golden-brown. Set aside. While sauce is cooking, cook linguine in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water. Drain linguine.

Toss linguine, prosciutto sauce, bread crumbs, and enough reserved cooking water together to make a creamy sauce. Top each serving with cheese and basil and serve immediately. Makes 2 to 3 servings.