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1
Dump the tomatoes and juices into a large bowl, and squeeze the tomatoes into small chunks with your hands.
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2
Pour the olive oil into the skillet, toss in the onion slices and the prosciutto or bacon strips, and set over medium-high heat.
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3
Stir well, toss in the bay leaves, and cook, stirring and shaking the pan occasionally.
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4
If using bacon, start over medium heat and turn it up as the bacon releases its fat.
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5
After 5 minutes or so, when the onions have softened, drop the peperoncino strips into a clear part of the skillet, and toast them in the hot spot for a minute.
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6
Pour the crushed tomatoes into the pan; rinse out the tomato can and bowl with 1 cup of pasta-cooking water, and pour it into the skillet too.
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7
Add the salt, stir well, and rapidly bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat so it is bubbling steadily.
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8
Cook at a gentle boil for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced by a third or so.
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9
The onions and peppers should be cooked through but still retain their shape and texture to the bite.
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10
Remove bay leaves, then toss and cook the pasta together with salsa arrabbiata, following the procedure on page 105.
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11
Remove the skillet from the heat, and toss in the cheese just before serving.
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12
A fine substitute for bacon in this recipe and others is small pieces cut from the end of a prosciutto.
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13
This is a chunk of dense and flavorful meat (with a layer of flavorful fat) at the shank end of a prosciutto, all thats left after the rest of the ham has been sliced paper-thin, in the traditional manner.
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14
The next time you are in an Italian deli or grocery, ask if they have one to sell you; its a useful piece of meat to have on hand (and much less expensive than regular prosciutto).
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15
With the skin on, it will keep for a long time in your refrigerator or freezer, and you can use small amounts of the salt-cured meat to add flavor to sauces, soups, and pasta, wherever you would use bacon.
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16
Remove skin before cutting the prosciutto.
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17
You can also slice off a piece of the skin and use the layer of fat underneath to lend flavor to dishes.
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18
Just rub the fat over a frying pan, or the surface of a grill, to apply a thin film of grease.
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19
I like a dry pasta herelinguine, ziti, campanelle, radiatori, or capellini.
