Spaghetti with a Delicate Tomato Sauce

Don't be put off by the simplicity of the ingredients. You and your children will love this comforting dish, adapted from On Top of Spaghetti by Johanne Killeen and George Germon. I prefer to use more tomato juice than chicken broth, and have cut the amount of butter by half... 4 tablespoons is plenty. I also reduce everything more, which results in a more velvety sauce. If you're using homemade stock, you may need to add a bit of salt, as the authors do.

Spaghetti with a Delicate Tomato Sauce

1 lb. spaghetti or linguine
1 11.5 oz. can tomato juice
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
freshly grated Grana Padano
black pepper to taste

Cook pasta until just slightly underdone in ample, salted boiling water.

In the meantime, combine the tomato juice, chicken broth and 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet large enough to accommodate the pasta. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat and reduce by approximately one-half, or until the sauce takes on an almost creamy texture.

Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, stirring in the last 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with black pepper. Raise the heat, tossing the pasta and sauce until they're "married," but before the pasta has a change to overcook. Serve with freshly grated Grana Padano.