This is a festive, colorful, tasty pasta dish that looks as good as it tastes. With its red, green, and white ingredients (tomato, basil, and cheese), it displays the three colors of the Italian flag, affectionately referred to as the tricolore. So why not call it Pasta Tricolore? Feel free to experiment with this recipe; for example, leave out the tomato sauce, use sausage instead of the ham, and use broccoli rabe instead of the ­radicchio.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ­linguini
• 1 tablespoon extra­ ­virgin olive ­oil
• 1/4 pound imported smoked ham (speck or Black Forest), fat trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 small white onion, ­diced
• 1 head of radicchio, cored and coarsely ­chopped
• 2 cups Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small strips by ­hand
• 1/2 pound smoked mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch ­cubes
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Tuscan Pecorino or Parmigiano­-­Reggiano ­cheese
• Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to ­taste

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the box. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking ­water.

2. While the pasta is cooking, place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. (Make sure the skillet is large enough to hold the sauce and the pasta.) Add the ham and onions and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and ­golden.

3. Add the radicchio and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce and the drained pasta, and continue to cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the basil, mozzarella, and grated cheese, season with salt and pepper, mix well, and serve. If necessary, thin the sauce with a few tablespoons of the cooking water from the ­pasta.

Other Pasta Recipes

Farfalle
Fresh Pasta
Gratin of Linguini
Lasagne Noodles
Macaroni and Cheese
Pappardelle with Grilled Chicken
Pasta e Fagioli
Bow Tie Pasta with Pesto
Ravioli
Spezzatina with Tricolor Fettucine
Tomato Lasagne