Spaghetti with Tomato-Pepperoni Sauce

Fri. Feb. 16
This is a spicy, warming dish that uses things that you might still have even though you haven't been able to dig the car out of the snow and go shopping for a week or more (we wrap a whole pepperoni stick in plastic and store it in the fridge for just these occasions).
Chop up an onion and a clove or two of garlic and fry them in oil while you slice off as much as you want of the pepperoni into paper-thin rounds or half rounds. When the onion is translucent, empty in a can of puréed or chopped tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes down and add the pepperoni to soften and contribute its flavors. Add oregano and basil. Salt and pepper as you like. Roll the spaghetti in the sauce, and top it with lots of romano cheese.
There is no Italian dish like this, but it comforts Americans because it reminds us of pizza.