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Nothing is inferior to a really, REALLY well seasoned cast-iron pan.
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[sub]unless you want to do weird stuff like cook highly acidic stuff like tomatoes or simmer sauces for a long time or…[/sub]
All-Clad’s hmmm? What’re they made of? What sort of price range? Can I have yours? Thanks! Are they dishwasher safe? Copper-bottomed? Suitable for stovetop-to oven cooking?
Fenris
That one I know!
“Spaghetti ala Puttanesca” translates (loosely) as “Hooker’s Pasta”.
It’s something about certain Italian ladies feeding it to their gentlemen friends to give them strength.
I’ll pick up my points at your place. Dinnertime tomorrow?
We have a winner! But I heard Puttanesca was developed by married hookers who were turning tricks all afternoon and had to whip up something quick before hubby came home and demanded dinner.
See you around 7:00, and don’t forget the Chianti. 
All-Clads have aluminum cores and stainless steel surfaces. Check out http://www.metrokitchen.com for an explaination and prices. They’re great - the best cookware I’ve ever had. They heat evenly and quickly, and can go from the stovetop to the oven. They have 4 different types, and the only difference is the outside - you can get brushed aluminum, stainless, anodized (which is black, like Calphalon), and copper. The stainless and the brushed aluminum are dishwasher safe, so that’s what I buy. And yeah, they’re pricey. But considering that once you buy an All-Clad, you’ll never have to replace it, it’s a pretty good buy.
Fenris, I agree with you on the well-seasoned cast iron bit. They’re great pans, but like you said, they have their limitations. No dishwasher, no acidic stuff, etc. etc. But I still have one or two of 'em lying around, and they’re great!
And BTW, Puttanesca ain’t Puttanesca without ANCHOVIES!
In my household, it’s loosely referred to as “Whore Sauce.”
Maybe I was being too vague when I said “saucepan” in my initial post. I wasn’t picturing that little one-quart thing you use to make the rice when there’s only two for dinner, I was thinking of my All-Clad 3 or 4 quarters.
There’s about ten inches of surface space on the bottom of those babies, plenty of room to push your onions and garlic around.
When I do the meatball thing, I use the 12-inch “saute pan”…stainless steel (not nonstick) surface, straight (not sloping) sides. Lots of space for browning the meat initially, and the sides hold the sauce in without splashing.
TVeb: Interesting…when I think of a typical Sicilian pasta, eggplant and bread crumbs and ricotta salata spring to mind.
Mmmm…you guys are making me hungry!
(Thank GOD my mom’s making spaghetti this weekend-her sauce is heavenly, and she’s not even Italian!)
My dad has a cookbook I bought him for Xmas last year…
I THINK it’s called the Joys of Healthy Pasta,
Ah yes, found it on Amazon (can’t find the cookbooks now, they’re put away in a cupboard because of all the Xmas stuff out now.)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764151029/qid=976325499/sr=1-3/104-2396674-1929564