Caramelized Shallot Genovese

From the garden

• 2 lb shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• ⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

From the pantry

• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 5 tbsp olive oil · divided
• 1 tbsp tomato paste · a spoonful for depth, not enough to make this a tomato sauce
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 12 oz ziti or rigatoni
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar · stirred in at the end to cut the sweetness
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Combine the shallots, carrot, celery, and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy pot with a good pinch of salt. Cover and cook over low heat 20 minutes, until everything has collapsed and given up its water.
2. Uncover and carry on over medium-low heat 30–35 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the shallots turn the color of dark honey and pull together into a loose jam.
3. Push the shallots to one side, add the tomato paste to the bare patch with the last tablespoon of oil, and fry it 1 minute until it darkens to brick red. Stir it through, add the stock, and simmer 5 minutes until absorbed.
4. Cook the pasta in well-salted water until just short of al dente, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water before draining. The sauce is thick and needs that starchy water to become a sauce at all.
5. Toss the pasta into the pot over medium heat, adding pasta water a splash at a time until every tube is coated and glossy, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and the pepper flakes.
6. Season with salt, which this wants more of than seems reasonable, and plenty of black pepper. Scatter over the parsley and serve in warm bowls.