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Cass’ cooking is
worth a look back

George Sabato Castagnola -- can you place the name? OK, how about "Cass" Castagnola, as he was better known when he owned Castagnola's Italian restaurant in Manoa two decades ago?

Linda Taguchi remembers him and his bistro fare fondly. She also remembers, from long ago and far away, a set of his recipes printed in the newspaper.

Thankfully, a journey into the archives is unnecessary for those who miss Castagnola's. Cass published a cookbook, "Cooking Italian in Hawaii," in 1991 and, though out of print, it is widely available at the public library.

The call number, for those of you with library cards, is H 641.5945 C, which decoded means you have to go to the Hawaiiana section to find it. Most branches have copies (the Kapolei branch will have its back once I return the one I borrowed).

For those who want to buy the book, the Web site www.dahawaiistore.com (841-4799), sells it for $21.95.

But on to the food. Among the dishes Taguchi was seeking was Cass' linguine with chicken.

Slice chicken and vegetables into 2-inch strips. Slice mushrooms.

Bring 2 quarts of water to boil for linguine.

Heat oil in sauté pan. Add chicken and sauté 5 to 10 minutes. Add carrots and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add peppers, zucchini and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and basil.

While chicken and vegetables are cooking, add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain, then add to sauté pan and toss with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with romano cheese; serve immediately

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving, using skinned chicken and without added salt to taste: 740 calories, 20 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, 97 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 42 g protein.

Note: To make your own garlic-flavored oil, sauté 4 cloves garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil until brown. Remove garlic.