Sugo Finto ("Fake" Sauce)

Italians (especially southern Italians) have wonderful names for dishes without meat (or fish). Among my favorites is ‘vermicelle cu’ ‘e vongole fujute,’ which is Neapolitan for ‘spaghetti with escaped clams’ and is basically spaghetti in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and parsley—and no clams.

Sugo finto, or ‘fake sauce,’ is another; it’s a mea…