Who's Cooking: Joseph Gannascoli of East Rockaway

JOSEPH GANNASCOLI

The chef-turned-actor most recently played Vito in HBO's "The Sopranos." He lives in East Rockaway with his wife, Diana, and their 6-month-old daughter, Viviana.

What do you remember most about food when you were growing up?

When I was in third or fourth grade I used to bring a friend home with me for lunch. Both of my parents worked, and we would have two raviolis each - two of the large raviolis. I would take them from the bottom of the box so my mother wouldn't see they were missing. She must have seen, of course. 

When did you start cooking professionally?

I dropped out of St. John's University and started cooking in Manhattan. Then I went to New Orleans and spent a few years cooking there.

When did you become an actor?

After 10 years in the restaurant business - I had restaurants in Brooklyn: 101 Restaurant and Soup as Art - I moved to California in '92 and worked in restaurants while I was trying to get roles. I started with "The Sopranos" in '97 [the show did not air until 1999]. I had one scene the first season, and then they brought me back as Vito. I stayed through 43 episodes, which is a long time on that show. When the show ended, they did a poll on the best-loved characters. I came in fourth. It was Tony, Paulie, Christopher, then me, as Vito. 

If you could invite eight people - living or dead - to dinner, who would they be?

Jesus, of course. Hitler, so I could ask him, "What were you thinking?" Babe Ruth, Al Capone, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Lawrence Taylor and Louis Prima.

What would you feed them?

I'm very into small plates, so I'd do a lot of appetizers. Maybe homemade mozzarella, chicken-liver mousse, stuffed artichokes with a few dipping sauces, crab sauce, and as a main course, lamb shanks over orzo with goat cheese.

Is there a restaurant you really like?

Actually, there are two: Villa Maria in East Rockaway and Vincent's Clam Bar in Carle Place. I can't get enough of their sauce.

LINGUINE WITH CRAB SAUCE

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

12 large cloves garlic, sliced thin

1 very large onion, cut into small dice

24 blue claw crabs (female is best), rinsed, cleaned and halved (the fish monger will do this)

2 cups white wine

4 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes chopped (save juice)

2 28-ounce cans tomato puree

1 12-ounce can tomato paste

3 28-ounce cans filled with water

12 leaves fresh basil, ripped

Salt, fresh ground pepper to taste

2 pounds linguine fini, cooked

1. In a very large sauce pot, heat olive oil till it smokes. Add garlic and saute till lightly brown, then add onion.

2. Turn down heat and cook onion till soft.

3. Turn up heat and add crabs and any liquid from them and saute till liquid evaporates. Add wine and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until alcohol cooks off.

4. Add all tomatoes, juices and tomato products and stir till tomato paste dissolves. Add cans of water.

5. Heat to slight boil, then turn down to simmer (2-3 hours), stirring often.

6. Add basil and salt and pepper; remove crabs and set aside.

7. Add some sauce to 2 pounds cooked linguine fini. Place remaining sauce and crabs in a large bowl and serve with the pasta.

Serves 6-8