I can't believe I didn't think of this on my own, but my great co-worker Claire suggested it to me yesterday as I was waxing rhapsodic about my current love affair with kale. So easy to make -- it's even more flavorful than basil pesto, has a bit of that great bitter tang that I love about kale, and is so packed with nutrients from my favorite superfood. Plus, takes 3 minutes to make.
In a food processor, add:
4 cups of kale (take out the stems)
6 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts (walnuts would work too)
zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 cup of olive oil.
Turn on the processor and once it gets going, slowly drizzle in enough extra olive oil so that it forms a smooth, brilliant green paste. Remove from processor and if you want, stir in 1/3 cup of grated parmigiana cheese (don't add this to the processor because the cheese becomes kind of gummy when processed into the sauce this way).
Serve as a dip, toss with pasta, use as a sauce for meat, fish or seafood, or add a dollop to your favorite soup.
YUM!
Showing posts with label Sauce Recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sauce Recipe. Show all posts
Friday, April 8, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Dried Cherry Sauce
I made this sauce to accompany some wild duck-- it would work with most game meat, would be delicious with cornish game hen, roast pork, and even a great steak. And it's so easy to make.
Combine the following in a sauce pan:
1 cup of dry red wine
1/2 cup of dried tart cherries
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 cloves of garlic, smashed but not cut up any further
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. honey
Turn heat up to high and boil this mixture rapidly, so the alcohol evaporates and the wine reduces by half. Then take off the heat, remove the garlic and rosemary, and puree either with a blender or immersion blender. Then strain the sauce through a fine sieve to remove any bits of cherry that did not fully puree.
This is a very strong sauce so you only need a little bit of it with each piece of meat. Either drizzle on top with a spoon, or put a bit on your plate, and place the meat on top of it.
Enjoy!
Combine the following in a sauce pan:
1 cup of dry red wine
1/2 cup of dried tart cherries
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 cloves of garlic, smashed but not cut up any further
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. honey
Turn heat up to high and boil this mixture rapidly, so the alcohol evaporates and the wine reduces by half. Then take off the heat, remove the garlic and rosemary, and puree either with a blender or immersion blender. Then strain the sauce through a fine sieve to remove any bits of cherry that did not fully puree.
This is a very strong sauce so you only need a little bit of it with each piece of meat. Either drizzle on top with a spoon, or put a bit on your plate, and place the meat on top of it.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Cannellini bean sauce
I made this the other night to dress up some grilled salmon. Basically, I'm taking a fagiole sauce and turning into a puree -- it was a huge hit and so easy to make.
1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)
* I don't add any salt because the beans are already salty enough, but if you're a salt-a-holic, add a pinch when you're sauteing the garlic.
Saute the garlic in the olive oil until it's translucent, but not yet browned at all. Then add the white wine and boil on high for 2 minutes to eliminate the alcohol. Add the beans, pepper and vinegar, and half of the chicken stock. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
Using either a blender or immersion blender, puree this mixture and return to very low heat -- add just enough of the rest of the broth to keep it liquid enough to pour on, under or beside the fish or meat you are serving.
If you use less broth and let this mixture cool and set, it would also be a fabulous dip to go with veggies, pita bread, or anything else you like for dipping.
1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)
* I don't add any salt because the beans are already salty enough, but if you're a salt-a-holic, add a pinch when you're sauteing the garlic.
Saute the garlic in the olive oil until it's translucent, but not yet browned at all. Then add the white wine and boil on high for 2 minutes to eliminate the alcohol. Add the beans, pepper and vinegar, and half of the chicken stock. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
Using either a blender or immersion blender, puree this mixture and return to very low heat -- add just enough of the rest of the broth to keep it liquid enough to pour on, under or beside the fish or meat you are serving.
If you use less broth and let this mixture cool and set, it would also be a fabulous dip to go with veggies, pita bread, or anything else you like for dipping.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tomato/Red Pepper/Ginger Sauce
I made this yesterday for the first time, to accompany grilled Chilean Sea Bass -- it was a HUGE hit and I could have, quite literally, eaten simply the sauce with a spoon it was soo good. And SOOO easy! Though I used it for fish, I could easily accompany any kind of meat, seafood, or even grilled veggies. I suspect it would even taste good tossed with pasta or Asian noodles.
1 14.5 ounce can of roasted tomatoes -- diced, crushed, whole -- doesn't matter. (I prefer Glen Muir organic line)
2 large cloves of garlic
1 roasted red pepper (see separate recipe for how to roast one yourself, but feel free to use one from a jar as well)
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated (do not substitute dried ginger)
1/4 cup olive oil
In a sauce pan, add the tomatoes, garlic, pepper, ginger and peppers -- chop up the veggies into rough chunks. Let it simmer over medium/low heat for about 10 minutes so the flavors develop and meld a bit.
Then pour it into a blender, add the olive oil, and puree the mixture until everything is liquified and thoroughly emulsified.
This sauce can be served hot, warm, room temperature or cold. The possibilities are limitless. You could even thin it out a bit with some broth and serve it as a soup.
1 14.5 ounce can of roasted tomatoes -- diced, crushed, whole -- doesn't matter. (I prefer Glen Muir organic line)
2 large cloves of garlic
1 roasted red pepper (see separate recipe for how to roast one yourself, but feel free to use one from a jar as well)
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated (do not substitute dried ginger)
1/4 cup olive oil
In a sauce pan, add the tomatoes, garlic, pepper, ginger and peppers -- chop up the veggies into rough chunks. Let it simmer over medium/low heat for about 10 minutes so the flavors develop and meld a bit.
Then pour it into a blender, add the olive oil, and puree the mixture until everything is liquified and thoroughly emulsified.
This sauce can be served hot, warm, room temperature or cold. The possibilities are limitless. You could even thin it out a bit with some broth and serve it as a soup.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Pasta Al Fresco
Here is a great, easy, fresh pasta sauce that's perfect for summer tomatoes. You can make it in less time than it takes to boil your pasta.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups of diced tomatoes -- farm grown summer tomatoes are really best, but if you can't get these, substitute grape tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced (you can substitute dried herbs, and if you do so, use half of these amounts. It'll still be good, but it's infinitely better and brighter with fresh herbs)
1/3 cup of dry white wine (optional)
Heat the olive oil over medium heat and quickly saute the garlic, taking care not to let it brown at all. Once its translucent, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and toss thoroughly. Cook this over medium to medium-low heat until the tomatoes start to break down. Add the rosemary and pepper and continue to saute until a nice liquid forms. If the sauce doesn't form enough liquid to coat the pasta you're cooking, you can either add the 1/3 cup white wine, or the same amount of pasta water, right before you drain your pasta.
Toss this sauce with 1 pound of your favorite pasta, throwing the basil in as you toss. Serve with grated cheese.
You could also add shrimp or sliced chicken if desired.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups of diced tomatoes -- farm grown summer tomatoes are really best, but if you can't get these, substitute grape tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced (you can substitute dried herbs, and if you do so, use half of these amounts. It'll still be good, but it's infinitely better and brighter with fresh herbs)
1/3 cup of dry white wine (optional)
Heat the olive oil over medium heat and quickly saute the garlic, taking care not to let it brown at all. Once its translucent, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and toss thoroughly. Cook this over medium to medium-low heat until the tomatoes start to break down. Add the rosemary and pepper and continue to saute until a nice liquid forms. If the sauce doesn't form enough liquid to coat the pasta you're cooking, you can either add the 1/3 cup white wine, or the same amount of pasta water, right before you drain your pasta.
Toss this sauce with 1 pound of your favorite pasta, throwing the basil in as you toss. Serve with grated cheese.
You could also add shrimp or sliced chicken if desired.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Carmelized onions
There is no end to what you can do with carmelized onions -- they are sweet and savory, can dress up most meats, can be used in appetizers, or as a delicious dressing for pasta. Once you have the technique down, the possibilities are limitless.
The three essential ingredients are yellow onions (NOT Vidalia or some other "sweet" onion, which end up being a bit too sweet and watery to achieve the right texture -- just regular old yellow onions), olive oil and salt. After that, you can dress them up as you see fit. I have some suggestions below, but these are just to get you started and pique your imagination.
To make about 1 cup of carmelized onions, follow these instructions:
In an oversized frying pan, or some sort of pan in which you have a large cooking surface and can saute, heat up 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
Take four jumbo-sized yellow onions or 6 large ones, peel them, cut in half length-wise, and cut into 1/8 inch slices.
Pile these on top of the heated oil, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt.
Toss the onions so they are coated in salt and oil, and cover the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let them sweat for 10-15 minutes, until the water releases from the onions, and they start to really cook down.
Then remove the lid, and turn the heat up ever so slightly, still keeping it below medium heat. Let them continue to cook, slowly evaporating the liquid, and every five minutes, toss them thoroughly. After about 30 minutes, perhaps longer, they will become nice and rich-golden brown. Be careful never to let them start to burn and crisp. If this starts to happen, lower the heat and be patient. This process is best described as low and slow -- you need to spend the time necessary to let the sugars really develop in the onions as they brown and soften. The finished consistency will resemble a good orange marmalade.
These onions, just as they are, make a delicious relish for beef, chicken, and pork. Indeed, nothing's better on a burger than a big helping of carmelized onions. You can dress them up a bit by adding some thyme, balsamic vinegar, lemon rind, and/or pepper. Really, the sky's the limit in terms of flavoring them up, but I urge restraint so that you don't overpower the taste of the carmelized onions themselves. They are delicious.
Other ideas for carmelized onions:
As a pizza topping -- skip the sauce and cover your crust with these onions and then sprinkle with your favorite cheese before baking -- gongonzola and gruyere are popular, but fontina would be delicious too.
As a topping for bruschetta.
As an appetizer -- get phyllo dough cups or puff pastry cups (both widely available in freezer sections of your grocery store), and put some carmelized onions in them. Top either with grated manchego cheese, or a piece of brie and some jam, and bake until the cheese melts. These will be a huge hit at your party.
As a pasta sauce -- toss cooked pasta with a little olive oil and a big helping of onions and grated cheese. Or toss them with pierogies -- it's a perfect compliment to the potatoes.
As an addition to mashed potatoes - swirl these into your potatoes (or on top of a baked potato) to make them extra savory.
The three essential ingredients are yellow onions (NOT Vidalia or some other "sweet" onion, which end up being a bit too sweet and watery to achieve the right texture -- just regular old yellow onions), olive oil and salt. After that, you can dress them up as you see fit. I have some suggestions below, but these are just to get you started and pique your imagination.
To make about 1 cup of carmelized onions, follow these instructions:
In an oversized frying pan, or some sort of pan in which you have a large cooking surface and can saute, heat up 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
Take four jumbo-sized yellow onions or 6 large ones, peel them, cut in half length-wise, and cut into 1/8 inch slices.
Pile these on top of the heated oil, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt.
Toss the onions so they are coated in salt and oil, and cover the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let them sweat for 10-15 minutes, until the water releases from the onions, and they start to really cook down.
Then remove the lid, and turn the heat up ever so slightly, still keeping it below medium heat. Let them continue to cook, slowly evaporating the liquid, and every five minutes, toss them thoroughly. After about 30 minutes, perhaps longer, they will become nice and rich-golden brown. Be careful never to let them start to burn and crisp. If this starts to happen, lower the heat and be patient. This process is best described as low and slow -- you need to spend the time necessary to let the sugars really develop in the onions as they brown and soften. The finished consistency will resemble a good orange marmalade.
These onions, just as they are, make a delicious relish for beef, chicken, and pork. Indeed, nothing's better on a burger than a big helping of carmelized onions. You can dress them up a bit by adding some thyme, balsamic vinegar, lemon rind, and/or pepper. Really, the sky's the limit in terms of flavoring them up, but I urge restraint so that you don't overpower the taste of the carmelized onions themselves. They are delicious.
Other ideas for carmelized onions:
As a pizza topping -- skip the sauce and cover your crust with these onions and then sprinkle with your favorite cheese before baking -- gongonzola and gruyere are popular, but fontina would be delicious too.
As a topping for bruschetta.
As an appetizer -- get phyllo dough cups or puff pastry cups (both widely available in freezer sections of your grocery store), and put some carmelized onions in them. Top either with grated manchego cheese, or a piece of brie and some jam, and bake until the cheese melts. These will be a huge hit at your party.
As a pasta sauce -- toss cooked pasta with a little olive oil and a big helping of onions and grated cheese. Or toss them with pierogies -- it's a perfect compliment to the potatoes.
As an addition to mashed potatoes - swirl these into your potatoes (or on top of a baked potato) to make them extra savory.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Vodka Sauce
Now that we're in Lent, and Catholics are looking for meatless Friday meals, I thought I should post some more vegetarian options. Vodka sauce has become very popular in the last decade, with good cause -- it's rich, delicious, but not too heavy. And best of all, REALLY easy to make! The recipe below will easily cover an entire pound of pasta.
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, well crushed, but not cut up any further
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (Optional)
1 pint of half and half (you can use heavier cream, but I prefer the lighter texture of half and half)
1/2 cup good vodka (doesn't have to be the most expensive kind, but don't use rot-gut quality)
1/3 cup of freshly grated pecorino or locatelli romano cheese
Saute the garlic in olive oil, over medium heat, just until it starts to turn every so slightly brown. Then remove the actual pieces of garlic but leave the flavored oil. Add the pepper (black and red) to the oil and saute for 30 seconds. Then turn the heat up to high and add the vodka -- let it come to a rapid boil and immediately turn the heat down to medium/low. You want to boil off the alcohol, but not evaporate the liquid. Then add the tomatoes and once that is heated thru and starting to bubble a little, turn the heat to low and add the half and half. Let it warm through, but do not bring to a boil or it may curdle. Once it's warm, whisk in the romano cheese and then toss with pasta.
Any kind of pasta is fine, but I like penne or rotini best. But it's also wonderful on stuffed pastas such as ravioli and tortellini.
Serve with more romano on the side for those that like their pasta extra-cheesy.
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, well crushed, but not cut up any further
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (Optional)
1 pint of half and half (you can use heavier cream, but I prefer the lighter texture of half and half)
1/2 cup good vodka (doesn't have to be the most expensive kind, but don't use rot-gut quality)
1/3 cup of freshly grated pecorino or locatelli romano cheese
Saute the garlic in olive oil, over medium heat, just until it starts to turn every so slightly brown. Then remove the actual pieces of garlic but leave the flavored oil. Add the pepper (black and red) to the oil and saute for 30 seconds. Then turn the heat up to high and add the vodka -- let it come to a rapid boil and immediately turn the heat down to medium/low. You want to boil off the alcohol, but not evaporate the liquid. Then add the tomatoes and once that is heated thru and starting to bubble a little, turn the heat to low and add the half and half. Let it warm through, but do not bring to a boil or it may curdle. Once it's warm, whisk in the romano cheese and then toss with pasta.
Any kind of pasta is fine, but I like penne or rotini best. But it's also wonderful on stuffed pastas such as ravioli and tortellini.
Serve with more romano on the side for those that like their pasta extra-cheesy.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Pasta al'Amatriciana
This is a fabulous and easy sauce that is native to Rome. It's not one that needs to be simmered for a long time and the ingredients are minimal -- it's a standard Friday night meal for us (accept during Lent), especially if we have anyone joining us for dinner. It's that easy, and that good . . . .
3-4 ounces of pancetta, diced
1 medium onion (I prefer red, but white or yellow are fine too), diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Saute the pancetta in the olive oil until it starts to brown ever-so-slightly. Add the onion and salt and continue sauteing until the onion is translucent. Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium-low flame for about 10 minutes.
Toss with one pound of pasta and serve with fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese on the side.
Bucatini (a thick spaghetti with a microscopic hole in the middle) is the traditional pasta served with this sauce, but whatever pasta you like best or have on hand will work just fine.
3-4 ounces of pancetta, diced
1 medium onion (I prefer red, but white or yellow are fine too), diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Saute the pancetta in the olive oil until it starts to brown ever-so-slightly. Add the onion and salt and continue sauteing until the onion is translucent. Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium-low flame for about 10 minutes.
Toss with one pound of pasta and serve with fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese on the side.
Bucatini (a thick spaghetti with a microscopic hole in the middle) is the traditional pasta served with this sauce, but whatever pasta you like best or have on hand will work just fine.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Linguine Al Vongole
Linguine with clams is one of my favorite dishes. I prefer white sauce, and that's the recipe that I'm posting here, but at the bottom, I'll let you know how you can make it really quickly.
I'm going to give you the cheap and easy way to do this -- with canned clams. If you want to go more gourmet and high end, you could definitely use fresh clams from your local fishery. If so, figure that you'll need 1 pound of clams for every two people you're feeding.
1 large can of whole baby clams
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of fresh Italian flat leave parsley, minced
1 cup of dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
The juice of 1 lemon, and the zest of half of that lemon
1 pound of linguini
About 5 minutes before your pasta is done, saute the garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil and add the salt so that the garlic will essentially melt, but not burn. Once the garlic is fully soft and translucent, turn up the heat to high, add the wine, and boil rapidly for a minute to cook off the alcohol. Then turn down the heat, add all the rest of the ingredients except for the remaining olive oil and clams and stir.
Then put the cooked pasta into the sauce (remembering to cook your pasta for 1 minute less than al dente), and add the clams and the juice they are packed in. Toss together over low heat for about a minute or two, add the last of the olive oil before the last few tosses, and serve.
If you are using fresh clams, once your wine is boiling, add the clams, put a cover over the pot, and let them steam for about 4 minutes until all the shells are open (discard any that don't open as those clams aren't good to eat). Then finish off as above. You may need to add a bit of bottled clam juice to the mixture if it's not "wet" enough to really coat the pasta.
For red sauce: Bring 1/2 cup of white wine to a boil for 1 minute and then add 1 cup of marinara sauce from the recipe posted in August 2009 (http://foodislove-judy.blogspot.com/2009/08/recipe-for-marinara-sauce.html), and a can of whole baby clams and the juice they are packed in. Warm this up an toss with a pound of pasta.
A comment on grated cheese:
In Italy, it's practically sinful to put grated parmigiana on anything that has fish or seafood in it, the thought being that the cheese overwhelms the delicate taste of the fish or seafood. This sauce is definitely not lacking in flavor, so you can do without it. That being said, I LOVE grated cheese on my pasta and indeed, have often been accused of loving pasta so much just because it gives me an excuse to use grated cheese. I routinely put it on my linguine with clam sauce (except in the most upscale of Italian restaurants where I know better than to even ask), and absolutely love it :)
I'm going to give you the cheap and easy way to do this -- with canned clams. If you want to go more gourmet and high end, you could definitely use fresh clams from your local fishery. If so, figure that you'll need 1 pound of clams for every two people you're feeding.
1 large can of whole baby clams
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of fresh Italian flat leave parsley, minced
1 cup of dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
The juice of 1 lemon, and the zest of half of that lemon
1 pound of linguini
About 5 minutes before your pasta is done, saute the garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil and add the salt so that the garlic will essentially melt, but not burn. Once the garlic is fully soft and translucent, turn up the heat to high, add the wine, and boil rapidly for a minute to cook off the alcohol. Then turn down the heat, add all the rest of the ingredients except for the remaining olive oil and clams and stir.
Then put the cooked pasta into the sauce (remembering to cook your pasta for 1 minute less than al dente), and add the clams and the juice they are packed in. Toss together over low heat for about a minute or two, add the last of the olive oil before the last few tosses, and serve.
If you are using fresh clams, once your wine is boiling, add the clams, put a cover over the pot, and let them steam for about 4 minutes until all the shells are open (discard any that don't open as those clams aren't good to eat). Then finish off as above. You may need to add a bit of bottled clam juice to the mixture if it's not "wet" enough to really coat the pasta.
For red sauce: Bring 1/2 cup of white wine to a boil for 1 minute and then add 1 cup of marinara sauce from the recipe posted in August 2009 (http://foodislove-judy.blogspot.com/2009/08/recipe-for-marinara-sauce.html), and a can of whole baby clams and the juice they are packed in. Warm this up an toss with a pound of pasta.
A comment on grated cheese:
In Italy, it's practically sinful to put grated parmigiana on anything that has fish or seafood in it, the thought being that the cheese overwhelms the delicate taste of the fish or seafood. This sauce is definitely not lacking in flavor, so you can do without it. That being said, I LOVE grated cheese on my pasta and indeed, have often been accused of loving pasta so much just because it gives me an excuse to use grated cheese. I routinely put it on my linguine with clam sauce (except in the most upscale of Italian restaurants where I know better than to even ask), and absolutely love it :)
Alfredo Sauce
In Italian, Alfredo should mean heart-attack on a plate because that's how rich this sauce is :) While I'm not a fan of cream sauces, I've made this many times to much praise. It's REALLY easy to make and horrifically decadent.
1 stick of butter
1 cups of cream (you could substitute half and half, but not whole milk)
1 cup of grated parmigiano cheese
1 tablespoon of fresh cracked black pepper
1 pinch of (preferably fresh) ground nutmeg
Melt the butter and stir in the cream. Don't let it boil, but heat it until it becomes very warm, just shy of boiling. It can bubble ever so slightly without ruining the sauce. Gradually whisk in the cheese until it dissolves into the cream and butter. Add the seasonings (there should be no need for salt as the cheese has plenty in it), and toss with pasta. Fettucini is the traditional pasta of choice for this sauce, but don't let yourself be limited -- tortellini, gnocchi, and many other types of pasta are also great.
1 stick of butter
1 cups of cream (you could substitute half and half, but not whole milk)
1 cup of grated parmigiano cheese
1 tablespoon of fresh cracked black pepper
1 pinch of (preferably fresh) ground nutmeg
Melt the butter and stir in the cream. Don't let it boil, but heat it until it becomes very warm, just shy of boiling. It can bubble ever so slightly without ruining the sauce. Gradually whisk in the cheese until it dissolves into the cream and butter. Add the seasonings (there should be no need for salt as the cheese has plenty in it), and toss with pasta. Fettucini is the traditional pasta of choice for this sauce, but don't let yourself be limited -- tortellini, gnocchi, and many other types of pasta are also great.
Pasta Fagiole
Often called "pasta vazool," this is a great Italian staple that can be made either as a soup, or as a sauce for pasta. I have a slightly unconventional recipe that I've developed -- I hope you like it!
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of dry white wine
1 can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 can of artichoke hearts (quartered)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Start making the sauce only after your pasta is boiling away, as it's not something that should cook very long.
Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes and turn the heat up high for a few seconds -- just as the onions and garlic begin to get the faintest bit brown, add the white wine and get it up to a quick bubble to burn off the alcohol. Let it cook for about a minute and then add the rest of the ingredients. As soon as you have the sauce stirred together, add the pasta and toss it all together, continuing to cook for another minute or so. (You should drain your pasta at least 1 minute before the recommended time for al dente pasta, as this process will finish the cooking process).
Serve with grated cheese and enjoy!
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of dry white wine
1 can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 can of artichoke hearts (quartered)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Start making the sauce only after your pasta is boiling away, as it's not something that should cook very long.
Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes and turn the heat up high for a few seconds -- just as the onions and garlic begin to get the faintest bit brown, add the white wine and get it up to a quick bubble to burn off the alcohol. Let it cook for about a minute and then add the rest of the ingredients. As soon as you have the sauce stirred together, add the pasta and toss it all together, continuing to cook for another minute or so. (You should drain your pasta at least 1 minute before the recommended time for al dente pasta, as this process will finish the cooking process).
Serve with grated cheese and enjoy!
Pesto sauce
The most popular pesto sauce is one made with basil, and I'll include a recipe for that below, but there are infinitely many ways to make a great pesto sauce, so there will be a number of variations below as well. They can be made ahead of time, frozen for a good long time, and are great to pop out for a quick week-night meal, used as dips, or also used to stuff meet such as boneless chicken breasts, or pork chops.
Basil Pesto
2 cups of fresh, clean basil leaves, packed tightly
6 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup of pine nuts (walnuts can be substituted, though they don't taste quite as good)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmigiano cheese
It's best to make this in a food processor, though a blender can work with a little coaxing.
Put the basil, garlic and pine nuts into the bowl of the food processor and start the blade running. Drizzle in the olive oil a bit at a time until the ingredients are well blended, and the sauce has a barely liquid quality to it. You might need less oil, but you might need a bit more -- you'll have to get a feel for this as you make it multiple times. When this is done, put it into a bowl and stir in the cheese (using the food processor to integrate the cheese can turn it gummy).
Taste it when it's done. Because of all the cheese you likely will not need any salt, but if it doesn't taste salty enough for you, add a pinch of salt. Pepper is optional -- I prefer pesto without it.
When tossing pesto with pasta or gnocchi (in my mind, there is NOTHING that goes better with pesto than gnocchi), put the uncooked pesto in the bottom of your bowl, the pasta or gnocchi on top of it, and toss. Don't put the sauce over heat as it will cause the cheese to clump up and mar the texture and flow of the sauce.
Pesto Variations
In place of, or in addition to basil, you could use Italian flat leaf parsley (NEVER use curly parsley in Italian cooking) or spinach leaves. Keep the overall proportion of leaves the same to the other ingredients, but you could combine two or three of these and make an interesting sauce.
Sundried tomatoes also make a delicious pesto. If you use them, add 1 and 2/3 cup of sundried tomatoes and 1/3 cup of packed basil leaves. If you are using sundried tomatoes that are not packed in oil, then put them in hot water for about 5 minutes and squeeze out the excess water before you put them into the processor. In either case, you will likely need a little bit less olive oil to bring the sauce to the right texture.
Other options (either in whole or in part) include crimini mushrooms, roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts.
Basil Pesto
2 cups of fresh, clean basil leaves, packed tightly
6 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup of pine nuts (walnuts can be substituted, though they don't taste quite as good)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmigiano cheese
It's best to make this in a food processor, though a blender can work with a little coaxing.
Put the basil, garlic and pine nuts into the bowl of the food processor and start the blade running. Drizzle in the olive oil a bit at a time until the ingredients are well blended, and the sauce has a barely liquid quality to it. You might need less oil, but you might need a bit more -- you'll have to get a feel for this as you make it multiple times. When this is done, put it into a bowl and stir in the cheese (using the food processor to integrate the cheese can turn it gummy).
Taste it when it's done. Because of all the cheese you likely will not need any salt, but if it doesn't taste salty enough for you, add a pinch of salt. Pepper is optional -- I prefer pesto without it.
When tossing pesto with pasta or gnocchi (in my mind, there is NOTHING that goes better with pesto than gnocchi), put the uncooked pesto in the bottom of your bowl, the pasta or gnocchi on top of it, and toss. Don't put the sauce over heat as it will cause the cheese to clump up and mar the texture and flow of the sauce.
Pesto Variations
In place of, or in addition to basil, you could use Italian flat leaf parsley (NEVER use curly parsley in Italian cooking) or spinach leaves. Keep the overall proportion of leaves the same to the other ingredients, but you could combine two or three of these and make an interesting sauce.
Sundried tomatoes also make a delicious pesto. If you use them, add 1 and 2/3 cup of sundried tomatoes and 1/3 cup of packed basil leaves. If you are using sundried tomatoes that are not packed in oil, then put them in hot water for about 5 minutes and squeeze out the excess water before you put them into the processor. In either case, you will likely need a little bit less olive oil to bring the sauce to the right texture.
Other options (either in whole or in part) include crimini mushrooms, roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Bolognese sauce
This is my recipe for meat sauce --it may not be the most authentic version of a Bolognese sauce, but those who have eaten it have raved, so hopefully you'll like it too!
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb Italian sweet sausage
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion diced
6-8 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup of dry red wine
3 large cans of Italian crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp. of salt
Brown the beef and sausage (which you should remove from the casings) in olive oil, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon as you cook it. When it's fully cooked, add the onion, garlic, and all the spices, and continue to saute until the onions and garlic become translucent, but not browned.
At this point, you can drain off the extra fat from the oil and sausage if you want to save some calories. Leaving it in will make the sauce a bit richer, but it will still be delicious without it.
Add the red win and simmer until it's just about fully absorbed by the meat and veggies. Then add the tomato paste, and stir thoroughly through the mixture. Cook this for 2-3 minutes.
Then add the crushed tomatoes, stir through thoroughly, cover the pot, set the flame or burner as low as it will go, and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Toward the end of the cooking time, taste the sauce and see if you think it needs more of any seasonings -- add to taste. If for some reason, the sauce is a bit bitter or "sharp" add a tablespoon of honey and stir throughout.
NOTE -- if you're REALLY calorie conscious, you could use turkey Italian sweet sausage instead of the other meats -- it'll still be good, but not as good :)
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb Italian sweet sausage
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion diced
6-8 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup of dry red wine
3 large cans of Italian crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp. of salt
Brown the beef and sausage (which you should remove from the casings) in olive oil, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon as you cook it. When it's fully cooked, add the onion, garlic, and all the spices, and continue to saute until the onions and garlic become translucent, but not browned.
At this point, you can drain off the extra fat from the oil and sausage if you want to save some calories. Leaving it in will make the sauce a bit richer, but it will still be delicious without it.
Add the red win and simmer until it's just about fully absorbed by the meat and veggies. Then add the tomato paste, and stir thoroughly through the mixture. Cook this for 2-3 minutes.
Then add the crushed tomatoes, stir through thoroughly, cover the pot, set the flame or burner as low as it will go, and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Toward the end of the cooking time, taste the sauce and see if you think it needs more of any seasonings -- add to taste. If for some reason, the sauce is a bit bitter or "sharp" add a tablespoon of honey and stir throughout.
NOTE -- if you're REALLY calorie conscious, you could use turkey Italian sweet sausage instead of the other meats -- it'll still be good, but not as good :)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Sauce with Meatballs and Sausage
Make the basic marinara sauce and bring it up to a simmer.
While it's coming up to temperature, take 1 pound of Italian sausages (sweet or hot, or a little bit of both) and brown them in a skillet. Poke a few holes in the casings to drain a little bit of the fat, but don't worry, they'll still stay plenty moist. Make sure you really let the sausages brown on the outside, just this side of burning. When they're crisp enough, take them out and cut in half (they won't be fully cooked but that's OK). Add them to the sauce. Drain the fat from the skillet and add a little bit of water. Put the skillet back over heat, and with a wooden spoon or a spatula, scrape off all the fond (the carmelized meat and drippings on the bottom of the pan) from the skillet (this process is called deglazing). Pour this into the sauce and stir gently to distribute throughout. It adds a tremendous richness to the sauce.
If you don't like sausage, I recommend getting a small portion of country spare ribs, or some such pork, browning it in a bit of olive oil, and adding that and the deglazed fond to the sauce. A little bit of pork really makes a huge difference in the richness and taste of sauce.
While the sausage is cooking, mix up your meatballs:
1 pound of chopped meat -- you can use anything from plain beef (no more than 10 % fat), to a meatball mixture that contains beef, pork and/or veal. Some even use turkey, and while it can be done, it really doesn't taste the same. (If you do use turkey, you'll need to add a bit more bread crumbs to make sure it holds together).
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp. fresh Italian flat leaf parsely, finely chopped (you can substitute dried parsely, but use 1/2 of the amount
1/3 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
2-3 single hands full of cold water
1/4 cup grated parmigiana cheese (don't waste your money on the really expensive stuff when you add it to meatballs -- save that for when the taste doesn't get as diluted as this does)
1-2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
2 fresh eggs
I don't recommend adding any salt because the cheese and bread crumbs already contain plenty, but if you like your food salty, add just a little bit more.
Mix this all up with your hands (the best cooking tool you have!) just until it's all mixed through. It should still be moist, but able to form a solid ball that won't fall apart on you. If the meatballs feel too "solid" or bready, add a little more water to the mixture.
Form this into approximately 15 smallish meatballs and drop them gently into the simmering sauce. Space them out and gently push them under the surface with a spoon. Then let them sit for about 30 minutes before stirring gently. There is no need to fry or bake these meatballs before you put them in the sauce, and they will be incredibly moist when done.
The sauce and all the meat can be easily frozen for months at a time. Just be sure that you fill whatever container you're freezing in close to the top (leave a little room for it to expand when frozen) so that there's not a lot of room for ice to form on top and freezer burn to happen.
While it's coming up to temperature, take 1 pound of Italian sausages (sweet or hot, or a little bit of both) and brown them in a skillet. Poke a few holes in the casings to drain a little bit of the fat, but don't worry, they'll still stay plenty moist. Make sure you really let the sausages brown on the outside, just this side of burning. When they're crisp enough, take them out and cut in half (they won't be fully cooked but that's OK). Add them to the sauce. Drain the fat from the skillet and add a little bit of water. Put the skillet back over heat, and with a wooden spoon or a spatula, scrape off all the fond (the carmelized meat and drippings on the bottom of the pan) from the skillet (this process is called deglazing). Pour this into the sauce and stir gently to distribute throughout. It adds a tremendous richness to the sauce.
If you don't like sausage, I recommend getting a small portion of country spare ribs, or some such pork, browning it in a bit of olive oil, and adding that and the deglazed fond to the sauce. A little bit of pork really makes a huge difference in the richness and taste of sauce.
While the sausage is cooking, mix up your meatballs:
1 pound of chopped meat -- you can use anything from plain beef (no more than 10 % fat), to a meatball mixture that contains beef, pork and/or veal. Some even use turkey, and while it can be done, it really doesn't taste the same. (If you do use turkey, you'll need to add a bit more bread crumbs to make sure it holds together).
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp. fresh Italian flat leaf parsely, finely chopped (you can substitute dried parsely, but use 1/2 of the amount
1/3 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
2-3 single hands full of cold water
1/4 cup grated parmigiana cheese (don't waste your money on the really expensive stuff when you add it to meatballs -- save that for when the taste doesn't get as diluted as this does)
1-2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
2 fresh eggs
I don't recommend adding any salt because the cheese and bread crumbs already contain plenty, but if you like your food salty, add just a little bit more.
Mix this all up with your hands (the best cooking tool you have!) just until it's all mixed through. It should still be moist, but able to form a solid ball that won't fall apart on you. If the meatballs feel too "solid" or bready, add a little more water to the mixture.
Form this into approximately 15 smallish meatballs and drop them gently into the simmering sauce. Space them out and gently push them under the surface with a spoon. Then let them sit for about 30 minutes before stirring gently. There is no need to fry or bake these meatballs before you put them in the sauce, and they will be incredibly moist when done.
The sauce and all the meat can be easily frozen for months at a time. Just be sure that you fill whatever container you're freezing in close to the top (leave a little room for it to expand when frozen) so that there's not a lot of room for ice to form on top and freezer burn to happen.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Recipe for Marinara Sauce
This recipe will make enough sauce to dress at least 3 pounds of pasta, likely more. It's so easy to make this in big batches and freeze it up for future meals. Will also keep in the fridge for a week or so, but not much longer.
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
6 large garlic cloves, minced (feel free to use less or more, depending on taste -- I generally think there is no such thing as too much garlic!)
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt -- much better than usual table salt -- less sodium and a finer taste
1 small can of tomato paste (unsalted or low sodium if possible)
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
3 tbsp. dried oregano
3 tbsp. dried basil
4 large cans of crushed tomatos (preferably San Marzano tomatoes -- its a type of tomato, not a brand -- if you can find them. If not, virtually any other brand will do, but the Italian brands tend to never disappoint.)
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. When warm, add the onions and salt and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the rest of the seasonings, rubbing the basil and oregano between your fingers as you put it in to release the oils. Let this toast for a minute or two and then add the garlic and saute for another minute or two, but don't let the garlic brown, or it will become bitter.
Add the tomato paste and work all the onions, garlic and seasonings into it. Cook it for at least 3-4 minutes to cook the rawness out of it, and develop the flavors a bit.
Then add the 4 cans of crushed tomatoes, and once it all comes up to temperature, turn the burner down to low, and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. After an hour, taste the sauce to see if it needs more seasoning, or if it's a bit bitter. If it isn't sweet enough, add a tablespoon of honey, or grate one medium carrot into it. (this last trick is a great way to get veggies into your kids without them realizing it -- you could even add more carrot or something like zucchini into the sauce without them ever knowing the difference. Just peel the zucchini first and the color will never change).
If you want to substitute fresh oregano or basil, you'll need to double the amount, and don't add it until about 10-15 minutes before the sauce is done. If cooked too long, it loses all flavor.
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
6 large garlic cloves, minced (feel free to use less or more, depending on taste -- I generally think there is no such thing as too much garlic!)
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt -- much better than usual table salt -- less sodium and a finer taste
1 small can of tomato paste (unsalted or low sodium if possible)
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
3 tbsp. dried oregano
3 tbsp. dried basil
4 large cans of crushed tomatos (preferably San Marzano tomatoes -- its a type of tomato, not a brand -- if you can find them. If not, virtually any other brand will do, but the Italian brands tend to never disappoint.)
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. When warm, add the onions and salt and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the rest of the seasonings, rubbing the basil and oregano between your fingers as you put it in to release the oils. Let this toast for a minute or two and then add the garlic and saute for another minute or two, but don't let the garlic brown, or it will become bitter.
Add the tomato paste and work all the onions, garlic and seasonings into it. Cook it for at least 3-4 minutes to cook the rawness out of it, and develop the flavors a bit.
Then add the 4 cans of crushed tomatoes, and once it all comes up to temperature, turn the burner down to low, and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. After an hour, taste the sauce to see if it needs more seasoning, or if it's a bit bitter. If it isn't sweet enough, add a tablespoon of honey, or grate one medium carrot into it. (this last trick is a great way to get veggies into your kids without them realizing it -- you could even add more carrot or something like zucchini into the sauce without them ever knowing the difference. Just peel the zucchini first and the color will never change).
If you want to substitute fresh oregano or basil, you'll need to double the amount, and don't add it until about 10-15 minutes before the sauce is done. If cooked too long, it loses all flavor.
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