Tag: tomato sauce

Italian

Creamy Roasted Tomato & Garlic Pasta

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Lately, I have been flagging recipes I like from Instagram and saving them to try later. I have been especially interested in weeknight meals rather than a Sunday show stopper. This sauce was definitely easy and worth the time. You could make it vegetarian or add some sausage or chicken to it, rather easily. I chose to slice up some Sundried tomato chicken sausage in a pan and add it to the pasta for a simple, fast meal. Here, you let the oven do all of the work, which frees you up to put together the rest of the ingredients. The roasting in the oven paired with fresh basil created a lot of flavor in a short amount of time. This recipe has been replicated over several sites. The only difference here is the addition of a little red pepper to balance the sweetness of the ricotta and roasted tomatoes. This took under 30 minutes to put together and was very easy.

You will need:

  • 1 lb of roma or campari tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 head of garlic with the root end sliced off
  • Olive oil, as needed (several glugs)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 6-7 leaves of fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup of ricotta
  • Pasta of your choice- spaghetti, bucatini, busiati or penne

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375
  • Put tomatoes and garlic in a pyrex or casserole dish. Add salt, pepper and red pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.
  • While tomatoes are roasting, begin to boil pot of water for your pasta. Add salt to the pasta water.
  • When tomatoes are finished, add them to a blender. Squeeze garlic from the bulb, and and add that as well. Add basil and ricotta and blend until smooth.
  • Add the tomato sauce to a sauce pan over medium-low heat.
  • When pasta is finished (al dente), strain and add it to the sauce pan to finish off.
  • Work in reserve pasta water and some cheese (parmesan or romano) until creamy. Serve and enjoy.

Chicken Meatballs & Orzo in a sundried tomato sauce
Italian · Mediterranean

Chicken Meatballs & Orzo in a sundried tomato sauce

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This is a 100 percent comfort recipe and is part of the series of my finding solid weeknight one-pan recipes to enjoy after a long workday. There are many shortcuts you can take with the this recipe – using premade meatballs or switching meatballs for another leftover protein (shredded chicken, sausage), or if you prefer to make it all homeade, you can do that, as well.

This pasta sauce would work with many types of proteins (shrimp, chicken, beef, pork sausage). I opted for chicken meatballs because I wanted meatballs, but lighter. I also added mint and parlsey, rather than just basil because I think it is a good combination and I already had it on hand. Also, I like to use red chili flakes in sundried tomato sauces for additional flavor.

Another practical aspect of a one-pot meal, is that you can add other vegetables into the dish. I always like to sneak in as many vegetables as possible when cooking for my family. In this particular instance, I took some frozen spinach, patted it dry, and stirred into the sauce for an additional source of nutrition.

You will need:

Ingredients for the meatballs

  • 1 pounds ground chicken
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp sweet paprika
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • 1/4 breadcrumbs, italian style
  • 1 egg
  • 2-3 tbsp chopped basil leaves (5 leaves), 1 tbs chopped mint (3-4 leaves),* 1 tbs chopped italian parsley*
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil for cooking
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter for cooking

Ingredients for sauce and orzo

  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 shallot finely chopped
  • 16 oz dry orzo pasta
  • 1 tsp salt 
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried red chili flakes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Steps:

  • Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Mix until just combined, using your hands. Roll the meat into 2 tablespoon-sized balls. It makes for about 18 meatballs.
  • Heat oil and butter over medium in a large skillet or pot. Add meatballs and brown all over. Remove from skillet. They don’t need to be cooked through because they will finish cooking when returned to the sauce.
  • Add a little more olive oil to the pan if needed. Add shallot and garlic, cook for until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add orzo and toast for 2 minutes while stirring. Stir in salt, peppers, oregano and tomato paste and mix it together.
  • Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered while stirring occasionally to keep the orzo from sticking, until almost al dente and almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
  • Add cream, sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Add lemon juice and stir in Parmesan. Return meatballs to the skillet, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Pasta Arrabbiata with sun-gold tomatoes
Italian · Mediterranean

Pasta Arrabbiata with sun-gold tomatoes

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Pasta arriabbiata refers to a tomato, red chili peppers, and garlic-based sauce. I found this recipe* using sun-gold tomatoes and butter and found it absolutely simple, yet delicious. You can use dry pasta, but we made homemade and the flavor made all the difference. You can also use traditional cherry tomatoes, but we absolutely loved the flavor of the sun-gold tomatoes, cooked down. Fresh parmesan, of course is preferred, but store-shredded is also fine. In the end, the sauce itself is very simple – both in ingredients and assembly. If you prefer to make this vegetarian, simply leave out the anchovy paste and add a bit more salt to taste.

If you are going to make homemade pasta, you will need to do so about 2 hours ahead: for assembly, and hour and 1/2 to rest and dry. If not, any shape will do. We made ours with orecchiette, but it is truly your preference. The recipe is here: Pasta – Orecchiette.

You will need:

  1. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  2. 2 pints sun-gold cherry tomatoes, halved
  3. 4 tbs butter, unsalted
  4. 1 tsp anchovy sauce
  5. 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  6. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, dried
  7. 1 cup shredded parmesan
  8. Handful of fresh basil, torn
  9. Kosher salt, as needed
  10. 1lb dried orecchiette or
  11. 3 cups semolina flour (fine) & salt for fresh orecchiette (for making fresh pasta)

To make the sauce

  1. Heat olive oil in heavy pot (like a dutch oven) over medium heat. Also heat separate pot with salted water for your pasta.
  2. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook until fragrant (about 2 minutes)
  3. Mix 1 pint of the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and cook until tomatoes burst and become saucy (about 8 -10 minutes)
  4. Cook fresh pasta in salted water (2-4 minutes, depending on type).
  5. Using slotted spoon or tongs, transfer pasta to tomato pot. Be sure to save a little starchy pasta water as a reserve.
  6. Add butter, anchovy sauce, and remaining tomatoes to the pot and stir. Cook until glossy, adding pasta water as needed, until it is creamy. Season with salt and stir in parmesan. Top with fresh basil.

*Pasta recipe is my own. The recipe for the sauce is from Bon Appetit.

Italian · Mediterranean

Sunday Sauce

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Sunday sauce is a rich meaty traditional sauce to serve for a big family meal. It is best cooked low and slow for several hours. You can also add Italian sausage and or meatballs to the sauce, depending on the size of your meal. This makes a very double portion. I use it for a meal for 5-8 people, and freeze the rest for another meal in the future.

You will need:

  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 
  • 4 pork short ribs (around a 1lb)
  • 1/4 pound pancetta
  • several Italian sausage links, spicy or sweet depending on preference*
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 medium onion chopped 
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 5-6 fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/3 cup red wine
  • Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes.
  • 2 pounds penne, ziti or pasta or your choice (one that can support a hearty meat sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste* if needed
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
  1. In a large enameled cast-iron pot, heat 2 Tbs olive oil until shimmering. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and add them to the casserole in a single layer along with the sausage links. Cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, around 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer the short ribs and sausages to a plate and set aside..
  2. Pour off all but 1-2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add 2 more Tbs of olive oil. Add the onions & carrot, and a generous pinch of salt; cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 7-9 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, pancetta and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the vegetables and pancetta with 1/3 cup red wine until the liquid is evaporated.
  3. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Be sure to rinse a little of each can with some extra water to get all the bits, swirl it around and add to the pot. Season with red pepper flakes and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
  4. Return the short ribs, sausages and their juices to the pot, cover partially and simmer over low heat, turning the short ribs occasionally, until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
  5. 30 minutes before serving: Set a large pot of salted water to boil for your pasta. For your Sunday sauce – add fresh basil leaves 30 minutes before serving. Add more oregano or salt as needed. If necessary, add tomato paste in the last half hour to thicken the sauce as needed. Finish off the sauce with fresh grated parmesan cheese.
  6. 20 minutes before serving: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. and set aside
  7. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Transfer the pasta and toss well with some of the sunday sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add some of the reserved pasta water and work it in. Top with additional cheese and pieces of meat from the sauce.

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Homeade Marinara Sauce
Italian · Recipes

Homeade Marinara Sauce

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There are many iterations and recipes about how to make a good Marinara sauce. Here is what I use – I prefer it because it is simple and a proven winner over the years.

You will need:

  • 1 28 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes (certified DOP, if possible)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 7 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 large basil sprig, fresh
  • pinch, crushed red pepper flakes

Step one:

Pour tomatoes in a bowl and crush with your (clean) hands or use a food processor. Pour 1 cup of water in the empty can and swish to get a little tomato juice. Save it for later.

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Step two:

In a large sauce pan or skillet, heat oil over medium – add garlic when it is ready. As soon as the garlic is sizzling (do not overcook), add the tomatoes. Then the reserved tomato water, the pinch of red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir.

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Step three:

Place the basil sprig (stem included) on the surface. Let it wilt and submerge into the sauce. Simmer until the sauce is thickened and oil on the surface is a deep orange, around 15 minutes.