4 tablespoons butter
cup white wine
3 teaspoons kosher salt
8 ounces of your favorite pasta
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
5 to 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely
In a large sauce pot, combine tomatoes, quartered onion, carrots, and celery, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, leaving the lid slightly open, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the carrots are soft. Remove from heat.
Puree the vegetables in a blender until smooth.
Over another pot, pass the pureed sauce through a chinois or tomato strainer (Pasta With Fresh Roma Tomato Sauce No. 1) to remove the tomato skins and seeds. Do not use a strainer with tightly woven small mesh; the holes are too small and the resulting puree will be too liquid. Set aside.
Heat a large saucepan on medium heat until warm but not hot. Add the olive oil, finely chopped onions, scallions, and butter. Cook until the onions are translucent (5 to 8 minutes). Add the white wine and continue to cook, reducing by more than half. Add the pureed vegetables and salt, and mix well. Simmer over low heat for 40 minutes.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and pour into a large warmed pasta serving bowl. Ladle 2 cups of sauce over the pasta, and mix. Ladle 1 more cup over the pasta, or more if you like, and sprinkle on freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil.
CORKSCREW PASTA WITH
SILKY MARINARA SAUCE
4 TO 6 SERVINGS
This is a supereasy and quick sauce with a bit of a bite. It takes 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook. Dinner in no time!
Romano cheese goes really well with this sauce. It is a bit saltier than Parmesan (which you can use if you prefer), but it gives this sauce an extra kick to make it rock.
¼ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 (28-ounce) can chopped canned tomatoes, pureed in a blender for 5 seconds
½ teaspoon kosher salt
cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus additional for sprinkling (optional)
8 ounces corkscrew pasta or your favorite pasta
Freshly grated Romano cheese
5 to 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Have all the ingredients lined up and ready to go before you start cooking.
Heat a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add olive oil and garlic, and sauté garlic, turning gently, until it starts to turn golden on all sides. Be careful not to burn the garlic, or the sauce will taste bitter. If this happens, discard and start again. Add the tomatoes, salt, water, sugar, butter, and red pepper flakes. Lower the heat, and simmer for 25 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add water, ¼ cup at a time. You don’t want it watery, but you do want it to have a silky constancy.
Boil the pasta according to the package directions (make sure to salt the water). Cook the pasta until it is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well. Return the drained pasta to the pot and place back on the stove.
Remove the garlic from the sauce with a slotted spoon.
Over medium heat, ladle 2 cups of sauce over the pasta and mix well.
Serve the pasta in a heated bowl. Ladle on ¼ cup of sauce, more if you like. Sprinkle on Romano cheese, basil, and additional red pepper flakes if desired.
COOK’S NOTE: Include ½ cup of frozen baby peas in this sauce if you like. Just add them to the boiling pasta water 10 minutes before the pasta is done.
PAPPARDELLE WITH
BOLOGNESE SAUCE
8 TO 10 SERVINGS
This is an authentic, thick, hearty, and meaty sauce that my grandfather use to make. It’s great with any pasta, but my favorite is pappardelle. My grandfather would make fresh pappardelle, and I thought it was the best pasta I’d ever had in my whole life. Of course, making your own pappardelle is a bit time-consuming, but you can purchase pappardelle pasta at the market. It’s almost as good as Nonno Gino’s, but not quite!
1 large white onion, quartered
1 small carrot, cut into four pieces
1 celery rib, cut into four pieces
cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground chuck
½ pound ground pork
2 teaspoons table salt
1 cup whole milk
cup white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ cups water plus additional as needed
1 pound pappardelle or your favorite pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup fresh basil
Have all your ingredients ready to go.
In a food processor, pulse to chop the onion into small pieces. Set aside.
Pulse to chop the carrot and celery into small pieces. Set aside.
Heat a saucepan on medium-high until hot. Add the olive oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add the onions, reduce heat to medium, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the carrot and celery, and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the ground chuck and ground pork, breaking up the meat as much as you can. Sprinkle on the salt and pour in the milk, continuing to break up the meat. Cook, reducing the milk until the meat starts to sizzle (about 10 to 15 minutes). Add the wine, and mix well. Continue to cook, reducing the wine by half. Reduce heat to a simmer and add tomato paste. Stir in completely and keep mixing for at least 30 seconds. Add the tomato puree, sugar, and water. Mix well. Cover and simmer on very low heat for 1 hour, stirring often. If you feel the sauce is getting too thick, add more water, ¼ cup at a time.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Pour into a large serving bowl, mix in the sauce, and sprinkle plenty of Parmesan cheese on top. Garnish with basil. Serve immediately.
RIGATONI WITH A
HEARTY SIRLOIN SAUCE
6 TO 8 SERVINGS
For this sauce, use 1 ½ pounds sirloin steak and cut it into small bite-size pieces instead of the ground beef and pork. I like to serve rigatoni or penne pasta with this sauce because I love it when the meat gets stuck in the holes. Sprinkle on plenty of fresh Parmesan cheese!
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped into quarters
2 scallions, chopped into quarters
1 carrot, chopped into quarters
1 stalk of celery, chopped into quarters
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped into quarters
2 scallions, chopped into quarters
1 carrot, chopped into quarters
1 stalk of celery, chopped into quarters
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ pounds sirloin steak, cut into small bite-size pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
cup red wine
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
¾ cup water plus additional as needed
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
16 ounces rigatoni or penne pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil
Red pepper flakes
Have all of your ingredients lined up and ready to go.
In a food processor, combine the onion and scallions, and pulse to chop fine. Repeat the process for the carrot and celery. Place all the vegetables in a bowl, and set aside.
Heat a large sauce pot on medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup of the olive oil, and heat until hot but not smoking. Add the sirloin steak, and sprinkle on the kosher salt. Sear the meat on all sides. Remove the steak and set aside on a plate.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and heat until warm. Add the vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the meat back into the pot, mix well, and sauté for 2 minutes. Pour in the red wine, and reduce until most of the wine has been cooked awa
y.
Lower the heat, add the tomato paste, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 1 minute so the paste does not burn. This will help reduce the acid in the tomato paste. After 1 minute, add water and mix thoroughly. Stir in the tomato puree, butter, and sugar. Cover, leaving the lid slightly off center. Simmer on low heat for 50 minutes.
If you find that the sauce is getting too thick, add water cup at a time. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Cook the pasta according to directions on the package—al dente is best. Drain well. Pour drained pasta back into the same pot you boiled it in. Return the pot to the stove over medium heat. Ladle two scoops of the sauce over the pasta, and stir for 15 seconds to mix completely, heating through. Pour the pasta into a warmed pasta serving platter. Add the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle on freshly grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes if you like.
FRESH LINGUINE
IN A CREAMY LOW-FAT
TOMATO SAUCE
6 TO 8 SERVINGS
A note before we start: Imported prosciutto is available in all grocery stores and is not hard to find. Always use the imported prosciutto; it is better in quality and taste than domestic.
There’s nothing like homemade fresh pasta, but who has the time to crank it out? I use fresh pasta that I buy at the local market for this recipe. It comes out light and delicate, which provides a nice balance for the sauce’s creamy consistency. Most markets carry fresh pasta in the refrigerated section. If you can’t find it, you can use boxed linguine; just make sure it’s made with semolina flour.
1 large white onion, quartered
2 scallions, quartered
1 carrot, cut into four pieces
1 celery rib, cut into four pieces
3 slices prosciutto, chopped coarsely
cup extra-virgin olive oil
cup dry white wine
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes in puree
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup water
8 ounces fresh linguine
1 cup freshly cooked or frozen peas
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for garnish
½ cup chopped fresh basil
In a food processor, combine onion and scallions, and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside in a bowl. Pulse the carrot, celery, and prosciutto until finely chopped. Add to the onions in the bowl.
Heat a saucepan until hot. Pour in the olive oil and heat through for 30 seconds. Quickly add the chopped vegetables. Sauté until the vegetables start to soften and release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and reduce until the wine is almost evaporated and you can hear the vegetables start to sizzle. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, sugar, and water. Mix well. Simmer on low heat, covered, with the lid slightly ajar, for 45 minutes.
Prepare 8 ounces of fresh linguine according to package directions. Five minutes before you are ready to drain the pasta, add the peas to the pasta water and cook with the pasta until the pasta is done.
Drain the pasta and peas and return them to the pot you boiled them in. Over medium heat, pour a couple of ladlefuls of sauce into the pasta and peas. Mix gently with tongs to coat the pasta. Add ½ cup of low-fat milk and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, and mix. Add the remaining milk and cheese. Mix gently.
Pour into a warm serving bowl (or plate individually), add the remainder of the sauce on top, and spoon on any peas that have fallen to the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle with more cheese and fresh basil.
Al dente describes pasta and vegetables cooked through but retaining a firm texture and offering a resistance to the bite. I usually cook the pasta a minute less than the directions on the box suggest. All pasta should be cooked this way.
LINGUINE
WITH CLAM SAUCE
8 TO 10 SERVINGS
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reached into my pantry to make this pasta. Not only is it my go-to favorite dish when I need to prepare a meal quickly, but it is an elegant dish to serve for a dinner party. You would never believe the clams are from a can; because they are minced, the clams are not chewy but tender and then seasoned to perfection with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups Italian parsley, loosely packed and finely chopped
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 (6 ½ ounce) cans minced clams in clam juice
2 tablespoons table salt
1 pound linguine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 lemon wedges (optional)
Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add the olive oil, and heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes, and sauté until the garlic starts to turn golden. (Be careful that don’t burn the garlic or the sauce will taste bitter. If this happens, you need to discard and start again.) Add the minced clams with the juice from the cans. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside.
Bring 5 quarts of water with the table salt to a boil in a large pasta pot. Add the linguine and cook the pasta until it is al dente.
Drain the pasta, and give it two good shakes in the colander, but it’s not necessary to drain all of the water out. Place the linguine back into the pot you boiled it in, and add the prepared clam sauce and the lemon juice. Turn the heat to medium, and mix using tongs to coat the pasta for 30 seconds. Serve in a heated pasta bowl; garnish with a wedge of lemon.
COOK’S NOTE: To heat the pasta bowl, about 2 minutes before the pasta is ready, pour 4 to 5 ladles of the boiling pasta water into the pasta bowl and let it sit while the pasta continues to cook. Make sure to pour the water out before you add the linguine and clams.
ORECCHIETTE WITH
BROCCOLI RABE AND
SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE
6 SERVINGS
Orecchiette means “little ears” in Italian, and that’s what this pasta looks like. I love the shape; it fits perfectly with this dish. Broccoli rabe and sausages make a wonderful flavor combination. The broccoli rabe is a tad bitter and has a bit of a bite. The olive oil and garlic mellow those effects and bring out an outstanding-tasting dish, and the sweet Italian sausages put it over the top.
2 pounds broccoli rabe
4 cups water
cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced (not too thin)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 sweet Italian sausages
8 ounces orecchiette
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, sliced thin
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the stems off the broccoli rabe, along with any discolored leaves.
Bring the water to a boil, add the broccoli rabe, and cover. Boil until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse in cool water, and leave to continue to drain for 5 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press more water out.
Heat a heavy skillet on high heat. Add the olive oil and the garlic, and sauté just until the garlic starts to turn golden. Immediately add the broccoli rabe, and mix well. Add the salt and mix again. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the sausages on a baking tray and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, turning at least three times to ensure even cooking. Remove the sausages from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes before you cut them in 1 ½-inch pieces.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and place it back into the pot you boiled it in. Turn the heat to medium high, add the broccoli rabe, cut-up sausages, and red pepper flakes, and mix well for 1 minute. Add more kosher salt and red pepper flakes if you like, mix in the lemon juice, and garnish with a slice of lemon. Serve immediately.
ANGEL HAIR WITH
OLIVE OIL AND LEMON
4 TO 6 SERVINGS
This is one of my favorite lat
e-night dinners when I feel like something substantial but not too heavy. It’s one of the easiest dishes to make directly from your pantry with a couple of staple items. It takes just 20 minutes—even less once you know the routine. It’s delicious in its simplicity, with the fruity taste from the extra-virgin olive oil, the earthiness from the toasted walnuts, the slight saltiness from the fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and the clean citrus flavor from the fresh lemons. Of course I like to shake this delicate bowl up with some heat, so I always have my red pepper flakes on hand.
1 tablespoon kosher salt plus additional for sprinkling
8 ounces angel hair pasta
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 cups Parmesan cheese
cup chopped toasted walnuts
Walnut oil or olive oil
Cracked pepper
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped mint
Zest from 1 lemon
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Preheat the oven to 200°F. When the oven has reached 200°F, turn it off and place the 6 pasta bowls you are going to use for serving the angel hair inside.
Fill a pasta pot with at least 2 ½ quarts of water, and add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. When the water has come to a boil, add the angel hair. Angel hair cooks quickly (about 3 to 5 minutes); do not overcook. The pasta continues to cook after you take it out of the water, and you don’t want to end up with soft, soggy pasta, so test for doneness by tasting a few strands. They should still have a tiny crunch when you bite into them.
Take the angel hair out of the water with tongs, and place it in a warm pasta bowl. Do not discard the pasta water.
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