How do you make spaghetti sauce?
My Italian friend has some cred in this department, I think. She says to saute some diced onions in olive oil until they turn translucent. Then she removes and discards the onions, but I like keeping them in. Add the can of tomatoes–you can buy them diced for super-easy prep, but the whole canned tomatoes are better quality. The canning companies keep the nicest ones whole, and it doesn’t take long to dice them yourself. When I’m really lazy, I use diced tomatoes with basil and garlic, although some companies make a better version (Del Monte) than others (Muir Glen Organic or Whole Foods generic). Saute the tomatoes and oil for a little while. You can add some tomato paste at this point for some extra flavor, but you can skip that if you want. Remove from heat and add salt & pepper. Then add a dash of cream, milk, or sugar–any of those will sweeten the sauce ever-so-slightly…just enough to remove any bitterness. Lastly, sprinkle the sauce with a little chopped basil and/or oregano.
If you want to kill your guests with a sumptuous dish laden with heavy cream, and make sure they get to heaven: SMOKED SALMON PASTA For four people 1lb campanelle (“bell”) pasta – your choice (anything that soaks up the sauce and has a unique texture) 1 tsp olive oil 8 med mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup peas 2 tsp fresh garlic, minced 2 lg tomatoes, chopped into long slivers 1 cup heavy cream Tsp fresh black pepper 1 1/4 tsp fresh thyme or parsley 1/4 cup fresh grated romano parmesan 8oz or what suits of smoked salmon Put some plates in the oven to warm. Start boiling water for pasta. Sauté vegetables and garlic, add seasoning, add cream, add cheese. Boil the pasta about 8-10 minutes. While you’re doing this, cook down the sauce until thickens. Add salmon 2 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley. Send me a thank you note.
1 can diced tomatoes, drained 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (in oil, drained, chopped) or 1/4 cup tomato paste 1 medium onion 2 cloves garlic 1/4 cup red wine A dash of crushed red pepper Thyme and/or oregano Sautee the onion until it just starts to turn brown. Crush the garlic and add. Stir for a minute. Add the sun dried tomato (if using it). Add the diced tomatoes. Add the herbs if they’re dried. Stir until there’s no pooling of liquids. If using paste, add it now. Puree. Add the wine. Cook two minutes. Add the herbs if you’re using fresh. Add a little bell pepper along the way if you like (about 1/2 of a large, roasted and peeled pepper should do it, or a handful of Trader Joe’s Melange a Trois frozen pepper mix) I make this all the time when I need a fast sauce. It’s good and it’s simple. Double the paste/sun dried tomato for a pizza sauce.
