17 posts tagged “tomato sauce”
Spaghetti with Veal Bolognese Sauce
Serves 6
1 dried one-quarter-ounce package porcini mushrooms
1 large clove garlic
1 small onion, (about 5 ounces), peeled and cut into quarters
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large rib celery, strings removed, cut into chunks
1 pound veal shoulder, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup tomato sauce (recipe follows)
3 1/2 cups chicken stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 pound spaghetti
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Olive-oil cooking spray
Place mushrooms in a small bowl; cover with 1/2 cup boiling water. Let soak 15 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid, and chop medium fine; set aside. Strain liquid through cheesecloth; set liquid aside. Place garlic in food processor; process until finely chopped. Add onion; process until finely chopped. Transfer onions and garlic to a small bowl. Process carrots in food processor until coarsely chopped, about 15 pulses. Add celery; process until carrots and celery are finely chopped; set aside.
Spray medium-high, straight-sided skillet with olive-oil spray; place over medium-low heat. Add vegetables, cover, and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add veal, and raise heat to high; cook until veal turns opaque, about 5 minutes. Add wine; cook until evaporated. Stir in tomato sauce, mushrooms, stock, reserved mushroom liquid, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low; simmer until meat is tender and most liquid has been absorbed, about 2 hours. Cook pasta until al dente; transfer to large serving dish. Pour sauce over pasta; toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.
Tomato Sauce
Makes 3 1/4 cups
1/2 small onion, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic, (1 large clove)
1 35 1/2-ounce imported whole Italian tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, cooking spray
Spray a nonstick skillet with olive-oil spray, and place over low heat. Add onion and garlic; cover, and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low; simmer 25 to 30 minutes. Pass sauce through the largest holes of a food mill, and set aside.
Baccala (Cod in a Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Recipe courtesy of Pasquale Martinelli of Bellavitae
Serves 4 as an appetizer
4 cloves garlic, halved
3 cups tomato sauce (recipe follows)
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless cod, cut into 20 equal-sized pieces
4 tablespoons capers, rinsed
4 teaspoons Olio Santo (recipe follows)
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably wild
Fine sea salt
4 slices baguette, toasted
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide garlic and tomato sauce evenly between 4 small earthenware dishes. Place 5 pieces cod in each dish. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon capers, 1 teaspoon olio santo, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and a pinch of salt over cod in each dish. Bake until cod is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with baguette slices.
Tomato Sauce
Makes enough for 4 servings
2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped white onions
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
Place tomatoes in the jar of a blender or the bowl of a food processor; blend or process until pureed. Place olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and celery; cook until translucent. Add tomato puree, sugar, and salt; bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
Olio Santo
Makes 1/2 cup
5 to 6 small green or red hot peppers, preferably diavolicci, halved lengthwise or 8 teaspoons red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
Place peppers in a medium bowl and cover with oil. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight before using.
Baccala Ravioli
Recipe courtesy of Mario Batali
Serves 8
1 pound dried cod (baccalà), as evenly thick as possible
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 extra-large eggs
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large baking potato, boiled, peeled, and put through a ricer or mashed
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Semolina, for dusting
1 cup Basic Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
5 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1/2 bunch roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
Soak baccalà in water for 2 days in the refrigerator, changing the water occasionally. Drain, and cut into 2-inch pieces. Mound flour in the center of a large board. Make a well in the middle, and add eggs and 1 tablespoon oil. Using a fork, beat eggs and oil until thoroughly combined. Begin to incorporate flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. The dough will come together when half the flour is incorporated. Keep working dough until all flour is incorporated. Start kneading dough using the palms of both hands. Once dough is a cohesive mass, remove it from the board; scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly flour the board, and continue kneading for 6 minutes more. The dough should be elastic and slightly sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic, and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Place baccalà in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until it is broken up but not completely smooth. Transfer fish to a large bowl, and add riced potato, 3/4 cup olive oil, rosemary, and chives. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Working quickly, roll out pasta to the thinnest setting on a pasta machine, and place on a lightly floured board. If using a ravioli pin: Cover the pasta with a 1/4-inch-thick layer of the fish mixture. Place a second sheet of pasta over it, and press down lightly with your hands. Lightly flour the ravioli pin. Carefully roll the two sheets together with the ravioli pin, forming the ravioli. Use the dull edge of a knife to seal the edges together. Cut ravioli to separate. Transfer to a baking sheet dusted with semolina.
If not using a ravioli pin: Cut a single sheet of pasta at a time into 2-by-1-inch rectangles. Place a teaspoon of the fish mixture into the center of each rectangle, and fold the pasta to form a 1-inch square, pressing the edges to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Bring 8 quarts of water to a boil, and add 3 tablespoons salt. Drop in ravioli, and cook until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, combine tomato sauce, thyme, red-pepper flakes, and mint. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and place over medium heat. Drain ravioli, reserving a cup of the cooking water; add ravioli to the pan with the tomato sauce, and toss to coat. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with cooking water, and serve immediately.
Basic Tomato Sauce
Makes 4 cups
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 Tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 (twenty-eight-ounce) peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand, juices reserved
Salt
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add thyme and carrot, and cook 5 minutes more, until carrot is quite soft. Add tomatoes and reserved juice, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes until thick. Season with salt. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Crock Pot Lasagna
1 jar (26 oz) of favorite tomato sauce
12 oz of browned Italian sausage (can substitute ground beef)
1 (32 oz) tub of ricotta
1 (8oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
¾ c of grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 box no-cook lasagna noodles
Mix sausage, sauce and ½ cup of water. In another bowl mix ricotta, 1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese, ½ cup parmesan, garlic and seasoning. Spread ¼ of sauce over bottom of crock pot. Top with 1/3 of the noodles – breaking to overlap as needed. Spread 1/3 of cheese mixture covering noodles completely. Repeat sauce, noodles and cheese layers. Spread remaining sauce on top. Cover and cook on low for 4.5 hours. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan on top and let stand for ten minutes to melt.
Spanish Sloppy Joes
Yield 4 servings
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground beef sirloin
6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
24 medium-sized mushrooms, crimini or white, chopped
Coarse salt and lots of black pepper
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 14-ounce can tomato sauce
4 crusty rolls, split
2 tablespoons butter, softened for easy spreading
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
A wedge of manchego cheese, for shaving
Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add beef and deeply brown, 6-7 minutes, breaking it up into pieces with a wooden spoon. Add garlic, onions and mushrooms, and cook until mushrooms are dark and onions tender, 7-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the sherry to deglaze the pan. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and reduce liquid, 1 minute. Add Worcestershire and tomato sauce, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes more. Preheat broiler.
Spread rolls with softened butter and sprinkle heavily with parsley. Toast rolls until charred at edges. Top roll bottoms with sloppy mixture and some shaved manchego cheese. Set roll tops in place and serve.
Easy Chunky Tomato Sauce
Makes 6 cups; Prep time: 15 minutes; Total time: 45 minutes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (3 cups)
3 garlic cloves, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cans (28 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes with their juice and the thyme; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Sauce can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Note: To make a meat sauce, use 1 pound cooked ground meat, such as beef, sausage, turkey, or pork, and add to sauce along with the tomatoes.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Serves 4; Prep time: 30 minutes; Total time: 1 hour
1 medium onion, grated (1 cup)
4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound ground beef sirloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium carrot, grated
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in purée
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
12 ounces spaghetti
1. Heat broiler with rack 4 inches from heat source. In a medium bowl, mix 1/4 cup onion, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until combined. Add beef; mix gently until combined. With moistened hands, form beef mixture into 16 balls (each equal to 2 level tablespoons). Place on a rimmed baking sheet, and broil until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add carrot, remaining 3/4 cup onion, and remaining 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and add meatballs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Ten minutes before meatballs are cooked, add pasta to boiling water; cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot. Add meatballs and tomato sauce to pasta; toss to combine. Serve, with additional Parmesan if desired.
BBQ Bacon Burgers with Fire-Roasted Corn on the Cob
Yields 4 servings
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced to a paste
Zest and juice of 1 lime, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 package bacon, about 10-12 slices
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar, depending on your desired sweetness
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
4 whole ears of corn on the cob, husked
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon steak seasoning, such as McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 Kaiser rolls, split and toasted
1 pound spinach, stemmed
1/2 pound queso fresco or feta cheese, grated
2 scallions, whites and green tops, chopped
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Preheat an outdoor grill to high or a grill pan over medium-high heat. Place a small sauce pot over medium heat and add heavy cream, chipotle paste and lime zest. Bring up to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat down to low and cook for about 5-10 minutes. While cream is heating through, heat a medium-size nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the bacon to the pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until crispy. Remove the bacon from pan and set on a paper towel-lined plate, leaving 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan. With the pan still on medium-high heat, add the red onion and cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until onions are slightly translucent. Add Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and the lime juice, and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and bring up to a simmer. Season BBQ sauce with salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes.
While sauces are simmering, husk the corn, remove all the silk then run under cold water until wet. In a medium bowl, combine meat with cumin, chili powder, steak seasoning, coriander and chopped garlic for the burgers. Divide meat into 4 patties about 1 inch thick. Drizzle patties with a touch of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the corn and the patties on the grill. Grill, turning frequently, until tender and well-charred all over. Garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro.
Easy Chunky Tomato Sauce
Makes 6 cups; Prep time: 15 minutes; Total time: 45 minutes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (3 cups)
3 garlic cloves, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cans (28 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes with their juice and the thyme; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Sauce can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Note: To make a meat sauce, use 1 pound cooked ground meat, such as beef, sausage, turkey, or pork, and add to sauce along with the tomatoes.
Vegetable Lasagna
Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart
Serves 8; Prep time: 25 minutes; Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
This recipe makes one large lasagna (9 by 13 inches) or two smaller ones (8 by 8). For the perfect make-ahead meal, prepare two; bake one now, and freeze the other for later.
4 cups (32 ounces) whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture
6 cups store-bought or homemade tomato sauce (recipe in previous entry)
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (8 ounces)
1 pound (4 cups) fontina cheese, shredded
1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add spinach, and stir well to combine.
2. Spread a small bit of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish or dishes. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles on top. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by 1/3 of the remaining sauce; sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated cheese. Repeat to make two more layers, ending with cheese. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Before baking, defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; continue baking until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Let cool slightly before serving.
Note: Using diced tomatoes makes the sauce thick and adds texture to the lasagna. The uncooked lasagna will keep for up to two months in the freezer. When baking lasagna that has been frozen, add 10 minutes to the cooking time.
