This week in our book DSC_0355 we are cooking the sauces.

We have “Raw Sauce” on page 36. “Spaghetti Sauce” and “Arrabbiata Sauce” on page 37.  Canning the sauces (page 38) was posted 12/13/2009 if you want tips on storing.

Raw Sauce” AKA: Uncooked Tomato Sauce.  Posted by Michael Labombarda. 

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Michael writes “This is a colorful, zesty, fast and easy sauce for pasta during the summer months.  The ingredients are simply blended together and tossed in a bowl and allowed to sit awhile (30 – 45 minutes) till all the flavors meld together.  If you make this sauce with anything but fresh (not hothouse) , ripe, flavorful, un-waxed, local tomatoes (Roma if available), you may be disappointed.  The quality of this sauce is directly proportionate to the freshness of the tomatoes and its other ingredients.  It’s best when made during the harvest season in August and September”

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Well, Michael, it isn’t August but this sauce sure sounds good.   I couldn’t resist trying this now and WOW!  It was GREAT!  This completely ignited our excitement for an even tastier version using garden fresh vegetables come the season. Is a tastier version even possible?!

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Ingredients:

  • 3 – 4 medium ripe tomatoes (1 lb seeded and cut into 1” cubes). *Joanne: I also added some grape tomatoes.
  • 1/3 cup best quality extra virgin olive oil.
  • 3 lg. cloves of freshly minced  garlic (no readymade, or garlic powder)
  • 10 –12 Greek Kalamata olives pitted and chopped
  • 2 TBS of capers, drained
  • 6 oz best quality mozzarella cheese, cut into half inch slices.
  • 1 1/2 tsp of fresh oregano and basil  (the fresher, the better).
  • 1/4 cup fresh grated Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese.
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • salt to taste (don’t need much with the salt from the capers and the cheese).

Combine sauce ingredients in a medium, noncorrosive bowl and set aside for 20 – 45 minutes but NO LONGER THAN 2 HOURS.

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Cook 3/4 lb of your favorite pasta (penne rigate, fusilli, linguine, etc.) until el dente.  *Joanne: I used Penne Rigate” Drain in colander.  Do not rinse.  Immediately return the empty pasta pot to the warm but turned off burner.

Pour the “raw sauce”, add the drained pasta and toss to coat evenly.  Cover the pot for 1 minute to gently heat the pasta and partially melt the cheeses.  Uncover and immediately serve in a serving bowl. 

Grate extra Locatelli Pecorino Romano, black and / or red pepper to taste.  Pair with your favorite wine (white or red) and enjoy!

*Now that’s the way to make sauce!   Can you see why it’s such a great summer dish?  I can

We now move to page 37 for the two more terrific recipes…..

Spaghetti Sauce posted by Chuck vp.  Chuck writes “This is awesome and the same Sicilian recipe my Grandma and Mother made and I make now.  All my friends and family love it.”

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I made this sauce recipe to go with meatballs for Ted and added beans for me.  I cut it in half  because of making the top recipe as well.  I used whole wheat pasta.  Another great recipe from A Taste of Utica.

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Brown 8 chopped cloves of garlic in about 1/2 cup of olive oil – use good oil!  *After the oil is hot, add the garlic for about 1 minute. Don’t burn.
Add 2 (8oz)  cans of Hunts Tomato paste, and 2 cans of water.  Stir until combined.  Add 2 (28 oz) cans of  Tutto Rosso brand crushed tomatoes and 1 can of water.  Add fresh basil (about 4 –6 large leaves, chopped), parsley (about 1/4 cup, chopped), and black pepper (about 20 grinds).  Stir and let come to a boil.   After it boils reduce heat to a simmer and add 1 tsp of baking soda (NOT POWDER).  This gets rid of the acid without making the sauce sweet.  Allow to simmer, covered, for about 3 –4 hours.  then add your meatballs and sausage.  Cover and simmer for another hour.
*Chuck is waving his hands at us and says ….”Oh you can add some red wine if you wish along with the water and tomato paste.  Mangia!!!!” 
Great Chuck! Love it. Unfortunately we drank all our red wine before it made it into the sauce

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The third sauce is called “Arrabbiata Sauceand is posted by Malio Cardarelli

Joanne’s note to Malio:  I didn’t get to try this one but it is on my list.  Since I love HOT, this one is for me on some special day in the future.  Can’t wait to try it!

Arrabbiata means angry and when applied to food, it means hot.  Thus if one wants salsa arrabbiata, all one needs to do is to add peperoncino – those small, red, and terribly hot Italian peppers – to what ever sauce one prefers and in the amount one can handle.”

Here is a simple recipe:

Sauté several (6 –7 ) cloves of minced garlic in about 1/4 cup of olive oil, add peperoncino (be careful with these …try one or two at first you can’t go back!)…(the dried kind works well and is readily available).  When the garlic is slightly golden, add 2 fresh tomatoes (or during winter months, add a large can of Italian plum tomatoes) and some (use fresh, 1/4 cup or so) minced parsley. 
Season with salt and pepper.   Sauté for at least 10 – 15 minutes. 
Serve over pasta of choice, cooked al dente, of course.  We like spaghetti for this dish.  Sprinkle on a generous amount of grated Pecorino – Romano cheese.

 

Great sauces!  Pretty easy wouldn’t you say.  I wish it were summer so I could use all those fresh ingredients, so full and ripe in their seasonal splendor.  Oh well…we make the best of what we have and what we had certainly didn’t disappoint.

Next week…who likes.. HOT SAUCE for Chicken (or NON-Chicken) Wings?!!

Joanne

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