THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ITALIAN PASTA SAUCES
Acciughe— sauce of anchovies flavoured with garlic, oil and parsley
Aglio e olio— garlic, olive oil and parsley
Alfredo— butter, cream and freshly grated cheese served with fettuccine
Amatricana— sauce of fresh tomatoes, chopped bacon, onion and garlic, served with grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Bolognese— rich meat sauce flavoured with chicken livers, wine, vegetables and nutmeg. Served with butter and grated cheese; sometimes cream is added to the sauce. Also called ragu in parts of Italy other than Bologna
Burro— butter and grated Parmesan cheese
Cacciatore— meat and vegetable sauce flavoured with juniper
Frutti di mare-– seafood sauce
Funghi e piselli— sauce of mushrooms, bacon and fresh green peas
Marinara— sauce of fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and basil
Noci— pounded walnuts and pine nuts with oil, garlic and chopped parsley
Pesto— oil, grated cheese, pine nuts, basil and garlic pounded into a paste
Pomidoro— tomato sauce
Romana— meat and chicken sauce with chopped mushrooms
Tartufata— truffle sauce flavoured with Marsala or white wine and garlic
Umbria— sauce of pounded anchovies, oil and garlic flavoured with tomatoes and truffles
Vongole— clam sauce with onions, tomatoes, olive oil and garlic.
Fettucine Alfredo
Bolognese
Marinara
Creamy Bacon/Carbonara
Three Tomato
Pasta with Nuts
Pasta with Lemon Sauce
Spaghetti with Garlic and Peppers
Orecchiette with Braciole
FETTUCINE ALFREDO
1 lb fettuccine pasta, 1 cup heavy cream, 4 tbsp Butter, 1/2 lb parmigiano cheese grated, fresh black pepper, salt
Cook the fettuccine in salted water to al dente.
In a large saute pan, add the heavy cream and the butter. Warm up the cream so that the butter melts and keep the sauce on low flame. Add the fettuccine and toss, while you toss add the grated cheese and black pepper, as desired, and continue tossing.
If the pasta looks dry add some pasta water. Toss for 1 minute and serve immediately.
BOLOGNESE
Saute in olive oil 1 onion chopped, diced carrot, diced celery and 4 cloves garlic.
Add ½ lb ground beef and ½ lb hot Italian sausage meat. Brown
Add 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes crushed in hand + 1 can tomato paste, chicken stock
Add spices – thyme, sage, or basil (all fresh), jalopeno or Serrano +/- seeds, nutmeg, salt, pepper, +/- cloves
Simmer for 1 ½ hours at very low heat until reaches a rather dry consistency. Pour the Ragu` over the al dente pasta which you cooked. Sprinkle generously with parmigiano.
MARINARA (6 c)
Heat large pot on medium 3 tbsp olive oil. Add 1 large onion finely chopped, 2 carrots finely diced, 2-3 ribs celery with leaves finely chopped, 2 serrano peppers minced, 1 green pepper finely diced, clump parsley f. ch (also zuchini, mushrooms). Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15-20 minutes or till vegys soft. Add 4-5 cloves garlic, large bunch chopped basil, 2tbsp dried or fresh oregano (+/- rosemary or thyme). Cook for 30 seconds. Stir in one 28 oz whole tomatoes in tomato juice broken by hand, one 28oz can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato paste, 1 can tomato sauce, 2tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper. Simmer uncovered 15-20 min. Add vegetable broth as needed.
Sun Dried Tomato: substitute 1 c sundried tomato (not in oil, reconstituted with boiling water for 20 minutes). Chop finely. Replaces 16 oz of canned tomato.
CREAMY BACON
Cook 8 slices bacon (cut into 1/4 inch slices) medium until crispy. Halfway through, heat a large pot of water. Remove the bacon from the pan, saute 2 cloves garlic m.
Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup whole milk, 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a light boil.
Add 4 oz cubed cream cheese, stir until melted (about 5 minutes). Add 2 cups cherry tomatoes. Heat on medium-low, cover and let it bubble gently.
Add 3/4 pound uncooked spaghetti (12 ounces or 340 grams) to the boiling water and cook to al dente.
Once the cherry tomatoes have started to split, stir in 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and bacon. Drain the pasta and toss through the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and extra parmesan cheese, and serve.
ITALIAN PASTA CARBONARA (no cream)
Egg Mixture: (The silky creamy texture is achieved by using room temp eggs, mixing eggs completely and using pasta water). Whisk 4 room-temperature whole eggs until well combined. Add 2 cups fresh and finely grated Parmigiano or Pecorino cheese, whisk thoroughly, very thick.
Fry 1 lb (16 oz) pancetta/bacon sliced ¼ inch thick by ⅓ inch square medium heat – crispy. Save drippings.
Cook 1 lb (454 grams) of pasta of choice. Add to boiling salted water. Cook al dente. Reserve ¼-½ cup pasta water. Drain the pasta add it back to the pan with dripping and add the reserved pasta water.
Off heat but in the pan, add the egg mixture a little at a time stirring to combine with each addition. The pan drippings, egg and cheese mixture, and hot pasta provide the heat to make the creamiest sauce. Add the bacon (reserve a little for topping) and stir to combine.
Finish with freshly grated cheese and black pepper (if desired). Eat hot!
PASTA WITH NUTS
1 qt. – peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup – tomato paste
1/2 cup – toasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup – walnuts
1/4 cup – capers
1/2 cup of Spanish olives
4 Fillets – anchovies
fresh pepper
EV olive oil
Put peeled tomatoes and tomato paste into a large bowl. Crush the tomatoes with an immersion blender and pour everything into a pan. Cook the tomatoes for about 30 mins. at low flame.
Chop the hazelnuts and walnuts coarsely. Saute in olive oil.
Add the capers, olives and anchovies and continue cooking for an additional 10 mins. Add the sauteed nuts to the tomato sauce and cook together for another 5 mins. Pour the sauce over spaghetti or any other pasta of your choice and enjoy.
PASTA WITH LEMON SAUCE
1 lb spaghetti
1 cup basil leaves packed
zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 cups Parmigiano cheese (you can also use all or half Pecorino)
4 tbsp EV olive oil plus extra for drizzling
Drop the pasta in salted boiling water.
Chop the basil finely and mix basil with the zest, EV olive oil, lemon juice and cheese and make a paste.
Once the pasta is al dente toss with the dressing and serve immediately with an extra sprinkle of cheese on top and a drizzle of EV olive oil.
SPAGHETTI WITH GARLIC AND PEPPERS (Spaghetti Aglio Olio and Peperoncino)
Spaghetti “ajo e oio e peperoncino” in roman slang, in correct Italian “aglio, olio e peperoncino” spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and red chili pepper is the quickest and easiest. Often it is prepared in Italy in the summer evenings at midnight to celebrate with friends since this recipe is very simple and fast. The recipe is very spicy and hot. It is not considered a real recipe in italy, but an easy way to prepare pasta especially when camping outside the home as it requires very few ingredients. In restaurants in Italy it is hard to find because nobody would pay for a dish so simple but I assure you, if well prepared, it is spaghetti 500 Gr (about 1 Lb)
1 head of garlic, red chili pepper (very hot), 1/2 cup EV olive oil
Boil 4 quarts of salted water and cook pasta al dente.
Saute in EV olive oil the garlic cloves peeled but whole, and crushed red pepper until garlic light golden.
When the pasta is ready pour it into the hot oil pan and toss for 1-2 minutes. Serve hot.
ORECCHIETTE with BRACIOLE
Orecchiette (Italian pronunciation: [orekˈkjɛtte]; from Italian orecchia, meaning “ear”, and -etta, meaning “small”) is a variety of home-made pasta typical of Apulia, a region of southern Italy. Its name comes from its shape, which resembles a small ear. In the vernacular of Taranto it is called recchietedd, or chiancaredd. A slightly flatter version is calledcencioni, while in the vernacular of Bari strascinate are more similar to cavatelli.
1 lb orecchiette – homemade, preferably
For the Braciole:
• 8 Slices of beef cut for Braciole
• wedges of pecorino cheese
• chopped Garlic
• chopped parsley
• hot pepper flakes
• wood toothpicks
For the Sauce:
• 2 – 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes, pureed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup carrot, chopped
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup EV olive oil
• salt
• grated Pecorino cheese
Assemble the Braciole: Take each slice of beef and position at the centre some wedges of pecorino cheese, chopped garlic, chopped parsley and hot pepper flakes, as desired. Roll the meat into a braciola and seal it with wood toothpicks. Assemble all and set aside.
Make the Sauce:
Sauce: In a large pot, saute onion and carrot in EV olive oil for a few minutes. Add the braciole and let them brown on all sides.
Add the red wine and let it evaporate. Add the pureed tomatoes, stir well and adjust for salt, as desired. Add the bay leaves, cover the pot and simmer for one hour. Stir occasionally.
Cook the orecchiette pasta Al Dente in salted water, drain and mix into the sauce. Toss in the sauce for a few seconds, garnish with grated pecorino cheese and serve.