Recipe: Simple Tomato Sauces

Photo by Kitchen Wench

Oh, boy, this post took a while to show up, didn't it? I apologize, life got in the way :-) But finally, as promised , here are my two favorite tomato sauces: one is a popular vegetarian pasta sauce, the other a classic ragù – and true to Italian form, the latter is my mom's recipe.


Sugo all Puttanesca
(Harlot's Sauce)
Serves 4-6

Puttanesca is traditionally an uncooked tomato sauce, but that calls for fresh tomatoes. Because that is too much work for most, I modified the recipe slightly so it can be made with canned tomatoes and still be full of flavor.

Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3-4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
- 8 large fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup black olives such as Gaeta, sliced
- 1 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
- salt and cayenne pepper flakes to taste
- 1 large (28 oz) can cubed plum tomatoes (I like Muir Glen)

Preparation:
1. In a sauce pan, warm the olive oil, then add the garlic and sauté briefly, just until golden. Add the cayenne flakes, stir, the immediately add the tomatoes. Lower the flame to the minimum, stir to combine, cover and let it cook for about 10 minutes. If you notice the sauce thickening too much, add a few tablespoons of water and lower the heat more.
2. Add the capers and black olives, cover again and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
3. Turn off the sauce and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the basil leaves into thin strips. Then open the pot and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and just a shake of cayenne pepper. Add the basil, stir, close the post and let it rest for another 5-10 minutes, to give the flavors the time to blend.
4. Open the pot, taste the sauce and add more salt or cayenne if you like. Keep in mind that when using cayenne flakes make the sauce develops and increases the longer the sauce is ready, so perhaps wait until it's time to serve it before you add more.

Notes:
- Don't chop the basil leaves too much in advance, because the oils that give flavor to the sauce will oxidize. When using fresh basil, it's important to chop/tear the leaves at the end of preparation, with the flame off, so the sauce absorb all the flavor of the delicious fresh basil :-)
- I know 1/4 of a teaspoon doesn't seem like a lot – however when using capers, the saltiness of a dish is a little unpredictable, even when they have been rinsed, so it's best to start with only a little salt and then take it from there.



Simple ragù
Serves 6

- 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 onion, minced
- 1 Tablespoon minced parsley
- 10-12 oz ground beef, preferable organic and/or grass-fed
- 1/4 cup red cooking wine (optional), I use an inexpensive Shiraz
- 2 MSG-free vegetable buillon (broth paste) cubes
- 1 large (28 oz) can cubed plum tomatoes, blended in a food processor
- 1 cup of water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut in half

Preparation:
1. In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil and sauté the onion and parsley briefly.
2. Add the ground beef and sauté, stirring and breaking up chunks as needed, until very little pink remains.
3. If using wine, add it now to allow the meat to absorb the flavor. Lower the heat a little.
4. When the wine has almost been absorbed/evaporated, add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the water, bay leaves, buillon cubes and carrot, stir and lower the heat to medium.
5. When the sauce starts bubbling, lower the heat to keep it at a gentle simmer. Stir, partially cover with a lid and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and it's nice and fragrant.
6. Turn off the heat and let the sauce sit for 10 minutes, then taste and add a little salt if needed.

Note:
- I prefer to make my sauce a tad on the bland side, because I always serve pasta with grated Parmesan, which is quite salty. If you are avoiding dairy and plan on serving your pasta without cheese or replacing it with nutritional yeast, you can add a little salt to the sauce. But be careful not to make it too salty, for that cannot be corrected.
- I hate to get bossy but this has to be said: Please don't serve any Italian dishes, particularly pasta dishes, with the "Parmesan" product that comes in shakers/canisters, often found in US pizza parlors – it's truly an abomination and it will spoil the flavor of the delicious sauce you have just made. Purchase freshly grated Parmesan or a small chunk of it and grate it yourself over each plate: that is the flavor you are looking for when cooking Italian dishes. I'm not even sure you'll like the dried "Parmesan" flakes after tasting the real thing, anyway ;-)