Pasta

[Birddog]

I know this will be blasphemy to many, but there is a "store bought" sauce that is pretty darned good. It is called Classico, and it comes in many flavors. I prefer the Tomato Basil, but some of the others aren't too bad. There is no sugar or corn syrup in the product and to my knowledge it is the only one of it's kind. Try it sometime when you're in a pinch for time, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Of course you can doctor it up if you like too.

Birddog

[shinomaster]

Classico is pretty good. You are correct Birdog.

if you want to cook something better and very easily try this.

In a large sauce pan saute two or three chopped garlic cloves, and a pinch of hot pepper flakes, in a fair amount of olive oil,( 3-4 tablespoons) then add to that a big can or chopped plum tomatoes, plus some salt. Don't burn the garlic or pepper! Cook for short while, or as long as you want. It can easily be done in 20 minutes.
Then cook your pasta till it's aldente and strain the macarone and add it too the sauce along with some chopped fresh basil leaves. cover and simmer till the pasta is perfect.

Only four ingredients, and less expensive that a jar of sauce and with much better flavor. And it's vegan, till you add all the fromaggio.

[Russell]

In the winter I use good canned tomatoes, but during the summer I get them from farmers' markets. Simple sauce with basil is my fav. When I have the time and more people to eat it, I make fresh pappardelle with a duck ragu. Takes all day but well worth it. Not exactly a pre-race/ride meal though. My wife is Italian but I make a better sauce than her, as she readily admits. Though she made a curry/shrimp sauce with pasta the other day that was fantastico!

[BarryG]

To those who cook solely with fresh tomatoes - I've tried this and the sauce gets incredibly watery and requires long time to cook down. Is that what you guys do or do you prepare the tomatoes first to lower the water content?

Barry

[djg]

sauce from a jar" or "edible"?

It's a mystery why there isn't better sauce in a jar, given that (a) you can make perfectly good sauce with canned tomatoes, and (b) there is just a ton of competition in the market. Emeril? Good restaurants--entirely unexceptional sauce in a jar (you can do better in 15 minutes). Classico? Edible. Newman's? Edible.

Lots of options for sauce but my most common is simple as ... sauce. Saute chopped onion, carrott, and celery in olive oil for a couple of minutes or so. Add decent fresh or good canned tomatoes (the domestic "san marzano" ones are pretty good I think). Cook. Add salt. Add drained pasta, which you've avoided over-cooking. Done.

Options: you can add some garlic to the saute before you add the tomatoes; and/or you can add some basil at the end.

[Too Tall]

My larder is always stocked with basic dry goods incl. a few jars of Classico or the Whole Foods house brand Marinara. Other "stuff" I am never without incl.: fresh garlic, onions, dry pasta, sardines, tuna....it's all part of being able to whip up din din on short notice and without alot of fuss or shopping.

Dang, I pretty much always use canned tomatos for sauce.

Anybody use a cast iron skillet to saute their leftover pasta? Mmmmmmm. A little olive oil, salt n' pepper a few capers. Dang!

So? It appears we as a whole can cook. No surprises here.

[Russell]

Originally Posted by BarryG

To those who cook solely with fresh tomatoes - I've tried this and the sauce gets incredibly watery and requires long time to cook down. Is that what you guys do or do you prepare the tomatoes first to lower the water content?

Barry

A good sauce takes time. You can strain the tomatoes if need be or add tomato paste. Also, if the sauce gets too dry add alittle pasta water, the starch will keep it from getting watery.

[jeffg]

from the quick Arrabiata (spicy tomato with pancetta) or Puttanesca (don't ask where the name comes from ) to long nursed ragus (a mix of beef and pork works best, I find), Pasta is a wonderful thing. I do not often make my own pasta, though I am trying to master the rolling pin method (no pasta machine) for making ultra light stuffed pasta shapes.

Too Tall --

I bet you would enjoy a Sardinian sauce with fresh sardines, wild fennel, golden raisins and saffron served over bucatini (thick hollowed out spaghetti). I'll try and locate the recipe.

As for fresh tomatoes -- When you can get good ones, then a little salt to draw out the juices and not stacking them too much helps a bit. Remeber, all tomato sauces work by evaporation, so spreading out the surface area will work wonders. I do not find it takes much longer to use fresh versus canned for any of my sauces.

[shinomaster]

use plum tomatoes with the seeds squeezed out. They have more meat and less water than other types.

[weisan]

Let me know when you guys are done. I am going to print this whole thread out and create a pasta recipe book authored by Serotta forum members. I am serious!

[slowgoing]

Tomato sauce is great, but still the best dish I ever had was flat egg noodles in olive oil with browned garlic slices and spinach, topped off with loads of romano. Simple, cheap and delicious.

[William]

Here is one of my favorites which is a little twist on a pasta dish that has a good bite to it.

Sammi Yaki:

Combine & Marinate:
Lean steak or shrimp (chicken will work too) cut into thin strips.
Chopped Scallion
Chopped fresh garlic (however much you like)
Fresh Red Pepper (cut into match sized strips)
1/2 cup Soy Sauce (I prefer low sodium)
1/4 cup cooking sherry (red)
Let stand for at least an hour

In a seperate cup combine (pepper sauce):
2 tbls cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper

1 or 2 cucumber, peel and cut in half. Then cut into finger thick sections (little thiner ok).

1 or 2 tomatoes (4 or 5 Roma's). cut into chunks.

Pasta:
Regular or whole wheat thin spaghetti.
You can also sustitute Soba, or Buckwheat Soba noodles for regular pasta.

Cooking:
Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a wok and heat up.
Drain the excess liquid and then pour the meat mixture into the wok and stir fry until done.

Cook the pasta until done. Drain and put back into the pot.
Mix the pepper sauce into the pasta and mix thoroughly.
Then mix in the cooked meat mixture.
Then lastly, mix in the cucumber and tomatos.

Sounds a bit different, but it's OH SO GOOD!

William

its called GRAVY not sauce, sauce is something the french cooked up

[H.Frank Beshear]

Take about 2 pounds tomatoes peel, seed, chop coarse. A good handful of your favorite herbs chopped with garlic to taste (I like to make my Dad and Brother back up in the morning ) Toss in a large bowl with salt and pepper. Add 8 ounces fresh mozzerella, or the semi dried in a twist kind ( my favorite). Heat 1/2 cup good olive oil in a small pan until smoking and pour over the tomatoes Toss. Cook pasta, noodles of what you have, drain add to tomatoes toss to blend cover with plate or bowl for 2 minutes. Serve with plenty of garlic toast to soak up the the sauce, and your pick of cheap red. By the way a new sharp vegetable peeler will peel tomatoes very well. Enjoy Frank

[djg]

from a couple of years back, where some of the crew go to Italy to do a little business. Their colleagues take them to a restaurant serving pasta made with squid ink and Paulie tries to order "gravy."