...
"There is no love sincerer than the love of food." - George Bernard Shaw

(07-24-2010 2:08 AM)zeph Wrote:   Oh and any suggestions on a nice pasta recipe that is fairly simple and quick to make? And perhaps an idiots guide to making homemade sauce for spaghetti.

I was contemplating what recipes to start with and don'tcha know, lol. Well, it is the peak of tomato season and they're comin' outta my....garden... at an alarming rate...



Here are two simple basic sauces, Marinara Sauce and Tomato Sauce. You're a doctor, I think you can handle this, mi amico! While they may seem similar they're quite different in flavor. The longer cooking time and addition of vegetables makes tomato sauce sweeter, whereas the shorter cooking time of the marinara leaves more of the tomatoes natural acidity, hence a feeling of freshness.



Salsa Marinara

- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cored, peeled, and seeded, or one 35-ounce can peeled Italian plum tomatoes, seeded and lightly crushed, with their liquid
- salt
- peperoncino (crushed red pepper)
- 10 fresh basil leaves, washed, dried, and roughly torn.


In a medium size non-reactive saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Carefully add the tomatoes and their liquid, Bring to a boil and season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. breaking up the tomatoes with a whisk or spoon until as they cook, until the sauce is chunky and thick, about 20 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves if you wish. About 5 minutes before the sauce is finished, stir in the basil. Taste the sauce and add more salt or crushed red pepper if necessary. Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

If you're using fresh plum tomatoes, you can increase the extra virgin olive oil up to 1/2 cup for optimal results.


Salsa di Pomodoro

- 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cored, peeled, and seeded, or one 35 ounce can peeled Italian plum tomatoes, seeded and lightly crushed, with their liquid
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Small onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 4 fresh bay leaves or two dried bay leaves
- Salt
- crushed red pepper

Pass the tomatoes through a food mill fitted with the fine disc or crush them as fine as possible in a bowl with a wire whisk.

In a medium size nonreactive saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until wilted. Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper, and heat to a simmer. Simmer the sauce over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Check the seasoning and add more salt and crushed red pepper if necessary.



I grow a lot of tomatoes and have to admit, I don't stick to just plum tomatoes when making sauce. I use whatever is ripe and ready. Along with the plums I'll throw in regular reds, orange, yellow, and cherry tomatoes, so sometimes it's not exactly a classic red sauce. It's a lovely shade of orange! And because the other tomatoes are juicier than plum tomatoes, they exude more liquid. So, I skim off/remove some of the excess tomato liquid as they cook in the pan so the sauce reduces properly. You can discard that or do what I do and freeze it, then add it to flavor soup.

Aaaand...

...here's a nice easy dish using shrimp. You can serve it as is with crusty bread, or over pasta/soft polenta/rice.



Shrimp in Chunky Marinara Sauce

- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 2 1/2 pounds (about 30) shrimp
- Salt
- one 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), cored and coarsely crushed. You can use fresh tomatoes, if you prefer.
- 1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
- 8 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook, shaking the pan, until golden, about 1 minute, Add as many shrimp as fit in a single layer with some space in between each. If you crowd the shrimp, they'll steam in their own juices rather than get crunchy with a lightly browned exterior. (The world will not end if this happens. Life will go on and it will still be delicious. ) Cook, turning once, until lightly golden. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate, leaving as much garlic as possible in the pan. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the tomatoes into the skillet, season with salt and crushed red pepper, and bring to a vigorous boil. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and cook until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, basil, and parsley and cook until the shrimp are heated through, just a few seconds. Makes about 6 servings.

Something you might like to try for breakfast. Take a fry pan and pour a layer (about an inch) of marinara into the pan. Bring to a simmer and gently slide in the eggs. Cover with a lid and in a minute or so you should have nicely poached eggs! Serve with some Italian bread, or it's yummy over polenta. A little salad and you have a quick dinner.


This one is scary it's so simple good and you can make it in a flash! The ricotta salada is simply salted, drained, and dried ricotta cheese. It's not an overpowering cheese, but it has a lot of saltiness and gives body to a dish. It pairs really well with tomatoes and herbs.



Penne with Tomatoes and Herbed Ricotta Salada

- 1 1/2 cups (3/4 pound) ricotta salada, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil;
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 3/4 pound dried penne pasta

Crumble the ricotta salada into a bowl. Add the herbs. Mix together until the cheese is coated with the herbs. Reserve.

On a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, toss thoroughly, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.Add the penne and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes or according to directions on package. Drain, and place the pasta in a bowl. Immediately add the tomatoes and vinaigrette and the cheese/herb mixture, and toss together. Serve immediately.


An easy way to peel tomatoes? I do it the way my grandma did...plunge them into boiling water for about 20/30 seconds, remove them, and the skins will all but slip off!

There ya go, sweets, I hope that's helpful. Now go cook something yummy!


Bella

Holy crap Mamma! You're making me crave pasta! Yum... I'm gonna try the Salsa Marinara demain, it looks fairly simple to do without me having to clog the sink!

Bella, this all looks awesome. I will be trying the Penne with Tomatoes and Herbed Ricotta Salada. It looks unique and interesting. Thank you.

(08-22-2010 6:24 PM)Bella Wrote:  And because the other tomatoes are juicier than plum tomatoes, they exude more liquid. So, I skim off/remove some of the excess tomato liquid as they cook in the pan so the sauce reduces properly.

Hey Bella, you might consider just cutting the tomatoes in half and squeezing the excess juice out. Works for me.

Tomatos I love them.

OK Bella I need some advice or tips here.

In my garden this year I planted lots of tomatos. Yesterday it was raining and windy as hell and a big branch from the tree nearby came down and landed right by my plants breaking some of them. Ruined half of them but the tomatos, at least some of them survived being squashed. Except they fell off the vines and now I have a bag of green tomatos.

I dont want to throw them out. Any recipes you like for green tomatoes ? My grandmother pickled them but I never paid attention to how to do that.

Tisha

Hi everyone I am a newbie here. Hmm delicious, starving now.