Pasta sauces cover the gamut of flavor and texture, from a fruity olive oil seasoned with minced garlic and parsley to an orchestration of tomatoes, sausage, and broccoli. A sauce can be as light as a basil-flavored vinaigrette or as rich as a pool of Gorgonzola laced cream.
In Italy, tradition dictates which sauce matches which shapes of pasta, and Italians have firm opinions (with regional variations, naturally) about the “correct” ingredients for a particular dish. They firmly believe that a sauce should just coat the strands of pasta, adding flavor but never upstaging the taste and texture of the pasta.
What do I think? I believe that you should experiment to discover what suits your palate and that you should always cook as you please. The pasta sauces included here are easy to prepare, delicious to eat, and so versatile that you can substitute ingredients to suit your mood, the occasion, your family’s preferences, or whatever you happen to have available in your pantry.
The one issue that turns me into a fanatic, however, is the amount of sauce. I am as passionate as any Italian cook on this matter. I strongly urge you to just gently dress the pasta with sauce—don’t drown it. I detest the way many restaurants serve so much sauce that the pasta itself becomes irrelevant.
Except in the most general sense, I don’t believe it is important to pair particular pasta sauces to specific pasta shapes, as they do in Italy. Some sauces do work better with certain shapes, but if you don’t have the pasta that’s indicated for the sauce you feel like cooking, go ahead and match the sauce with any pasta you have on hand.
If, however, you haven’t yet decided on a sauce, you might let the shape of the pasta inspire you. For example, if there’s only fettuccine on the shelf, then plan a sauce that will match it well, one that is smooth enough so that the sauce can be swooped up into the pasta as it is twirled around the fork.
Conversely, if you’ve decided on a certain sauce, then try to match it with the most appropriate pasta. If you’re planning to use that fresh broccoli you picked up at the market, select a short fat pasta, such as penne, to mix with the chunky sauce.
Sauces comprised mostly of broth, melted butter, or olive oil pair best with skinny noodles like capellini, rice vermicelli, or fine egg noodles because their narrow surfaces don’t require a sauce with much body or volume.
Simple sauces such as plain tomato that have a smooth, silky texture are best matched with pasta shapes that are thick enough to absorb the moisture and flavor of the sauce: hollow long noodles such as perciatelli, medium-thick strands such as spaghetti, and medium-thick ribbon pasta such as linguine.
Thick-bodied rich sauces, such as a white sauce or one made with cream or melted cheese, call for wide or medium-size ribbon noodles such as fettuccine or tagliatelle, or flat shapes such as bow-ties or orecchiette, which have a broader surface to which the sauce can easily cling.
Short hollow pasta, including elbows, penne, and ziti, or twisted shapes like fusilli, are the choice with such sauces as salsas made with minced raw vegetables because the hollows and the crevices trap the sauce.
Sauces that contain chunks of meat, fish, beans, or vegetables go best with pastas that can hold the ingredients and match their size: rotini, wagon wheels, ziti, and radiatore are examples.
PASTA: Thin strands or ribbons, made of semolina or whole-wheat
MAKES: About 3 cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 20 minutes
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This is my version of the classic Italian tomato sauce called arrabbiata. It is so fiery hot, it really tastes “enraged,” as its name suggests. I have adapted the recipe from a more authentic version, one given to me by my friend Emilio Rossi of Rome.
The tongue-tingling sauce has all sorts of possible variations. Not only is it grand served plain over spaghetti, it is superb as a basic sauce to beef up with a slew of other ingredients. Cheeses that happily accommodate this sauce are Asiago, Romano, aged Provolone, and Parmesan.
4 cloves garlic
1 green bell pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Salt
1. Peel and finely mince the garlic. Core, seed, and finely chop the bell pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and bell pepper and sauté for a minute, just to start them cooking. Add the crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes.
3. Cover the skillet, lower the heat, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt.
• To make the sauce even more nutritious, purée 2 cups freshly cooked chick-peas, or 1 can (16 ounces, drained and rinsed), in a blender or food processor. Add them during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• 2 cups diced cooked turkey will turn this into a substantial meal.
• 1 or 2 cups flaked cooked bluefish or mackerel also works with this strongly seasoned sauce.
• I like to include 1 to 2 cups diced cooked vegetables, such as carrots or cauliflower, in this sauce.
• Add 1 cup sliced or chopped pitted green olives without the pimiento.
PASTA: Long and short shapes made of semolina or whole-wheat
MAKES: 2 cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 20 minutes
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When I say “spaghetti sauce” I mean a chunky tomato sauce, one that is thick with bits of ground meat or vegetables. Delicious on its own, this recipe is also a blueprint that you can alter in countless ways, varying the flavor according to the season, your mood, or whatever is in your pantry. The recipe is also a model for learning how to add flavor to store-bought spaghetti sauce.
What type of pasta do you serve with this? That depends on how finely you cut up the vegetables. If they are minced, the sauce is smooth enough to be served over strand or ribbon pasta. If you keep the vegetables chunky, then the sauce is better with stuffed or short-shaped pasta. Cheeses that go well with this sauce are Parmesan, Pecorino, Asiago, and fresh ricotta.
This sauce is so substantial that the rest of your dinner can be as simple as a salad or a steamed vegetable and a fruit dessert.
In addition to pasta, think of serving this sauce over polenta, cracked wheat, or brown rice.
1 onion
1 red or green bell pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ to ¾ pound lean ground beef
2 cups Michele’s Tomato Sauce (page 245) or a smooth meatless commercial spaghetti sauce
¼ teaspoon dried oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, or marjoram
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Peel and finely chop the onion. Core, seed, and finely chop the bell pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and bell peppers, and sauté just long enough to coat the vegetables with the oil. Then cover and simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Watch them carefully; if they begin to stick to the pan, stir in a tablespoon of water and continue to simmer.
3. Uncover the skillet, crumble the ground beef into the vegetables, and sauté, stirring constantly, until the meat is no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato or spaghetti sauce and the herbs. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is hot and the meat is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce: Omit the meat in step 3. Add the tomato or spaghetti sauce, then add 2 cups cooked drained lentils, chopped beans, or leftover cooked vegetables, or a combination. Simmer until hot, 3 or 4 minutes.
Seafood Spaghetti Sauce: The type of seafoods that work well with a tomato-based chunky sauce are the robustly flavored ones such as monkfish, mackerel, tuna, swordfish, shrimp, crabmeat, and squid. You’ll need ¾ pound fresh seafood (flesh only). You could also use canned tuna or salmon.
If you are using fresh fish, cut it into small cubes in step 1. Add the fish in step 3 after you add the tomato sauce. Simmer just until cooked through, about 2 minutes. I happen to like this spaghetti sauce seasoned with some dried red pepper flakes instead of dried herbs.
Spiced Spaghetti Sauce: Use ground lamb instead of the beef. Add 2 minced garlic cloves when you sauté the onions and peppers. And instead of using dried herbs, season the sauce with 1 teaspoon ground cumin, chili powder, dried mint, ground coriander, or some combination thereof. Finish the sauce with 2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt, stirred in at the last moment.
ESPECIALLY GOOD FOR CHILDREN
A VEGETABLE CAMOUFLAGE: In a food processor or blender, process ½ cup cooked fresh carrots or thawed frozen carrots with ½ cup spaghetti sauce until smooth. Cook ¼ pound ground beef in 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil until no longer pink. Add the tomato-carrot mixture and cook for a few minutes, until hot. If the color betrays the presence of the carrots, camouflage it with more spaghetti sauce or with tomato paste. This should be enough for 2 children’s pasta portions.
PASTA: Medium-size strands and ribbons
MAKES: About 6 cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 20 minutes
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The inspiration for this sauce is the all-purpose marinara sauce. I had a devil of a time finding any such recipe in an Italian cookbook, so I looked at the ingredients list of commercially prepared marinara sauces. They described nothing more complex than a tomato sauce laced with garlic and, sometimes, anchovies.
What I really had in mind was a delicious seafood sauce, redolent of garlic and tomatoes and the inimitable taste of the sea. Thus my Mariner’s Sauce was born, packed with garlic, shrimp, anchovies, and hot pepper.
Create your own versions by using some of the suggestions below. And don’t limit yourself to serving this over pasta. It is superb ladled over steamed cauliflower or spooned over crusty sourdough bread.
4 cloves garlic
1 rib celery
1 medium-size carrot, peeled
8 ounces fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 can (2 ounces) flat anchovies, drained
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 can (14½ to 15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Salt
1. Peel and mince the garlic. Finely chop the celery and carrot. Finely chop the shrimp and anchovies.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, celery, and carrots, and sauté over medium-high heat, stirring continuously, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the anchovies and shrimp, and sauté for just a few seconds, until the shrimp turn pink. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cover, lower the heat, and cook until the flavors have come together, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
• Seafood: Substitute ½ pound sea scallops, trimmed of their tough appendages and finely diced, for the shrimp. Diced fresh tuna or lump crabmeat would also be delicious.
• Herbs: Add ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley or dill at the end of the cooking time; these herbs are terrific with seafood.
• An even shorter cut: Turn this into a pantry sauce (almost). Substitute 1 teaspoon garlic paste for the fresh garlic, 1 tablespoon anchovy paste for the minced anchovies, and 2 cans (4 ounces each) sardines, drained, for the fresh seafood.
MAKES: 4 cups, enough for about 2 pounds of pasta
TIME: 15 minutes
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A white sauce is nothing more complex than milk thickened with a cooked butter-and-flour paste. Although not very fashionable these days, white sauce should become a staple in your freezer because it is so handy and versatile. It blends with an infinite number of other ingredients and is a quick and easy way to turn pasta into a complete dinner.
Once the sauce is made and frozen, you simply heat it up, add other ingredients and seasonings, spoon it over the pasta, and dinner is done.
I like to make a sizable batch of this (it’s as speedy to make 4 cups of white sauce as it is to make 1 cup) when I have time on a Sunday night. I use part of it to create an old-fashioned macaroni and cheese dish for the evening meal, and I divide the remainder into portions and freeze them for another day. The sauce keeps in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days and freezes for up to 2 months.
Be sure to make the sauce in a nonreactive saucepan so that it does not turn gray, and stir it with a whisk so that there are no lumps.
3 tablespoons butter, or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole or low-fat milk
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1. Melt the butter in a large nonreactive saucepan over medium heat until it foams.
2. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, making sure the whisk reaches all around the bottom of the saucepan so that you gather up all bits of flour into the butter.
3. Slowly add the milk, by tablespoonfuls at first, whisking constantly and vigorously to make sure the flour paste absorbs the milk without creating lumps. When ½ to ¾ cup of milk has been stirred in and you have a smooth mass, you may add the milk at a faster rate, but continue to whisk constantly.
4. When all the milk has been incorporated, increase the heat to high and bring the milk to a boil. Whisk constantly, although not frantically. You want to make sure that the milk does not scorch and that the flour does not sink to the bottom. As the milk reaches the boil, the mass will become harder to whisk. Reduce the heat to low and continue to whisk until the sauce bubbles gently. (This procedure takes about 5 minutes.)
5. Simmer the sauce over low heat until it is thoroughly cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Remove the amount you need for the dish you are preparing, and let the rest cool, covered, to room temperature. (Don’t worry about the skin that forms on top as the sauce is cooling; just skim it off or stir it back into the sauce.) Transfer the cooled sauce to containers and freeze until needed.
Ivory Sauce for Poultry: For pasta dishes that include poultry, substitute 4 cups chicken broth for the milk. Season as you like. Note that this sauce is thinner than a milk-based one.
Ivory Sauce for Fish: For pasta dishes with seafood, substitute 4 cups fish stock, or 2 cups clam juice mixed with 2 cups chicken broth, for the milk. Season as you like. This sauce also is thinner than a milk-based one.
PASTA: Thin strands or ribbons, made of semolina or egg dough
MAKES: About ¾ cup, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 20 minutes
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This recipe is so simple, and you can combine it with so many other ingredients and seasonings, that you’ll never be at a loss as to how to dress up a bowl of spaghetti. And because it is made from ingredients that are available in all seasons, you can serve it any time of the year. My favorite side dish—always—is a salad served afterward.
It is important to add the fresh parsley to the hot oil just before tossing the sauce with the pasta so that its vibrant flavor is retained.
If you prefer a milder garlic taste, don’t mince the garlic before adding it to the oil. Instead, heat the whole cloves of garlic in the oil, then remove them before serving.
Cheeses that go well with this plain sauce are the hard grating cheeses and such crumbly cheeses as blue cheese and feta. Shreds of smoked cheeses work well, too.
½ cup (packed) fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Rinse, pat dry, and mince the parsley. Peel and mince the garlic.
2. About 5 minutes before the pasta is done, heat the oil with the garlic in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. When you hear it sizzling, after about 2 minutes, add the parsley and remove the pan from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• The herbs: For the parsley substitute fresh basil, dill, mint, or even cilantro leaves (especially good if you heat the garlic in a combination of sesame and vegetable oil). Sage and rosemary are also delicious with oil and garlic. I use 2 tablespoons minced fresh leaves for this amount of olive oil.
• Seasoning additions: Heat the oil and garlic with 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons anchovy paste, or 2 tablespoons chopped capers, to the oil and garlic just before you add the parsley.
Add ½ cup seeded chopped fresh tomatoes, ¼ cup lemon juice, or 2 tablespoons black olive paste just before you add the parsley.
After heating the oil and garlic, add either 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice or ⅓ cup white wine. Simmer for 30 seconds before adding the parsley.
• Low-fat alternative: Substitute ½ cup chicken broth for V* cup of the oil; then proceed with the recipe. (You need extra broth in order to get enough moisture into the dish.)
PASTA: Thin strands or ribbons or stuffed pasta
MAKES: About ½ cup, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 5 minutes
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The volume of a butter sauce is scant because it is designed to lightly coat the pasta, not blanket it.
A butter sauce isn’t sturdy enough to carry hefty ingredients such as bits of meat, fish, or beans. You can, however, toss in some diced steamed vegetables.
Serve this sauce with pasta to accompany meat or poultry. If you cannot eat butter or cream, the sauce still works if you substitute vegetable oil for the butter and evaporated skim milk for the heavy cream.
3 tablespoons light or heavy cream
2 teaspoons dried thyme, rosemary or tarragon
3 tablespoons butter, preferably at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. In a small mixing bowl, mash the mustard, cream, and herbs together with a wooden spoon. Then stir in the butter (if the butter is chilled, cut it into small bits first).
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss with freshly cooked hot pasta.
Horseradish Butter: Blend together 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons cream, 1½ tablespoons prepared horseradish, and ¼ cup minced parsley leaves. In addition to being an unusual pasta sauce, this is especially good with steamed vegetables.
Tomato Butter: Blend together 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons butter, and 1½ tablespoons regular tomato paste or sun-dried tomato paste. Add 1 cup finely sliced scallions or ½ cup minced chives. This is especially good with seafood.
Hoisin Butter: Blend 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, ½ cup thinly sliced scallions, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
PASTA: Thin strands or ribbons
MAKES: About 2½ cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 10 minutes
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It is a snap to make fresh pesto in a blender or food processor, so when basil is abundant, make a large batch of this sauce and freeze it in portions to use at a later date (see the instructions below if you are going to freeze it). Pine nuts are delicious but expensive. Less pricy walnuts make a satisfactory substitute.
As you can see by the variations that follow, there are many types of delicious pestos. Don’t limit yourself to matching pesto with pasta; pesto is a wonderful partner to many other types of dishes, such as steamed rice. Or add a small amount to mayonnaise and use it to garnish a chicken or turkey sandwich.
When you are making batches of pesto to freeze, omit the Parmesan and the pine nuts. Add the cheese and the chopped nuts after the pesto has thawed, right before you use it in the dish.
2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup or more, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or ¼ cup pregrated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup pine nuts (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Rinse the basil well and pat dry. Place the leaves in a food processor or blender.
2. Peel and coarsely chop the garlic. Add it to the processor and process with the basil until smooth. While the processor is running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Then add the Parmesan and pine nuts. Process just until all of the ingredients are combined and the nuts are chopped, about 15 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more cheese if you wish. The sauce is now ready to use.
Pesto for Dieters: To get a creamy effect without the fat from the oil and nuts, blend the basil and garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, and 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese. For a terrific dish, toss some chopped seeded tomatoes or cucumbers with the pasta and pesto.
Parsley-Mint Pesto: Substitute 1 cup parsley leaves and 1 cup mint leaves for the 2 cups fresh basil. Substitute walnuts for the pine nuts and Asiago cheese for the Parmesan.
Pimiento Pesto: Substitute 4 ounces drained pimientos for the basil and chévre for the Parmesan.
PASTA: Ribbons
MAKES: About 1½ cups, enough for ¾ pound of pasta
TIME: 10 minutes
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Salsa is the word for “sauce” in Spanish. In this country, however, salsa usually refers to the tomato-packed, spicy condiment served as a dip for corn chips. To me, salsa has come to mean any sort of fiery sauce made with chopped raw vegetables. It might include canned green chiles, or fresh jalapeños, and herbs or chopped fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and cumin. Whatever the mixture, salsa is a terrific sauce and very flattering to pasta.
These uncooked sauces are ideal for summertime, when you have little energy for doing anything beyond boiling water for pasta. The only effort needed is to combine the ingredients in a food processor or blender—and then the machine does the work! Salsas make ideal sauces for people on low-fat diets because they bring lots of fat-free flavor to a recipe.
To turn a bowl of pasta and salsa into a slightly more substantial dinner, add cubes of roast beef, smoked turkey, ham, canned tuna, diced tofu, or steamed vegetables.
1 large ripe tomato
2 or 3 scallions (green onions)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 clove garlic
1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, fresh or pickled, seeded if fresh
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt
1. Cut the tomato in half, and remove the core and seeds. Chop the flesh coarsely and put it in a food processor or blender. Trim the scallions, cut them into pieces, and add to the processor. Rinse the cilantro leaves, pat dry, and add them to the processor along with all the remaining ingredients except the salt.
2. Process until almost smooth, about 5 seconds; leave some texture to the sauce. Season to taste with salt. Covered, this will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Pimiento Salsa: In a blender or food processor, combine 1 jar (6 to 7 ounces) pimientos or roasted red peppers, drained, 1 seeded fresh jalapeño pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, and ½ cup fresh parsley leaves. Process until smooth, and season to taste with salt.
Green Salsa: In a blender or food processor, combine 1½ cups (packed) fresh mint, parsley, or cilantro leaves (or a mixture), 2 trimmed scallions, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 cans (4 ounces each) green chiles, drained, and 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes. Process until smooth, and season to taste with salt.
Pantry Salsa: In a blender or food processor, combine ¼ cup olive oil, 1 medium-size dill pickle, 2 tablespoons black olive paste, 2 tablespoons capers, 1 fresh or pickled cherry or jalapeño pepper, 1 can (2 ounces) anchovies, drained, and 1 can (8 ounces) stewed (drained) or crushed tomatoes. Process until almost smooth, and season to taste with salt.
Gazpacho Salsa: In a blender or food processor, combine 2 seeded tomatoes, 1 cored green or red bell pepper, 2 seeded Kirby or 1 medium-size cucumber, 1 clove garlic, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Process until almost smooth, and adjust the seasoning. (This salsa is especially delicious over pasta that has been tossed with ½ pound diced water-packed mozzarella cheese.)
PASTA: Medium-size fancy shapes
MAKES: About 2½ to 3 cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 15 minutes
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When puréed, corn kernels make a lovely creamy foundation for a totally nonfat salsa. The taste here is unexpectedly rich, given the lean ingredients.
Diced smoked chicken or ham as well as a diced red bell pepper or two make tasty additions to this sauce.
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed, or 2 cups fresh kernels, cooked
1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 jalapeño peppers, fresh or pickled
4 scallions (green onions)
Salt
1. Pat dry the corn kernels and place them in a food processor or blender. Rinse the cilantro or parsley, pat dry, and add it to the processor along with the vinegar. Seed the jalapeño peppers if you are using fresh ones, and add the peppers to the processor.
2. Process the mixture until it is almost smooth, which will take just a few seconds, and then transfer it to a small mixing bowl. Trim the scallions, slice them thinly, and add them to the salsa. Season to taste with salt. This will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 2 days.
PASTA: Thin strands or ribbons
MAKES: About 1½ cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 15 minutes
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I love this in early summer when I want to eat something light that takes minimal preparation. This bracing, speedy sauce is best served cheeseless over pasta.
2 cloves garlic
2 cans (2 ounces each) flat anchovies, drained
2 tablespoons capers, drained 1 red bell pepper
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice or dry white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Peel and mince the garlic. Finely chop the anchovies and, if they are large, the capers, too. Core, seed, and cut the bell pepper into ½-inch dice.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, and capers, and stir until blended. Add the diced peppers and lemon juice. Cover, and simmer over low heat until the peppers are tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with fresh pepper.
Add ½ cup crushed red tomatoes to the sauce, or stir in ¼ cup minced fresh parsley.
PASTA: Thin strands or ribbons
MAKES: About 2½ cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 10 minutes
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This is a smart way to get vegetables into your family’s diet. The trick to keeping the hue of the sauce gorgeously bright is to purée the vegetables, along with the seasonings, only moments before tossing them with the pasta.
Serve this as a main course with smoked ham or turkey sandwiches to round out the meal.
1 package (10 ounces) frozen petite peas, thawed or 2 cups steamed diced fresh vegetables, such as carrots
½ cup (packed) fresh basil or parsley leaves
4 scallions (green onions)
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup plain nonfat yogurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pat dry the peas or cooked vegetables and place them in a blender or food processor. Rinse and pat dry the fresh herbs, and add them to the processor. Trim 3 inches off the tops of the scallions, then chop the rest coarsely and add them to the processor. Add the oil and yogurt, and process for a few moments until as smooth as possible. Season the purée to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer it to a bowl. Toss immediately with hot pasta.
Just about any vegetable is appropriate for this recipe, but broccoli, carrots, and lima beans, are especially good. (For 1 pound of pasta, use a head of broccoli or about ¾ pound of carrots or 2 cups (10 ounces) limas.) The vegetables should be cooked thoroughly but not overcooked—just tender enough to be whirled into a smooth purée.
PASTA: Thin strands or ribbons, made of whole-wheat, rice, or buckwheat
MAKES: 1½ cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 15 minutes
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This has lots of flavor, few calories, no fat, and is a breeze to prepare. A bowl of pasta tossed with this sauce will be as tasty and filling as any cream-laced recipe.
1 cup chicken, fish, or beef broth
½ cup (packed) fresh herb leaves, such as parsley, basil, or mint
4 scallions (green onions)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat.
2. Rinse, pat dry, and mince the herbs. Trim 3 inches off the tops of the scallions, and thinly slice the remainder.
3. Add the herbs and scallions to the broth and simmer for 30 seconds, just long enough to release their flavor. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss immediately with hot pasta.
Lemon Herbed Sauce: In step 2, grate the zest of a lemon and juice it. In step 3, add the zest and lemon juice to the broth.
PASTA: Ribbons or stuffed shapes, made of semolina or whole-wheat
MAKES: 2 to 2½ cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 10 minutes preparation plus 40 minutes no-work cooking time
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Onions cooked long and gently until they melt into a tangle of soft, sweet-tasting strands make a thrifty yet lush sauce. Cooking the onions does take time—but not much effort, so you can go about your chores while the onions cook and the pasta water boils.
Take a look at the variations below for some of the wonderful sauces that can be created from a couple of onions.
1½ pounds (4 large) onions
⅓ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ cup dried currants
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Peel the onions and slice them as thinly as you can, either by hand or with the slicing disc of a food processor.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, toss with a slotted spoon, and cook over medium heat until they are well coated with the oil, about 1 minute. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat, and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Stir 1 tablespoon of the vinegar into the onions, cover, and simmer for another 10 minutes over low heat. Add a second tablespoon of vinegar, stir, cover, and continue cooking gently for another 10 minutes. Then add the last tablespoon of vinegar. The onions should be tender and a soft golden hue.
4. Uncover the skillet and cook the onions over high heat, stirring constantly, until the vinegar has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the spices and currants, and simmer for a couple of minutes longer to cook the spices a bit. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 2 days.
• Crumble leftover cooked hamburger or meat loaf into the cooked sauce. Cover and simmer for a few minutes until the meat is heated through. Serve over penne.
• Sliced cooked sausages pair well with this onion sauce, as does leftover ham or roast pork. Melted onions without the spices and currants also make a terrific companion to cooked lima beans, spinach, sweet carrots, or parsnips.
• Omit the spices and currants and toss the cooked onions over pasta; top with 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, or crumbled chévre. Or toss the onions with ¼ cup minced parsley or basil, or with ¼ cup capers and 1 can (2 ounces) anchovies, minced.
PASTA: Stuffed pastas with cheese, porcini, or pesto filling
MAKES: About 2 cups, enough for 1 pound pasta
TIME: 20 minutes
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This sauce is especially good with stuffed pastas, which tend to be dry. Composed of lots of mushrooms sautéed in bacon drippings, the sauce is awash in natural juices, which moisten and season the pasta.
Serve steamed fresh broccoli or sautéed grated carrots alongside to fill out the meal.
4 slices bacon
2 cloves garlic
1 to 1¼ pounds mushrooms
¼ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1. Finely chop the bacon. Peel and mince the garlic. Wipe the mushrooms with damp paper towels. Trim the mushroom stems ¼-inch from the bottom; then cut the mushrooms into ¼-inch-thick slices.
2. Heat the bacon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until it releases some of its fat, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, white wine, and mushrooms. Stir to combine, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If necessary, keep the mushrooms warm, covered but off the heat, while you finish cooking the pasta. Pass the cheese, if you like, when you serve the pasta and sauce.
Creamy Mushroom Sauce: When the mushrooms have finished cooking, add ¼ cup evaporated skim milk and simmer to reduce it and thicken it a bit, about 1 minute.
Lusciously Decadent Mushroom Sauce: Substitute fresh wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, for half the cultivated mushrooms. When the mushrooms are cooked and tender, add ½ cup heavy cream. Simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
SECOND TIME AROUND
Any remaining stuffed pasta with mushroom sauce can be turned into soup. Heat 2 cups of chicken broth, adding 1 package frozen chopped spinach or petite peas, thawed, and 2 cups leftover pasta with mushroom sauce. Add grated Parmesan cheese to this soup, right before serving. Adjust proportions according to the leftovers you have.
PASTA: Thin ribbons, made of semolina or fresh egg dough
MAKES: About 1 cup, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 10 minutes
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This sauce should appeal to anyone who loves cold noodles with sesame sauce, a Chinese-restaurant favorite. My version is plainer and less spicy than most restaurant recipes and so appeals more readily to kids.
This is a good choice for a night when family members eat at different times because the sauce is delicious over room-temperature or chilled noodles.
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar, or 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ cup peanut butter, preferably made from peanuts only
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Peel and coarsely chop the garlic.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine the garlic, oils, vinegar, soy sauce, and peanut butter. Process until smooth, and then season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add thin shards of cold roasted chicken or shreds of cucumber to a dish of cold noodles dressed with Peanut Sauce.
ESPECIALLY GOOD FOR ADULTS
Add a teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes or snippets of a peppery leaf such as watercress or arugula.
PASTA: Stuffed pasta, with cheese or meat filling, or strands
MAKES: 4 cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 20 minutes
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This vibrant chunky sauce is as fantastic for enveloping stuffed pasta as it is for enrobing spaghetti or perciatelli. What distinguishes this version of puttanesca sauce from the classic Italian version is the generous addition of bell peppers.
Keep this sauce in mind, too, when you’re searching for a good companion to polenta.
2 cloves garlic
2 green bell peppers
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup imported black olives, preferably Kalamata
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Peel and mince the garlic. Core, seed, and finely chop the peppers. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and peppers, cover the skillet, lower the heat, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. While the peppers are cooking, pit the olives, mince them, and add to the peppers. Add the capers. Pour the tomatoes into a colander or sieve, and while they are draining, break them up with your fingers. Then chop the drained tomatoes and add them to the peppers. Cover, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
PASTA: Strands, ribbons, or medium-size flat or fancy shapes
MAKES: About 1½ cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 10 minutes
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This simple sauce is robust enough to carry the flavor of other ingredients and unusual enough to stand on its own. Although I call for it puréed, you can leave yours a bit chunky, if you prefer.
Served over pasta, the sauce works especially well before a beef, pork, or veal main course. If you add other ingredients to make it your main course, then precede or follow it with a watercress, cucumber, or cabbage salad.
Keep this sauce in mind when you have leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Served cold, it makes a great condiment. The flavor is a welcome and delightful change from the traditional Thanksgiving fare.
1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shelled walnuts
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a food processor or blender, combine the roasted peppers, walnuts, olive oil, and lemon juice; purée until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to a bowl. The sauce will keep, refrigerated, for 4 days.
• Leftover strips of roast beef, chicken, or turkey, as well as smoked turkey or fresh mozzarella cheese, are delicious additions to the sauce. Just be sure to remove the ingredients from the refrigerator the minute you begin to make dinner so that they are at room temperature when you mix them with the sauce—otherwise they might cool the pasta too much.
PASTA: Strands or ribbons, made of semolina, rice, mung bean, or whole-wheat
MAKES: About 1½ cups, enough for 1 pound pasta
TIME: 15 to 20 minutes
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This light sauce is composed of sautéed ginger and garlic mixed with broth and seasoned with Chinese-style spices. It is wonderful over plain spaghetti or over spaghetti topped with a smattering of slivered snow peas, steak strips, tofu, carrots, or bean sprouts, to name just a few companionable ingredients.
2 or 3 cloves garlic
4 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried orange peel
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder or anise seed
½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes Salt
1. Peel and finely mince both the garlic and ginger.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and sauté for a few seconds, until you get a whiff of the garlic aroma. Add the broth, rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange peel, spices, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes to meld the flavors, then season to taste with salt.
• Combine the sauce with a vegetable such as carrots, bean sprouts, snow peas, and white turnips. Thin strips of steak or lamb, or cubes of tofu make more substantial partners.
• If you want to pair this sauce with seafood, substitute fish stock or clam juice for the chicken broth.
PASTA: Strands and ribbons, or stuffed pasta
MAKES: About 1½ cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta
TIME: 20 minutes
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Served as is over spaghetti or cheese ravioli, this sauce is lovely, but it is splendid when asparagus or peas are added. (Choose a stuffed pasta or a small short shape such as tubetti when including the vegetables.)
Cheeses that harmonize well with the sun-dried tomatoes are creamy soft white cheeses like ricotta and fresh chévre. Grated Parmesan and Asiago are also good.
1 onion
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup Marsala or dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into thin shreds or chop them finely.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté for a minute just to start them cooking. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and the sun-dried tomatoes. Cover, and simmer until all the ingredients are tender and the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• When you add the sun-dried tomatoes, include 2 cups shelled fresh peas or 1 package (10 ounces) frozen petite peas, thawed.
• When you add the sun-dried tomatoes, include 2 cups steamed fresh asparagus tips or steamed fresh asparagus spears cut into 1-inch lengths.