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What's the secret to delicious pasta sauce?
As with most recipes, the secret to good sauce is to start with good ingredients. Here are two recipes that start with good ingredients, and you end up with terrific sauces that are also healthy. The first is a tomato sauce. The second is a basil pesto.
Tomato Sauce
For the tomato sauce, start with fresh tomatoes. We used tomatoes on the vine (figure A). To make 5 cups of sauce, you'll need 4 pounds of tomatoes.
Boil some water and reduce to shiver, put a few tomatoes in at a time. Leave each tomato in the boiling water for about minute -- until their skins become easy peel off (figure B).
Seed them and chop them coarsely.
If you're making the sauce when tomatoes aren't in season, you might be better off using two cans of canned tomatoes. When buying canned tomatoes look for those that are peeled and seeded. The process for here on out is the same whether you're using the fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes.
In a large skillet heat a tablespoon of olive oil and saute 6 cloves of minced garlic.
Cook for about 3 minutes.
Add one small diced onion.
Add the tomatoes (figure C) and cook until soft -- for about an hour.(With the fresh ones, it may take a little longer.)
Remove from heat, salt and puree. For the sauce made with canned tomatoes, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. For the fresh tomatoes add one teaspoon of salt.
Tip: Adding the salt toward the end of the cooking process i results in a saltier flavor without having to add as much salt.
Serve over pasta (figure D). Sprinkle on a little fresh parmesan cheese if you like, and garnish with a sprig of fresh basil.
We used 2 ounces of pasta and about a cup of sauce per serving.
With parmesan added, this recipe has about 300 to 325 calories.
As with most recipes, the secret to good sauce is to start with good ingredients. Here are two recipes that start with good ingredients, and you end up with terrific sauces that are also healthy. The first is a tomato sauce. The second is a basil pesto.
Tomato Sauce
For the tomato sauce, start with fresh tomatoes. We used tomatoes on the vine (figure A). To make 5 cups of sauce, you'll need 4 pounds of tomatoes.
Boil some water and reduce to shiver, put a few tomatoes in at a time. Leave each tomato in the boiling water for about minute -- until their skins become easy peel off (figure B).
Seed them and chop them coarsely.
If you're making the sauce when tomatoes aren't in season, you might be better off using two cans of canned tomatoes. When buying canned tomatoes look for those that are peeled and seeded. The process for here on out is the same whether you're using the fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes.
In a large skillet heat a tablespoon of olive oil and saute 6 cloves of minced garlic.
Cook for about 3 minutes.
Add one small diced onion.
Add the tomatoes (figure C) and cook until soft -- for about an hour.(With the fresh ones, it may take a little longer.)
Remove from heat, salt and puree. For the sauce made with canned tomatoes, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. For the fresh tomatoes add one teaspoon of salt.
Tip: Adding the salt toward the end of the cooking process i results in a saltier flavor without having to add as much salt.
Serve over pasta (figure D). Sprinkle on a little fresh parmesan cheese if you like, and garnish with a sprig of fresh basil.
We used 2 ounces of pasta and about a cup of sauce per serving.
With parmesan added, this recipe has about 300 to 325 calories.
Basil Pesto Sauce
The recipe for basil pesto sauce is even simpler, and it's quite low in calories.
In a small food processor or blender, add 4 cups fresh basil. Look for fresh leaves that are fresh, green and aren't bruised.
Add the following ingredients:
2 Tbsp pine nuts2 cloves garlic, minced2 Tbsp of water 1 Tbsp of lemon juice (figure E)1 ounce parmigiano-reggiano, grated (figure F)1 Tbsp white wine vinegar2 Tbsp of olive oil
Puree all the ingredients.
Serve over pasta (figure G).
A typical serving of this pesto recipe has only about 96 calories and 8 grams of fat per serving, compared to typical pesto sauces that may have 200 calories and 25 grams of fat per serving.
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