Pasta Sauces - GRAVY

PASTA SAUCES - Flavor, Flavor, Flavor
    An almost endless array of sauces to please your taste buds. We'll begin with a basic Marinara sauce which is flexible and can be adapted to many recipes from meat to seafood by adding various herbs and spices, or just serve as-is. Experiment 'til you find what pleases you most. This recipe yields about 4 one pint servings. They are in your freezer and you can do anything you want by the serving.
     From this sauce you will begin an adventure in pasta sauce.
    • 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
    • 1 8 oz. can of tomato paste
    • 1/2 large onion chopped finely
    • Sea salt and pepper to taste.
    • 1 tsp. minced garlic
    • 1 Tbs basil, parsley, basil and oregano.
    • In olive oil, saute onion, garlic and paste on medium heat, about 2-3 minutes.
    • Add paste can of filtered water. Simmer 2 minutes adding other herbs.
    • Add crushed tomatoes, simmer 2 minutes.
    * Add 1/4 tsp. of lemon juice.
    • Add tomato can of filtered water. Bring to mild boil. Lower to medium low heat and cook 20 minutes. Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour stirring frequently.

You now have my basic sauce. Cool and store in pint jars jars, yields 4 to 5 servings. There is a monumental choice of pastas including fresh and frozen - cavatelli, gnocchi, ravioli. Generally 3 to four ounces of dry pasta make an excellent size serving. When it comes to gnocchi and ravioli I dig into about 1/2 pound with meat. I will present variations of the sauce by adding only those herbs that enhance the meat or seafood you want, to taste. I will always refer to this sauce as "basic sauce".
You now have 4-5 pints of basic pasta sauce in your freezer. Tomorrow you can have it anyway you want. Add a meatball, brassiole and sausage. NO? OK, how about clams, crabs, tuna, scallops or shrimp adding the related herb enhancements.

VARIATIONS/PASTA

MEAT- Basic sauce, 1 pt. - 1 pinch of Fennel seed, 1/4 tsp. oregano, A hunk of pepperoni, meatball, piece of sausage and brassiole. Cover and simmer 1 hour on low heat. Serve over your choice of pasta, sprinkle with crushed red pepper, Serve sprinkled with Kraft Parmesan/Romano or locatelli cheese. There are other meats you can add, cook first, veal, pork or chicken.

SEAFOOD- Basic sauce, 1 pt. - 1 pinch of Marjoram, 1 tsp. Old Bay, 1/4 tsp. parsley, 1/4 tsp. lemon juice. Most seafood dishes I serve over Linguine or Fettuccine. No cheese. Crushed red pepper sprinkled on top. In the sauce add your favorites or combinations of such - Remember, it's your kitchen, do what you want.
    • tuna, or fish of choice - Salmon, white fish, Cod, butter fish(whatch the bones-nasty)
    • clams(also add some clam juice), oysters,
    • crabs (MD. blue point or King)
    • shrimp, scallops, mussels, colamare (squid)
Cover and simmer on low heat 20 to 30 minutes. A half cup of wine enhances it all, if not, try a
quarter cup of Vodka, nice taste.
 

PASTA AL VINCENZO

INGREDIENCES *
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ Pounds eggplant. ends trimmed and cut into½ - inch cubes
1medium –size onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 teaspoon salt (OPTIONAL)
l ½ teasnoon red pepper flakes
I can(28 ounce) diced tomatoes in juice
1 pound rotini pasta
1 cup fresh basil,torn into pieces
1 tablespoon fresh oregano. chopped
3 tablespoon snipped chives
6 tablespoons part -skirn ricotta cheese

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, onion, garlic and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until eggplant softens
2. Add red pepper flakes, tomatoes with juice and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium-low, cook for 10 minutes or until eggplant is very soft.
3. While sauce is simmering, cook pasta. Drain
4. Stir most of the basil, oregano and chives (Save sum) into the sauce, toss with pasta. Serve with dollops of ricotta cheese and reserved herbs on ton. Should take about 35 minutes to make. Depending on how you like your pasta cooked.