Pasta sauces

[aquilegia]

I've had a bit of a slow day workwise, so typed up a few pasta sauces that you might like to try (you'll notice they are all vegetarian as I'm a veggie!) Please feel free to add your own as I'm always on the look out for new ideas.

And please don't blame me if I've got any timings or measurements wrong. I never bother to measure weights or time, just judge things!

All serve two, sometimes with leftovers! They freeze really well (I think freezing enhances the flavour).

Basic tomato sauce
Simple, but delicious.

Around one pound fresh tomatoes or one can chopped toms
A splodge of tomato puree
Fresh basil
Olive oil
Roughly chop the tomatoes and cook slowly in a little olive oil with the lid on until the toms have softened and are very liquidy (probably about 15-20 mins).
Remove from heat and liquidize (if using tinned toms, start here).
Add tom puree and a tsp of pesto and/or paprika if you like.
Return to heat with lid on and cook on lowest heat for 45mins to one hour.
Serve with pasta of your choice, topped with freshly chopped basil and grated parmesan.

Alternatively
Roast the toms in the oven for about 30 mins instead of initial cooking. Can also add one chopped pepper to roasting for something different.

I think it tastes extra nice if after you’ve cooked, drained and rinsed the pasta, you mix it with the sauce and return it to the heat for one minute.


Ratatouille
Gorgeous on a summer’s evening.

Onion
Garlic
One courgette
One aubergine
Two peppers (I like to use different coloured ones)
Basic tomato sauce as above
Olive oil
Chop the onion and fry in a little olive oil until soft. Add crushed garlic.
Chop remaining veg (I like to vary how I do it, some days I do them chunky, other times in thin slices)
Add courgette and cook for a few mins.
Add aubergine (I find if you put the aubergine in when the garlic is still quite raw it takes on too much of the flavour and tastes gross!) cook for a few mins.
Add peppers and tom sauce
Cook until veg soft enough.
Serve with pasta…


Winter veg and bean sauce
A great winter warmer.

Onion
Garlic
A couple of medium carrots
A couple of medium parsnips
Half a butternut squash
Tin of mixed beans
Tom sauce as above
Chop and fry onion. When soft, add garlic.
Peel and chop veg (again, sometimes cubes, sometimes slices).
Add carrot to pan.
After a few mins, add parsnips, then the squash.
Cook until it’s softening up, but not totally soft.
Add tom sauce and drained and rinsed beans.
Cook for a further 15 mins or so.
Serve with pasta.

Alternatively
Mix with the pasta, put in ovenproof dish with cheese on top and bake on GM 5 or 6 for 45mins to one hour until crispy on top.

Or, spice it up with a little cumin and turmeric.

Or, put in a casserole dish with a few par boiled potatoes, make dumplings and have as a veggie stew.

[aquilegia]

More...

Roast vegetables
I have no idea if this one freezes as it’s so yummy I never have left overs!

Red onion or leek
Half butternut squash
Courgette
Aubergine
Two medium parsnips
Baby corn
Two peppers
Cherry tomatoes
(and/or any veg really!)
Olive oil
Chop all the veg into fairly large chunks (they reduce in size by about half when you roast them)
Bung all except the peppers and toms into a roasting tin. Slop on some olive oil.
Pop in oven on GM 5 until they start to caramelise (probably about 60-90mins). Check every 20mins or so and stir.
Add the toms and peppers and cook for a further 30-45mins
Mix in plenty of fresh basil.
Serve with pasta, gnocchi, in a salad, on bread, whatever!

Alternatively
Make a marinade of about 2-3tsp of honey and same of pesto. Mix with veg before putting in the oven. You may need to add more just before serving. Really yummy!

Or, mix the veg (without the honey) with a tom sauce and serve with pasta. This does freeze well!


Creamy mushroom sauce
Mmmmushrooms

Onion
Garlic
Mixed mushrooms (I find half a punnet of shitake and half of oyster works well)
About 1/2oz Butter
about 1oz Flour
About 1/2 pt Milk
About 1/4pt Water
Olive oil
Freshly grated nutmeg

Finely chop the onion and fry in a little oil.
When soft, add the chopped garlic.
Finely chop a few mushrooms (I think the stalks from the shitakes are just perfect for this).
Add chopped mushrooms to the pan and gently cook until the mixture is soft and the juice is coming out of the mushrooms. This really enhances the mushroomy flavour.
Meanwhile, make a white sauce – melt a thingy of butter, add the flour and mix. Take off the heat and gradually add the milk/water mix (the water makes it less sickly-rich, I find). Keep stirring and return to heat. When the sauce starts to thicken, add the garlic, onion, mushrooms mix. Keep stirring.
Slice the shitakes into strips and add to pan. Cook gently for another 5-10mins, constantly stirring.
Thinly slice the oysters and add when the sauce is very nearly cooked.
Add grated nutmeg and fresh chopped parsley.
Serve with pasta (I find spaghetti or tagiatelli is best for this) and plenty of grated cheese

If you can’t be bothered to make the white sauce, use double cream or a tin of cream of mushroom soup instead.

I think mushrooms don’t freeze well at all, even when cooked, so don’t bother!


Mushroom and tomato sauce
Mmmmore mushrooms

Onion
Garlic
Mixed mushrooms (I find half a punnet of shitake and half of oyster works well)
Tom sauce

Prepare the garlic, onion and mushrooms as above, but substitute the white sauce for a tom sauce.

[tim]

Cor! You'll be publishing next?

With the wild mushies, I like to do them in olive oil and garlic, and add parsley, juice of a lemon, your cream - and a drop of truffle oil. Carluccio would also add smoked ham!!

Ratatouille's a nice idea - we've always got some in the freezer. = Tim

[Tenuse]

Yummy!

They'll go on my list...

Ten x