Sauce Recipes


	Béchamel Sauce
	Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

	Béchamel sauce, also known as white sauce, is made with a roux of butter and flour cooked in milk. It is one of the mother sauces of French cuisine. It is used as the base for other sauces. WIKI

	3 tablespoons butter	1 pinch salt
	1 heaping tablespoon all purpose flour	1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
	1 1/4 cups milk, heated	ground white pepper (optional)

	Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the warm milk, continuing to whisk vigorously until the sauce thickens. Whisk in salt, (pepper) and nutmeg to taste. Remove from heat.

	Recipe is from Sue Ann Carbone
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ALLA

These two sauces are thick, meaty tomato sauces. Their grainy (ground meat) texture compliment the smooth surface of a gnocchi dumpling.


TOMATO SAUCE ALLA PIEMONTESE - for Gnocchi Serves 6-8

This thick, robust tomato/meat sauce is from LEONE'S ITALIAN COOKBOOK.

1/4 cup butter	1 bay leaf, crumbled
1/4 cup olive oil	1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 oz. salt pork, diced	18 slices of dried Italian mushrooms
1/4 cup diced onions	1 cup warm water
1/2 pound Italian sweet sausage	2 cups (one 1-pound can) peeled plum tomatoes
1/2 pound lean beef, diced	2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, mashed	1/2 cup dry white wine
10 fresh parsley sprigs, leaves only	1 teaspoon tomato paste
5 fresh basil leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Combine butter, olive oil and salt pork in a saucepan; heat. Add onions and sauté slowly to golden brown. Remove casing from sausage and cut the meat into 1/2-inch pieces. Add sausage pieces and diced beef to the saucepan and brown for ten minutes. Chop garlic, parsley and basil together and add to the sauce along with bay leaf and pepper. Soak the mushrooms in the warm water for 20 minutes. Drain, saving the water, and chop the mushrooms. Meanwhile stir and cook the sauce slowly for 20 minutes. Put the canned tomatoes through a ricer or food mill and add to the sauce. Add fresh tomatoes, wine, mushrooms and mushroom water. Stir and cook slowly for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and cool for ten minutes. Strain and put all solid pieces through a food grinder. Place all back in sauce. Add the tomato paste, stir, bring to a boil, and sauce is ready to serve.

Use this sauce with GNOCCHI, or any other pasta that you want to serve with a thick meat sauce.

Serves 6-8

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ZIA

ZIA'S TOMATO-MEAT SAUCE FOR GNOCCHI Serves 6-8

This recipe is a hybrid of MY SAUCE, "ZIA JOSEPHINE'S" and "LEONE'S ITALIAN COOKBOOK"

Similar to the TOMATO SAUCE ALLA PIEMONTESE, ZIA'S TOMATO-MEAT SAUCE FOR GNOCCHI is a bit thinner and maybe somewhat richer, with the red wine and 12 oz. of tomato paste.

1/4 cup olive oil

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup butter

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 medium onion, peeled and diced

6-8 fresh parsley sprigs

1/2 pound beef, ground

1/2 tsp. fennel, crushed

1/2 pound bulk Italian Sausage

1/2 tsp. basil

1 1/2 pounds (28 oz.) canned diced tomatoes

1 tsp. oregano

12 oz. tomato paste

1/2 tsp. salt

1-15 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 cup dry red wine

Cayenne pepper

Combine butter and olive oil in a saucepan, heat. Add the diced onions, brown slowly. Add beef, pork and bay leaves; cook slowly for ten minutes or until meat is uniformly browned. Add wine and bring to a boil. Reduce burner to medium. Chop garlic and parsley, add to the sauce. Add diced tomatoes, 1/2 of the tomato paste and tomato sauce. Add the fennel, basil, salt and black pepper; cook on low heat for 1 hour (stir often to prevent burning.) Blend in the remaining tomato paste and the oregano; bring sauce to a boil and remove from heat.

Hints and suggestions: a) Run the sauce through a "Food Mill" - after the initial (1 hour) cooking - for a (more) velvety, smooth sauce (then return sauce to the pan and proceed with the rest of the recipe.) The Food Mill step is not necessary. (Without using the Food Mill, the sauce finishes with (more of) the natural graininess of the ground meat.) b) Don't buy a cooking wine for the sauce, use the same wine that you pour with dinner (Chianti, Bardolino or Sangiovese) c) Try grated Fontinella cheese, instead of Parmesan or Romano, as the sprinkled topping on your pasta

Use this meat sauce with GNOCCHI, or any other pasta.

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LVBC QUICK PASTA SAUCE
Makes enough sauce for 4 servings.

This sauce is fast and requires few ingredients. Use this sauce with: Spaghetti, Linguine, Ravioli etc. (For a more complex, meat-sauce see above.)

Since this recipe calls for a dry red wine, buy a Chianti, Bardolino or Sangiovese, to use in the recipe and to enjoy with the meal.

This recipe will make enough sauce for four to six portions of pasta.

1 12 oz. can tomato paste
1/4 cup Olive oil
3 garlic cloves*, pealed and chopped.
1 cup red (or dry white) Wine*
1 1/2 cups Water
1/2 cup grated Fontinella cheese (can substitute Romano or Parmesan)
1 splash juice from a jar of cherry peppers*
1 tsp. sugar
1 heaping tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper to taste

Add the olive oil to a medium sauce pan, heat the oil until it starts to sizzle.

Turn off burner*, add chopped garlic to the oil, let the garlic cook as the oil cools, about 3 minutes.
Add wine, bring to a boil, reduce heat. Add tomato paste, water, sugar, Cayenne, salt and black pepper; stir well

Add cheese, cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add oregano, stir.

*Tips and hints: a) An easy way to peel garlic is to place the flat edge of a broad-edged knife on a clove, push down till the outer shell breaks, peel outer layer.
b) Turn the burner off to prevent the hot oil from splattering when you add water and other liquids.
c) Jalapeno pepper juice or a Jalapeno or Cherry pepper can be substituted for Cherry pepper juice
d) Use the red wine you serve with the meal. Suggestions: Chianti, Bardolino, Sangiovese; One can use white wine for a lighter sauce

Makes enough sauce for about 4 servings.

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MARINARA

MARINARA SAUCE from Leone's Italian Cookbook Makes about 5 cups

	6 tablespoons olive oil	1/2 teaspoon salt
	1/4 cup butter	6 cups (three 1-pound cans) peeled plum tomatoes
	3 large garlic cloves, mashed	1 tablespoon dried oregano
	16 fresh parsley sprigs, leaves only	8 anchovy fillets, chopped
	1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper	2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
	click image to expand
	Combine olive oil and butter in a saucepan and heat. Chop garlic and parsley together and add to the pan. Cook slowly for 5 minutes, then add salt and pepper. Drain the tomatoes and chop the solids. Add the chopped tomatoes and oregano to the sauce and cook slowly for 30 minutes. Add anchovies and tomato paste, stir well, and remove from the heat. At the end of cooking, taste for salt and add some if necessary, but remember, the anchovies will make the sauce salty.
	Serve over [Eggplant Pamigiana] macaroni, spaghetti, green beans, hard-cooked or scrambled eggs.

	MAKES ABOUT 5 CUPS

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PIZZA

PIZZA SAUCE

This recipe makes more than enough sauce for (at least) 3 or 4 12-inch pizzas.

I've been searching for the right pizza sauce, trying everything; I've tried canned sauce, jarred sauce, Bobili Sauce, I've tried cooking the sauce, pretty much everything.

I now know one thing, for pizza - keep it simple. Do not cook the sauce!

Pizza Sauce

*INGREDIENTS

1 28-oz. can crushed-tomatoes, I prefer the Cento brand
1/4-cup EVOO
2 or 3 cloves of garlic (peeled and crushed)
3 or 4 basil leaves, torn
1 TBSP. oregano
1 tsp. sugar
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

PREPERATION

Place the crushed tomatoes in a medium mixing bowl
add the rest of the ingredients, mix well
cover with plastic wrap, refridgerate overnight (minimum 2-hours)

*HINTS, TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS:

The garlic continues to flavor the sauce (if you want it less-garlicky, leave the gloves in larger pieces, remove some or all before using the sauce)
DO NOT COOK THE SAUCE (the sauce will cook as the pizza cooks)
If the sauce seems bland add a TBSP. of balsamic vinegar or a tsp. of red-pepper-flakes

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GYPSY

GYPSY PASTA SAUCE

When I was living in a motor home in Las Vegas and other parts of the Southwest, I needed a quick, easy pasta sauce. Most of my cooking, including spaghetti, was done in a wok... The following sauce is simple and fast. It is not a gourmet pasta sauce.

1-6 oz. can tomato paste (retain the empty can for measuring)

1 TBS. olive oil

1/2 can water (use the empty tomato paste can to measure)

1/2 can dry red wine (see above) Use any dry red wine (Chianti, Sangiovese...)

1 TBS. grated cheese (Romano, Parmesan, Fontinella)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper

splash of juice from a jar of cherry peppers or jalapeño

Put the olive oil, tomato paste, water, wine and juice in a sauce pan, stir well

Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes.

Hints and Suggestions: a) Use an empty Tomato Paste can to measure b) If you don't have pepper juice, use a piece of jalapeño or?

This recipe makes enough sauce for 1 or 2.

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POMO

LVBC POMODORO SAUCE

This basic tomato sauce is thick and rich, yet very easy to prepare. (Serves 4-6)

SAUCE
1/4 cup olive oil	1 tsp. sugar
3 garlic cloves, pealed and minced	1 bay leaf, crumbled
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes	1 tsp. parsley, fresh or flakes
1-6 oz. can tomato paste	1 tsp. oregano
5-6 mushrooms. chopped	splash, juice from a jar of cherry peppers
1/2 cup white wine	salt, to taste (about 1/2 tsp.)
1/2 cup water	ground black pepper, to taste (about 1/2 tsp.)

PASTA TOPPING (extra ingredients, not integral to the sauce.)

butter, one pat per plate

Cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp. per plate

grated Fontinella cheese, for topping

heat olive oil in sauce pan, add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, remove pan from burner

add other ingredients, except oregano, butter, Cayenne and cheese; cook sauce on medium heat for 45 minutes, stirring often

add oregano, stir sauce and cook a few more minutes

use this sauce with any pasta dish

top plated-sauced-pasta with grated Fontinella Cheese; add a pat of butter, a shake of Cayenne pepper and put the dish under the broiler until the butter melts, serve

serves 4-6

Hints and Suggestions: a) let olive oil cool down, a bit, before adding other liquids.

b) you can substitute red wine (for a more robust sauce) c) you can substitute Romano

or Parmesan cheese, if you can't find Fontinella

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GORGONZOLA

GORGONZOLA-MUSHROOM-CREAM SAUCE Makes enough sauce for 4-6

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup butter

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 cup half and half

6 oz. white mushrooms, sliced

8 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

salt and black pepper to taste

grated Fontinella cheese for topping

Cayenne pepper

heat olive oil and butter in a sauce pan

add minced garlic, sauté for one minute

add mushrooms, sauté five minutes while stirring

pour half and half into pan

add crumbled cheese to pan, stir as cheese melts

spoon sauce over Gnocchi, top with Fontinella, shake on a pinch of Cayenne and serve

Makes enough sauce for 4-6

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RAVIOLI

SAUCE FOR RAVIOLI (from Leone's Italian Cookbook.) Serves 6-8

Excerpt from Leone's Italian Cookbook: "Enrico Caruso, after his performances at the Metropolitan opera, often came in for what he called a snack, a great big plate of Mother's ravioli."
1 1/2 pounds lean beef (flank or bottom round) 1 pound lean pork shoulder 3 garlic cloves, mashed 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup butter 4 ounces salt pork, diced 3/4 pound onions, peeled and diced	2 bay leaves, crumbled Tiny pinch of ground allspice 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup good dry red wine 1 cup canned peeled plum tomatoes, chopped or sieved 2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, chopped 2 cups boiling water
Cut the beef and pork shoulder into small cubes Chop garlic and rosemary together Combine olive oil, butter and salt pork in a saucepan, heat Add onions and sauté slowly to medium brown Add beef and pork cubes and simmer for 20 minutes Add bay leaves, allspice, black pepper, and garlic & rosemary mixture Cook for 10 minutes Add wine, stir, cover and cook for 3 minutes Add canned and fresh tomatoes, boiling water and salt; simmer for 20 minutes Remove from heat Remove all meat from the sauce and put through a food chopper Place half of the chopped meat back in the sauce, stir, and bring to a boil, slowly Remove from heat; Put remaining chopped meat aside for the stuffing

RAVIOLI DOUGH

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RED CLAM SAUCE

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
2 - 10oz. cans whole baby clams, with juice*
1 - 14.5 can diced tomatoes*
1 - 6oz. can tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine*
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salt, just a pinch
1/4 cup grated cheese*
1/4 cup Coke
1/4 cup Cherry Pepper juice, from jar
1/2 tsp. crushed Fennel
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Parsley
Cayenne pepper

COOKING THE SAUCE

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan
add chopped garlic, stir and turn off heat
while the oil cools open the cans of clams, tomatoes and tomato paste
when the oil has cooled down, add the clams with juice
add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and wine, stir
mix in the grated cheese and add the coke and pepper juice
add the Fennel and Parsley, salt and pepper
cook for 45 minutes on medium-low heat (just bubbling,) stirring often
add the Oregano just before sauce is done

Serve over Linguine or other favorite pasta

Top with Fontinella grated cheese and add a dash of Cayenne pepper

Serve a Chablis, Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio with this sauce

*Tips and suggestions:

After cooking the garlic, let the oil cool so it won't splatter when you add the other liquids

If you use fresh clams instead of canned, add extra liquid (bottled clam juice.)

You can substitute crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce for the diced tomatoes

After adding the coke and pepper juice, taste and adjust

Use grated Parmesan, Romano or Fontinella cheese in sauce

For the dry white wine use a Chablis, Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio

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01/18/2020