PASTA AND TOMATO SAUCE WITH VODKA AND CREAM

PASTA AND TOMATO SAUCE WITH VODKA AND CREAM (ultrasara via Cooks Illustrated) 

Dresses 1 pound pasta; serves 4.   Published May 1, 1997.  

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Given that good fresh tomatoes are a rare commodity and that we wanted a tomato sauce recipe that home cooks could use year-round, we decided to use canned tomatoes. After conducting a number of tests, we determined the crucial ingredients to be garlic, fresh basil, olive oil, salt, and sugar. We discovered that a garlic puree, diluted with water and sautéed briefly in olive oil, provided a mild, even garlic flavor while greatly reducing the possibility of overcooking the garlic.

If you use whole canned tomatoes, avoid those packed in sauce or puree, which results in a dull, relatively flavorless sauce without the interplay of sweetness and acidity. If you choose Muir Glen Diced Tomatoes instead, use the can's entire contents, without discarding any liquid. The pasta and sauce quantities can be doubled, but you will have to simmer the sauce for an extra five or six minutes to thicken it. If you do not have a garlic press, mince the garlic very fine and sauté it for one minute rather than two. Note that the salt in this recipe is added in two batches; if you are using the sauce for something other than pasta, simply salt to taste rather than adding the second quantity of salt.

INGREDIENTS

•    1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes (not packed in puree or sauce)
• 2 medium cloves  garlic , peeled
• 3 tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (about 8 leaves)
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 1 pound pasta

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If using diced tomatoes, go to step 2. If using whole tomatoes, drain and reserve liquid. Dice tomatoes either by hand or in workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade (three or four 1/2-second pulses). Tomatoes should be coarse, with 1/4-inch pieces visible. If necessary, add enough reserved liquid to tomatoes to total 2 cups.
2.  Process garlic through garlic press into small bowl; stir in 1 teaspoon water. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and garlic and red pepper flakes in 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; simmer 5 minutes. Add vodka and simmer 5 minutes longer. Stir in cream, ground black pepper to taste, basil, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Transfer sauce to workbowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade; pulse to a coarse puree. Return sauce to pan; simmer over medium heat to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente in large pot of boiling, salted water. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water; drain pasta, and transfer it back to cooking pot. Mix in reserved cooking water, sauce, and remaining oil and salt; cook together over medium heat for 1 minutes, stirring constantly, and serve immediately.

Checca Sauce

Checca Sauce
sadie_love from Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentis
12 oz. cherry tomatoes (I use whatever good tomatoes I have, up to a pound)
3 scallions, chopped
8 leaves fresh basil
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 oz piece of parmesan, chopped into small pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper
4 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 pieces (I frequently use regular mozz, and it's fine)

Combine all ingredients, except mozzarella in a food processor, and process until the consistency of a salsa. Add in mozzarella. Toss with your favorite pasta.
ETA: I should add that raw garlic = some serious garlic breath. But it's worth it!

Simple Tomato sauce

Simple Tomato sauce

Ingredients

    1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    1 small onion, chopped
    2 cloves garlic, chopped
    1 stalk celery, chopped
    1 carrot, chopped
    Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
    4 to 6 basil leaves
    2 dried bay leaves
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

Directions

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese


Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender.

 Process until smooth and set aside.

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Stand above the pan (but not close enough to scald your face) and inhale. Ahhh...butter and garlic. Okay, now get cooking again. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don't want to burn it.

 Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it's nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

From here.