Bolognese Sauce

Looking for a hearty, meaty pasta sauce that's loads better than something you get out of a jar? Check out this recipe for some meaty goodness. I love the aroma of the red wine that's added to the sauce - yum!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 stick of celery, chopped

2 oz. streaky bacon, diced

12 oz. lean minced beef

14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup red wine

2 tbsp tomato puree

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, and bacon. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until just beginning to brown.

3. Add the beef and cook over high heat for another 3 minutes or until all of the meat is browned.

4. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, and red wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and heave to simmer for about 45 minutes.

5. Stir in the tomato puree and season with salt and pepper.

Pesto Sauce

Looking for a pesto sauce that isn't too salty, basil-y, garlicky, and other sorts of "y"-ness? This is your recipe. All of the ingredients came together in delightful blend of PESTO. Be sure to coat the HOT pasta with this pesto as soon as it's ready so that the pesto isn't so raw.

Ingredients:

2 bunches fresh basil

2 tbsp garlic, minced

1/3 cup roasted nuts (almond, walnut, pine)

1 cup olive oil

1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Blanch the basil in boiling water for 20 seconds, then strain and plunge into ice water to stop the leaves from cooking. (It also helps to retain the bright green color.)

2. Wring out all the excess water from the basil and remove the heavy stems.

3. Put all the ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Toss the pesto sauce with hot pasta immediately and serve.

Puttanesca Sauce

I think this was my favorite sauce of the night. Tomato-based, zesty, and hearty - I can see why a bowl of pasta with puttanesca sauce hits the spot on a cold night. Yeah, the list of ingredients seems a bit off-putting (anchovies?! olives?!), but they really came together in this delicious sauce that will have your taste buds reminiscing for the next week. (Mine still are!)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tbsp garlic, minced

6 anchovy fillets

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp capers, minced

1/4 cup black olives, sliced

1/4 cup green olives, sliced

2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

1/4 cup white wine

1 cup fresh basil, torn or chopped

1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped (remove stems first - it's bitter)

Method:

1. Heat a skillet over high heat and add the olive oil, garlic, anchovy fillets, oregano, capers, black olives, green olives, and red pepper flakes. As the anchovy melts and the bubbles begin to subside, add the tomatoes and wine.

**Note: If the garlic starts to brown, immediately add the tomatoes and wine.

2. Let the mixture cook over medium heat until it reaches a nice tomato sauce consistency. Season the sauce with a little pepper, and add the herbs to heat through. Add salt to taste. (Probably won't need this.)

3. Toss with pasta thoroughly. Heat through, and garnish with grated Parmesan.

Peanut Sauce

No picture here, though you can see a smudge of the sauce in my picture for the Roasted Fish Wrapped in Spring Rolls post. This recipe will come in handy for almost anything you can think to dip in peanut sauce, so check it out! Trang's recipe below.

Ingredients:

3 TBSP peanut butter
4 TBSP hoisin sauce
5 TBSP sweetened vinegar*

* Sweetened Vinegar Recipe:
16 parts water
8 parts granulated sugar
5 part vinegar

These ingredients should be brought to a boil, so that the sugar dissolves. Also, this sweetened vinegar can be made in a large batch ahead of time, and stored in the pantry, as it comes in handy for several different recipes.

Instructions:
In a blender, combine peanut butter, hoisin sauce, and sweetened vinegar. Blend until smooth.
Your sauce is ready to serve! You can optionally top the sauce with some ground roasted peanuts if desired.