I thought talk about sauces in Italian cuisine .
Some general advice and some information.
All sauces are based on Tomatoes and contain either Onion or Garlic no need for one or the other .
If you have Garlic do not need Onions, same have Onions no need Garlic.
Always buy the best ingredients you can afford.
Buy not very good or those of poor quality never do that.
Buy the ones Italian uses on line or search supermarkets will say on the labels.
You need the following a good blender, saucepan and or use food processor.
I am going to add some techniques to give you restaurant style fine dining sauces.
When you go out to these places sauces how simply do they do that.
Kitchen secrets, I learnt mine over thirty plus years ago still learning.
These are very simple sauces freezer useful to store.
Need before I forget bowls, sieves fines ones.
Ladles spoons.
These are all used for Pasta but can be used for Ragu sauces with meat Chicken long slow cooker and so on.
In Italian households never had blenders or food processors old times.
Use a Mouli a contraption looks like a colander with a handle add sauce to it turn handle.
Over a bowl may I add turn one way turn the other.
Means sauce is clear and no bits, has all the taste flavour.
Some have few ingredients so ideal if you have no money.
CLASSIC TOMATO SAUCE
Onions finely chopped or use frozen chopped or fresh.
Jar Passata.
Paprika one teaspoon
Oregano, Parsley dried used half teaspoon each.
Seasonings Salt Pepper.
Tomato Puree Tomato Ketchup a tiny bit or sugar.
METHOD
Add to a saucepan with Olive oil. All ingredients. Let it cook down simmer two hours, check.
Or use a Slow Cooker low four hours.
When cooked cool add to bowl then to sink.
Blitz up blender, sieve this add a sieve to another bowl and press down using a ladle swirl and then liquid comes out this is your sauce leaves behind residues the Onions or any bits herbs and so on.
If you have a good blender not much comes out of when you sieve, good ones do that.
Incorporate the ingredients blended up.
ARRABBIATA
Means fiery enraged the sauce comes from Rome.
INGREDIENTS
Passata jar
Porcini dried Mushrooms.
Use jar shop around pricey .
Pancetta cubed shop around varies.
Tomato Puree. Tomato Ketchup one teaspoon.
of each.
Chilli flakes use carefully used one quarter teaspoon.
Garlic Powder.
Basil Dried half a teaspoon.
METHOD
Fry pancetta olive oil till coloured. Crisp, remove.
Add porcini to bowl hot kettle allow to soak half hour then drain keep liquid, final bits of liquid leave has grit in it.
Ingredients add to saucepan olive oil everything including pancetta.
Bring to a simmer add to a blender cool down first and blizt.
Sieve bowl .
Could if so wish leave this as it is.
MARINARA
INGREDIENTS
Onions fresh frozen chopped.
Garlic Powder. one teaspoon.
Passata jar.
Tomato Puree, Tomato Ketchup. half teaspoon.
Oregano dried half teaspoon.
Parsley dried half teaspoon.
Lemon juice a teaspoon.
Season salt pepper.
METHOD
Add everything saucepan olive oil simmer couple hours then to blender blitz then sieve bowl.
Note this sauce used for Seafood or every day use.
MEATBALL SAUCE
Use this one for meatball buy or make.
INGREDIENTS
Onions, chopped, diced.fresh or frozen.
Chilli flakes half teaspoon.
Passata jar
Parsley dried half teaspoon.
Veg stock cube made up half a pint.
Tomato Puree Tomato Ketchup, half a teaspoon each.
METHOD
All to a saucepan olive oil simmer couple hours cool down blender sieve bowl.
Note sauces liquid too runny. Add to thicken up the following. Cornflour used, just a touch with liquid .
When blended this thickens up sauces.
Any questions happy to answer.
Thank you all.