Category: Pasta Sauces

Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans Pasta

This recipe describes a common variation of the classic pesto pasta. In Liguria, pesto pasta is often had along with potatoes and green beans, a hearty version sometimes called ‘enriched’ pesto.

Please see the Making Pesto in a Blender article for tips on how to make the pesto base simply and quickly.

Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans Pasta

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 30 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 russet potato (about 250 g in weight)
  • 150 g of green beans
  • 250 g of pasta (trofie is the most traditional, linguine or spaghetti are also common).

Preparation

  1. Dice the potato and cut the green beans in bite-size chunks (fig. 4).
  2. Drop the green beans in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook for 10 minutes (fig. 5a).
  3. Dried pasta generally takes the same cooking time as the diced potatoes (about 10 minutes). If using dried pasta, add it along with the potato (fig. 5b) and cook for the time indicated on the box. If using fresh pasta, start by adding the potatoes, boil for 7-8 minutes, then add the pasta and cook for another 2 or 3.
  4. Put a good tablespoon of pesto in each plate and dilute it with some of the pasta cooking water (fig. 5c).
  5. When the pasta and vegetables is ready, quickly drain it, pour it on top of the pesto (fig. 5d) and stir gently. Serve immediately.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2011/08/pesto-potatoes-and-green-beans-pasta.html

 

Tortiglioni all’Arrabbiata

Sugo* all’Arrabbiata is a classic pasta sauce from central/southern Italy that can be prepared very quickly, while the pasta cooks. This sauce is traditionally quite spicy, and this is at the origin of its name (all’arrabbiata, in Italian means ‘angry-style’). If desired, a milder version can be made, but a certain amount of heat is necessary to counter the acidity of the lightly cooked tomato and enhance its flavor. (*Sugo is another name for ‘salsa’, sauce.)

Tortiglioni all’Arrabbiata

Yield: 2 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Tortiglioni all’Arrabbiata

Ingredients

  • 500 g peeled diced tomatoes (fresh or from a quality can)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 chili pepper (whole or seeded if a milder sauce is desired), minced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • some fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
  • 150 g dried short pasta (e.g.: tortiglioni, rigatoni, penne)
  • salt

Preparation

  1. Mince chili pepper and garlic (fig. 1).
  2. In a large non-stick pan, fry garlic and chili pepper in olive oil for 2 minutes (fig. 2).
  3. Add the diced tomatoes (fig. 3), cook at medium heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
  4. Boil the pasta in plenty of salty water for the time indicated on the box.
  5. Add the well drained pasta to the pan and toss for 1 minute at high heat (fig. 4).
  6. Take off the heat, sprinkle with parsley, serve immediately.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2011/07/tortiglioni-allarrabbiata.html

Pasta with Gorgonzola

This quick and versatile recipe is another great representative of the cuisine of northern Italy. With any kind of strong, creamy cheese and a handful of always-ready ingredients, this delicious sauce can be whipped together from scratch in minutes. In Italy, there is absolutely no Alfredo sauce! The most famous dish that makes use of a creamy cheese sauce is ‘Gnocchi al Gorgonzola‘, but any kind of pasta can be used – and boxed dried pasta is actually recommended for this dish.

Pasta with Gorgonzola

Yield: 2 servings

Total Time: 25 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Pasta with Gorgonzola

Ingredients

  • 10 g butter (1 tablespoon)
  • 10 g water (1 tablespoon)
  • 10 g flour (1 tablespoon)
  • 100 g milk (½ cup)
  • some ground nutmeg
  • some ground black pepper
  • salt
  • 40 g Gorgonzola, Cambozola, or other blue cheese
  • One handful of crushed walnuts, pecans or pine nuts
  • 20 g grated Parmigiano
  • 140 g dried pasta. In the picture above you can see whole-wheat 'penne', but any dried pasta or fresh gnocchi can be used. Ricotta and spinach, or cheese ravioli also work very well with this sauce.

Preparation

  1. Put butter and water in a saucepan at medium heat.
  2. When butter has melted, add the flour.
  3. Stir until it sizzles.
  4. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Add the nutmeg.
  5. Add the walnuts, the Gorgonzola, the Parmigiano, and adjust with salt and pepper.
  6. Cook the pasta "al dente", then drain it and put it back in the pan adding the cheese sauce. Mix well and serve in pre-heated bowls.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2011/02/pasta-with-gorgonzola.html

Basic Tomato Sauce

Even though tomatoes made their appearance in Europe in the 1700s, it took until the beginning of the 1900 for them to reach today’s popularity and central role in Italian cuisine.

This recipe describes one of the most basic pasta sauces: the tomato sauce. The tomatoes, delicately flavored with salt, a hint of onion*, and (optionally) a leaf of basil, are simmered until they reduce their acidity. Smooth and velvety, this sauce is great on its own (like in ‘pasta al pomodoro’), or as a base for many tomato-based pasta sauces and dips (such as the one with bell peppers). These sauces are generally served with plenty of grated Parmigiano cheese.

Other tomato sauces, instead, are only lightly cooked to preserve the fresh flavor of the tomatoes, and are often flavored with garlic and sometimes chili pepper. Examples are arrabbiata, marinara, with clams or mussels. These sauces are served without cheese.

*Shallot, garlic, or a combination of onion and garlic can be used as well.

Basic Tomato Sauce

Yield: 6 servings (as pasta sauce)

Total Time: 45 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Basic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh or 1 ½ pounds of canned strained tomatoes (uncooked tomatoes, salt)
  • 1 onion wedge, finely sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 leaves fresh basil
  • salt

Preparation

  1. Sauté the onion wedge in the olive oil at medium-high heat until translucent.
  2. Add the strained tomatoes.
  3. Stir until the tomatoes start to boil, then turn down to low.
  4. Simmer for 40 minutes with lid on, stirring every 10 minutes and making sure the boil is always gentle.
  5. Adjust the salt to taste and optionally add a leaf or two of fresh basil.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2010/11/basic-tomato-sauce.html