Things I Don't Buy Part II: Pasta Sauce

Pesto from a jar is upsetting and you can make a better one in 5 minutes!

This is the second post in my “Things I Don't Buy” series. The goal is to give readers tools for more “from scratch” cooking at home without spending a lot of money or time. Cooking from scratch helps you learn about where your food comes from and allows you to control what goes into it, while skipping some of the chemicals in processed foods. Plus, it tastes better.

We Deserve Better

I remember the first time I ate pre-made pesto from a jar. I can’t tell you when or where. I don’t remember who I was with or why I had this pre-made pesto in my possession. Perhaps it’s because my brain is trying to protect me by blocking out everything but the terrible taste to deter me from ever eating such an abomination again.

The beauty of pesto is fresh basil, and adding the preservatives necessary to turn it into an off-the-shelf product takes that away. Look up what pesto in a jar looks like (because I’m not trying to get in trouble for showing any particular brand) and note the dark, faded green.

Now, take a look at a pesto I made in five minutes with eight ingredients:

It’s hard to ignore the difference. We deserve fresh, beautiful sauces, and we don’t have to stand over a stove all day to get them. Today I’m sharing three easy pasta sauce recipes I’ve been making for years that always satisfy.

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Pesto

This is a super simple, classic pesto. No secret ingredients or frills. We have the northern Mediterranean coast of Italy to thank for this gorgeous, herbaceous sauce, which was traditionally made with a mortar and pestle. These days, a food processor is the main method.

Ingredients:

• 1 c fresh, packed basil leaves (I also throw in some fresh parsley from time to time)

• 2 TB pine nuts (Which can be quite expensive. You can cut costs by using sunflower seeds instead.)

• 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

• 2-3 garlic cloves

• 1 TB lemon juice (I often just squeeze in half a lemon, which is usually a bit more than 1 TB)

• 1/4 c olive oil

• Salt and black pepper to taste

Put the basil in the food processor first and pulse a few times to break down the leaves and make room for the rest of the ingredients. Next, add everything else but the olive oil: the garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Pulse until combined. You may have to scrape down the sides with a spatula in between pulses to make sure everything gets chopped up. Now, time for the olive oil. If your food processor has a lid that allows you to slowly pour in the oil while the machine is on, use that. If not, pour in small amounts of olive oil at a time and blend in between until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. If you feel your pesto is still too chunky, you can add a little more oil or a splash of water. Taste and adjust salt/pepper if you wish.

When making pasta with pesto, reserve at least 1/2 c of the pasta water before draining the noodles. The starch in the water helps the sauce grab onto the pasta. Pour the pesto on top of the hot pasta, add the starchy water, and toss. Top with more parmesan.

Pesto can be used a variety of ways in addition to being a pasta sauce. Try it on toast, add it to mayonnaise to make an aioli, get creative! Store leftover pesto in an airtight container up to a week.

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Alfredo

This recipe makes me happy. It’s creamy and cheesy and comforting. It’s a dish I make to cheer myself up on a bad day. The original sauce was just butter and parmesan, and that was enough because the ingredients were so high-quality. If you really want to kick up this sauce a notch, treat yourself to some really good butter and swap out garlic powder for roasted garlic. Some readers may recall a pumpkin version of this recipe I published at Halloween in which I used raw minced garlic. Raw garlic does add a bit of crunch to this ultra-creamy sauce, if that’s your jam. This time I’m going for a totally smooth texture and minimal steps to get there, hence the garlic powder. I also consider the addition of fresh ricotta my secret weapon because it makes the sauce even thicker and creamier.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter

• 1 c heavy cream

• 1 1/2 c shredded parmesan

• 1/2 c fresh ricotta

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

• Salt and black pepper to taste (I start with 1 tsp each)

Note: I start this sauce while the water for my pasta is heating up. Try to time your cooking so the pasta and sauce are finished around the same time. Alfredo can go from creamy to glue-y real quick if the sauce or noodles aren’t hot. For the amounts listed above, 1 lb. of fettuccine (1 box) works great.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. You don’t want the heat to be too high for this recipe to avoid burning the butter or cream. Once the butter melts, pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Leave it for a few minutes, until the mixture simmers. Don’t let it boil! When you see small, foamy bubbles, take the skillet off the heat and stir in the parmesan until it’s melted into the sauce. Return the skillet to the heat and stir in the ricotta until it’s incorporated into the sauce. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Taste. Adjust seasoning if desired.

Add the hot, cooked pasta to the skillet and toss until the noodles are coated. Serve immediately. This recipe does not make for great leftovers—the butter will separate from the rest of the sauce when you reheat—so make sure to invite over plenty of friends to share this with!

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Do these recipes sound delicious? Got questions? Horrified by my takes on Italian cuisine? Let me know!

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Arrabbiata with Sausage

Arrabbiata means “angry”, a nod to the spiciness of this Roman, tomato-based sauce. I’ve referenced this dish before in Makans of a Chef, in a post about a cooking class in Florence, Italy and my silly little ego being rightfully crushed. Because of that class, I typically make arrabbiata sauce with fettuccine and add spicy Italian sausage. It’s often eaten with short, sturdy pasta shapes like penne and rigatoni and can certainly be made without the meat. In doing some research for this post I also learned a classic arrabbiata sauce doesn’t use onions. But I’m Slavic, and we put onions in everyhing. Oh well.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. spicy Italian sausage (bulk is easier, or you can also take the sausage out of its casing)

• 1 small yellow onion

• 4-5 cloves of garlic

• 28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes

• 3 TB tomato paste

• 1 TB red pepper flakes

• 2 TB fresh chopped parsley

• A sprinkle of brown sugar (I’ll explain later)

• Salt to taste

• Olive oil

Start by dicing the onion and mincing the garlic, then set aside.

Next, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces and stirring until cooked through. Drain off the grease and set aside.

Heat a medium or large stock pot over medium high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Drop in the diced onions and cook 3-5 minutes, until fragrant and translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium-low, then stir in the tomato paste until the mixture is combined and thick.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and bring the sauce to a simmer. This generally takes about 10 minutes. When the sauce is simmering, drop in the cooked sausage and fresh parsley. Stir and let it come to a simmer once again—how long it takes will depend on how much the sausage has cooled off. Taste. At this point, I sprinkle in a bit of brown sugar to mellow out the acidity of the tomatoes and add a little sweetness under the spice of the red pepper flakes. Do that and then taste again and notice how the flavors have changed. Salt to taste.

You can pour all the sauce over cooked pasta and toss to combine before serving, or spoon it over the pasta on each plate, like the picture above. I also add a dollop of ricotta seasoned with salt and pepper and some fresh basil, if I have it.

Final Thoughts

Buying a sauce off the grocery store shelf is easy and convenient, but there’s little reward. You can buy a can of tomatoes or a bunch of fresh basil and make something infinitely more satisfying without an overwhelming amount of work. As always, I encourage everyone to work with these recipes to find what fits your taste. Buon appetito!