Summer is here and I’d rather not eat a heavy sauce. This sauce is so easy anyone can make it, but yet it’s satisfying. Seriously, I could eat this dish every night of the week.
Forget the jar. Freeze this rich, meaty, pasta sauce for instant comfort on cold nights.
If you’ve got an upcoming bumper crop of tomatoes consider making your own Pomodoro Sauce. Please, please, please don’t add sugar to this sauce because it tastes better without it in my not-so humble opinion.
Most of us are busy and really don’t have lots of time to cook. A slow cooker is perfect for Bolognese sauce. When you get home from a long day all you need to do is boil the pasta of your choice. If you have leftover sauce then by all means freeze it for another night’s dinner.
If you’re still gathering tomatoes from your garden or coming across beauties at your local farmers’ market then make this Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce. Make a double batch and freeze half. You’ll thank yourself in the gloom of midwinter.
Is your garden giving you tons or tomatoes? Are you enticed by the beautiful tomatoes at the Farmers’ Market? If you’re lucky enough to have an abundance of tomatoes then you just may want to make spaghetti sauce that stores away in the freezer. I know that I’ve had many occasions when I’ve needed to make a quickie dinner and was happy to be able to reach into my freezer for a delicious homemade sauce.
Easy Marinara Sauce
We all need an easy marinara sauce recipe to have on hand. This marinara sauce is great to use for a pasta dish or as a dipping sauce. This recipe is easy so you don’t need to purchase prepared jarred sauces. Besides many of the jarred sauces contain sugar, which I find unnecessary.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Chopped Garlic Clove
28 Ounces Crushed Tomatoes
3 Fresh Chopped Basil Leaves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Red Wine
Add the olive oil to a large-size sauté pan. Turn the heat to medium-high. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes until lightly browned. Add tomatoes, kosher salt, wine and basil. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Turn heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer to serving bowl for dip or over cooked pasta of your choice. Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce.
Macadamia Nut Pesto
I absolutely LOVE macadamia nuts and have never been that wild about pine nuts so I decided to try making pesto with macadamia nuts instead. This pesto turned out to be the best pesto I’ve ever tasted. You can use it in pasta dishes or anything that you would make with regular pesto. I grilled brined pork chops and garnished them with a dollop of my Macadamia Nut Pesto.
INGREDIENTS
3 Garlic Cloves
2 1/2 Cups Packed Fresh Basil Leaves
1/4 Cup Whole Macadamia Nuts
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/2 Cup Grated Romano, Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese
You will need a heavy duty blender or food processor for this recipe. Wash and dry the fresh basil leaves. You will want to make sure to get any dirt and grit off of them. Add the garlic, basil leaves and macadamia nuts to your blender or food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are coarse. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and pulse until nice and smooth. Transfer to a storage container with a tight lid. Right before you are going to use the pesto mix in the grated cheese. Makes about 1 cup
Healthy Puttanesca Pasta Dinner
This classic spicy Italian sauce satisfies with plenty of flavor without the oil or anchovies. If you want to make this pasta dish extra healthy then used whole wheat pasta.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Vegetable Broth
1 Cup Diced Onion
5 Minced Garlic Cloves
1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
6 Cups Diced Plum Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Chopped Kalamata Olives
3 Tablespoons Capers
3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley
3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil
3 Tablespoons Fresh Minced Oregano
16 Ounces Cooked Pasta
In a large size skillet heat the broth for 1 minute over a medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olives and capers. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, basil and oregano. Serve over cooked pasta. Serves 6
Creamy Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Your family will love this quick pasta dish that is easy enough to make any night of the week. Makes good left-overs too!
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 Cups Uncooked Dried Gemelli Pasta
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Cups Broccoli Florets
1 Cup Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Butter
1 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
6 Ounces Cooked Chicken Strips
1/2 Cup Cooked & Chopped Bacon
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Extra Shredded Parmesan Cheese For Garnish
Cook the pasta in a large size pot filled with salted water until al dente. Remove from the heat and drain in a colander. DO NOT rinse the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot and place a lid on the pot to keep warm. In a medium size sauté pan melt 3 tablespoons of butter over a medium heat for 1 minute. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes until the broccoli is crisp and tender. In a medium size saucepan add the whipping cream and 1/4 cup of butter. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Cook over a medium low heat for 6 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove from the heat and pour the Parmesan sauce over the pasta. Add the broccoli, cooked chicken, bacon and garlic powder. Gently stir until well mixed. Transfer into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese if you like. Serves 6
