Category: Entrees – Pastas/Sauces

Servings: 4
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Source: Kathy T2

Serve Sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese

Ingredients: 

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 onion chopped
3/4 lb. plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, halved and pitted
8 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded
1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 lb. arugula leaves
salt and pepper to taste.

Directions: 

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the garlic and onion until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook 4 minutes .
3. Add the pepper and saute until soft, approx. 4 minutes.
4. Stir in the olives, herbs, red pepper flakes.
5. Add the arugula and cook until wilted.
6. Season to taste.

Servings: 2-3
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: https://www.recipetineats.com/mie-goreng/

These noodles tossed in a sticky savoury sweet sauce originates from Indonesia but is also popular in Malaysia. With chicken, prawns, vegetables and the signature egg ribbons, it’s pretty fully loaded! They’re commonly made by street vendors with instant noodles which give it the familiar crinkly noodle look, but feel free to use any noodles you want. (PS Ketchup is authentic!)

Ingredients: 

NOODLES – Use one of the following (Note 1):
3 instant noodle cakes (I use this)
250g/8oz fresh egg noodles , thin to medium
150g / 5oz dried egg noodles , thin to medium

SAUCE:
2 tbsp kecap manis (or dark sweet soy sauce) (Note 2)
2 tsp light soy sauce (or normal soy, Note 3)
2 tsp dark soy sauce , or more light soy sauce (Note 3)
1 tbsp oyster sauce (Note 4)
2 tbsp ketchup (yes really!)
1 tsp sambal oelak, chilli paste or Sriracha (adjust spiciness to taste)
2 tsp sesame oil

STIR FRIED NOODLES:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs , lightly whisked
3 garlic cloves , finely chopped
120g/4oz chicken breast or thigh , sliced thinly into small bite size pieces
100g/3.5oz prawns/shrimp , raw, peeled and deveined (smaller are better)
2 cups cabbage , finely sliced (any green or white cabbage)
1 cup beansprouts
3 green onions , cut into 5cm/2″ lengths (green and white part)

Directions: 

Mix the Sauce in a bowl.
Prepare noodles per packet directions just before cooking.

EGG RIBBONS:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in egg, swirl to coat base. Cook 1 minute until mostly set, then flip (do your best!).
Slide onto cutting board, roll up into loose “wrap”. Slice into 1cm/ 1/3″ thick pieces – you now have egg ribbons!

COOKING:
Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in same skillet over HIGH heat.
Add garlic and chicken, cook until half surface turns white.
Add prawns and cook for 1 minute until chicken is mostly cooked.
Add cabbage and bean sprouts, toss for 1 minute until a bit wilted.
Add noodles, green onions and Sauce, toss for 1 – 2 minutes until Sauce reduces and noodles caramelise a bit.
Toss through egg ribbons and serve immediately!

Note 1. Noodles – use any yellow / wheat noodles you want, not rice noodles. Instant noodles (like you get in ramen and Maggi Noodles packets) is actually quite commonly used across South East Asia! I love the crinkly look – it’s familiar and authentic!

Note 2. Kecap Manis – sweet, intense flavoured soy sauce. Syrupy consistency, sauce used in Indonesian and Malaysian cooking (like Indonesian Nasi Goreng – Fried Rice). Sold in Asian section at large supermarkets in Australia (Woolies, Coles). OR use Dark Sweet Soy Sauce (very similar).

Note 3. Soy sauces – the dark soy sauce stains the noodles darker brown and has a more intense soy flavour than light soy sauce. Light soy adds saltiness to dishes but doesn’t stain noodles. Can sub Dark Soy with more light soy or all purpose. DO NOT sub the light soy with more dark soy sauce – too intense!

Note 4. Oyster Sauce – if you can’t consume, sub with Vegetarian Mushroom “Oyster Sauce”, now available at major supermarkets in Australia like Woolies.

Note 5. Recipe source – Original source from a cookbook I borrowed from the library many years ago, unfortunately I can’t remember the name!

Servings: 8
Preheat: 425
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/baked-ziti-with-sausage.html

This dish is a MAJOR family pleaser. It’s similar to meat lasagna but without the fuss, easy enough for a weeknight but also special enough for company, and it makes a great prep-ahead potluck dish.

Ricotta cheese is a traditional addition to baked ziti, but I leave it out because it has a tendency to get dry and grainy when baked. I use heavy cream to add richness instead. As for the mozzarella, I recommend buying whole milk mozzarella (the kind in plastic-wrapped bricks sold in the dairy case) and shredding it yourself. It has a somewhat rubbery texture that’s easy to shred and melts beautifully. Pre-shredded mozzarella is tossed with anti-caking agents, so it doesn’t melt as nicely. And fresh mozzarella is best suited for salads, as it doesn’t melt well. Finally, many grocers sell bulk Italian sausage, which is simply ground sausage without the casings. If you can’t find it, you can ask your butcher to take the meat out of the casings or do it yourself.

Make Ahead: This dish can be assembled and refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days in advance. Since the dish will be cold, the baking time will need to be increased. To bake, cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in a 425°F oven for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned and the pasta is hot throughout.

Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The dish can be frozen unbaked. When you’re ready to cook it, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then proceed with the Make Ahead instructions above.

Ingredients: 

1 lb ziti noodles
1.5 lbs ground spicy or sweet Italian sausage (or removed from casings)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano) cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

Directions: 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti according to the package directions for very al dente, about 7 minutes. (It will continue to cook in the oven so you want to under cook it just a bit.) Drain and add the pasta back to the pot. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425°F and set the oven rack in the middle position.
Heat a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan and set over low heat (if you don’t have enough fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil). Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Add the heavy cream, 1/3 cup of the Pecorino Romano, cooked sausage, and basil to the pan; stir until evenly combined. Carefully pour the contents of the sauté pan into the large pot with the pasta and gently stir to combine. Spoon half of the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella and half of the remaining Pecorino Romano. Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Pecorino Romano. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with more basil and serve.

Servings: 4
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019816-vegetarian-carbonara-with-spinach?utm_source

This spinach-laden carbonara deviates from the standard by nixing two of its leading ingredients: custardy egg yolks, which create its silky texture, and cured meat, which delivers its salty punch. This egg-free version uses a combination of butter and starchy pasta cooking water to give the sauce body. A sprinkle of grated smoked Provolone or Gouda adds a bit of the earthy flavor that traditionally comes from guanciale or pancetta. The final coup? Adding greens: One entire pound of baby spinach may look like a gargantuan amount, but it wilts right into the pasta. Most importantly, don’t be shy with the black pepper: It adds a necessary dose of spice and heat.

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound spaghetti
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound fresh baby spinach
Red-pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
¾ cup grated Parmesan (2 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup grated smoked Provolone or Gouda (1 1/2 ounces)

Directions: 

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 2 cups cooking water and drain the pasta. Return the pasta and reserved cooking water to the pot and heat over low. Add the butter and onion-garlic mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid is absorbed and sauce is slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach, season with salt, plenty of pepper and red-pepper flakes, if using, and stir until spinach is wilted. Stir in the Parmesan and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

Divide the pasta among 4 bowls and top each with 2 tablespoons smoked cheese. Finish with more black pepper, if desired.

Servings: 4
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Source: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/recipe/pasta-puttanesca-recipe/

Use canned plum tomatoes if you can. Fresh tomatoes don’t lend the same flavor to this pasta. To get them to the right consistency for the tomato puree called for in the recipe, remove them from the can and crush them with a fork or by hand. Also note that the sliced garlic is added to the oil cold. If you add minced garlic to hot oil, it can burn very quickly.I always rinse capers, whether they are salt-packed or in brine. Then I squeeze them dry before using them. The brine has particular flavor that, to me, distracts from the capers. If using salt-packed anchovies, those should be rinsed as well. Anchovies packed in oil don’t need to be rinsed.You can start the pasta before you begin making the sauce, although if making this for the first time, it’s probably easier to make the sauce, set it aside, then rewarm it again before adding the warm pasta and a bit of the pasta water, until you get the rhythm down. Make sure to reserve some of the pasta water to finish the pasta in the tangy tomato sauce.

Ingredients: 

2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
5-6 anchovy filets, minced
3 tablespoons capers, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup (40g) chopped, pitted black olives, preferably oil cured
1 3/4 cups (14oz can, 390g) tomato puree (see headnote)
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
7 ounces (200g) dried pasta

Directions: 

1. Make the sauce by putting the olive oil, garlic, and minced anchovies in a large, wide skillet. Heat the pan over medium heat, cooking the garlic and anchovies, stirring frequently, until the garlic is lightly browned and the anchovies are very soft and almost melting, about 2 minutes.Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water to cook the pasta in.
2. Add the olives, capers, and red pepper flakes to the skillet, and stir for a minute, then add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Continue to cook, and stir, until the sauce is a deeper red color and the consistency of warm jam, which will take a couple of minutes. You want it wet and loose, but not watery. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. When the pasta water is boiling, add the pasta and cook it until it’s al dente. Just before the pasta is ready, rewarm the sauce. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the water, and add the pasta to the sauce warming in the pan, as well as 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, stirring until the sauce coats the pasta and everything is heated through.

Serving: The pasta doesn’t really need any accompaniment so I don’t serve it with cheese or another else on top.

Storage: The sauce can be made 2-3 days in advance and refrigerated.

Variations: Some people add a bit of fresh, chopped parsley to the sauce, or dried oregano. I don’t, but you’re welcome to.

Servings: 2 (recipe says 4, but it probably isn’t enough for 1 lb pasta)
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 45 min
Source: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/spicy-tomato-and-squid-pasta.html

I altered this recipe, and cooked the squid for 30 minutes *in the sauce*, so the flavor is preserved and it gets soft.

Note, there are variations on this at
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/calamari-fra-diavolo.html
and
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/linguine-with-spicy-calamari.html

Ingredients: 

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp. anchovy paste or one filet
1 can (14.5 oz.) crushed tomatoes with juice
Salt, to taste, plus 2 Tbs.
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. gemelli, fusilli or other spiral-shaped pasta
1 lb. cleaned squid, bodies cut into strips or rings

Directions: 

In a large fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 Tbs. of the parsley, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion starts to color but not brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in the anchovy paste or filet and tomatoes and sauté until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper. Add squid and simmer for 30 minutes.

Servings: 1
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: Pok Pok by Andy Ricker

SERVES 1 AS A ONE-PLATE MEAL !!!
I edited ingredients slightly to facilitate purchasing of common items.
Note, the tamarind water and palm sugar syrup can/should be made ahead of time and frozen.

Ingredients: 

SHRIMP AND SAUCE
1 tablespoon medium-size dried shrimp, rinsed and patted dry
3 tablespoon Tamarind Water, page 275
2 tablespoons plus ¾ teaspoon palm sugar simple syrup, page 275
1 ½ tablespoons Thai fish sauce

STIR FRY
2 ¼ ounces (dried “phat thai” noodles, soaked in lukewarm water for about 10 minutes
2 tablespoons rendered pork fat or vegetable oil
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 ¼ ounces extra firm tofu, cut into small pieces about 1” X ½“ X ¼“, about ¼ cup
1 tablespoon shredded salted radish, soaked in water 10 minutes then drained
2 ounces bean sprouts (about 1 cup, lightly packed)
2 ounces medium shrimp (about 4), shelled and deveined
¼ cup very coarsely chopped (about 1-inch lengths) garlic chives or scallions, plus a pinch or two for finishing
2 generous tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

TO SERVE ALONGSIDE
2 small lime wedges
fish sauce
granulated sugar
Vinegar soaked chiles
Toasted chile powder

Directions: 

TOAST THE SHRIMP AND MAKE THE SAUCE

Heat a small dry pan or wok over medium heat, add the dried shrimp, and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re dry all the way through and slightly crispy, about 5 minutes. Set them aside in a small bowl. Covered at room temperature, they’ll keep for up to 1 week.

Combine the tamarind water, simple syrup, and fish sauce in a small bowl and stir well. Measure ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons, discarding the rest.

SOAK THE NOODLES AND STIR-FRY THE DISH

Soak the noodles in lukewarm water until they’re very pliable but not fully soft, about 20 minutes. Drain them well and snip them into approximately 8-inch lengths just before stir-frying.

Heat 3 large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat (or a wok over vary high heat), add the pork fat, and swirl it to coat the sides. When it begins to smoke lightly, crack the egg into the center of the pan (it should spit and sizzle violently and the whites should bubble and puff). Add the tofu, radish, and dried shrimp beside the egg. If you’re using a skillet, decrease the heat to medium; if you’re using a wok, keep the heat very high.

Cook, stirring everything but the egg, until the edges of the egg are light golden brown, about 1 minute, then flip the egg (it’s fine if the yolk breaks), break the egg into several pieces with the spatula, and stir everything together well.

Add the noodles and bean sprouts, and stir-fry (constantly stirring, scooping, and flipping) until the noodles and bean sprouts have softened slightly; about 1 minute.

Add the shrimp, then stir the tamarind mixture once more and add it to the pan. Stir—fry, making sure the shrimp get plenty of time on the hot surface, until they are cooked through, just about all the liquid has evaporated, and the noodles are fully tender and no longer look gloppy or clumpy, 2 to 4 minutes.

Add the chives and 1 tablespoon of the peanuts. Stir-fry briefly, then transfer it all to a plate, sprinkle on the remaining peanuts and chives, and serve with the lime wedges. Season to taste with the fish sauce, sugar, vinegar—soaked chiles, and chile powder.

Servings: 4
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Source: The Classic Italian Cookbook, Marcella Hazan

NOTE
The meatballs can be prepared entirely ahead of time and refrigerated for several days.

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup milk
1 slice firm, fine-quality white bread, crust removed
1 pound lean beef, preferably from the neck, ground
1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 egg
A tiny pinch of nutmeg or marjoram
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Vegetable oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper, 3 to 4 twists of the mill
Fine, dry unflavored bread crumbs
1 cup canned Italian tomatoes, cut up, with their juice

Directions: 

Put the milk and the bread in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mash the bread with a fork and blend it uniformly into the milk. Set aside and let cool before proceeding with the next step.

In a mixing bowl put the chopped meat, onion, parsley, egg, nutmeg or marjoram, grated Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of oil, the bread and milk mush, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Mix everything thoroughly but gently by hand.

Gently, without squeezing, shape the mixture into small round balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll the meatballs lightly in the bread crumbs.

Choose a skillet, large enough to hold all the meatballs in a single layer, with a cover. Pour in oil until it is ¼ inch deep. Turn on the heat to medium high, and when the oil is quite hot slip in the meatballs. (Sliding them in with a broad spatula is a good way of doing it. Dropping them in will splatter hot oil over you and your kitchen floor.) Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them carefully so that they don’t break up or stick to the pan.

When well browned turn off the heat, tip the pan slightly, and remove as much of the fat that floats to the surface as you can with a spoon. Turn on the heat to medium, add the chopped tomatoes with their juice and 34 teaspoon of salt, and turn the meatballs over once or twice with care, so that they don’t break up. Cover the skillet and cook until the tomato has thickened into sauce, about 25 minutes. While cooking, turn the meatballs over from time to time, and taste for salt.

Servings: 4-5
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: http://www.sfchronicle.com/food/top-100-2015/article/Recipe-Delfina-s-Spaghetti-6261408.php

Sixteen years after opening Delfina, the restaurant’s signature spaghetti remains on the menu, a simple dish with a cult following. The sauce has just a few ingredients; the secrets are preparing the canned tomatoes, and then partially cooking the pasta in water and finishing it in the sauce. You will have leftover sauce; it freezes well.

Ingredients: 

2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole plum tomatoes (such as Di Napoli)
3 cups water
5 cloves garlic, peeled
Kosher salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Hot red pepper flakes, to taste
Leaves from ½ bunch fresh basil
1 pound high-quality durum wheat spaghetti (such as Rustichella d’Abruzzo)
1½ ounces “finishing” (flavorful, high-quality) extra virgin olive oil
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions: 

Remove the tomatoes from the can, one at a time. Break each one open and scrape out the seeds with your hand, allowing the juice and seeds to fall back into the can. Drop the seeded tomatoes into a bowl.

When all of the tomatoes are seeded, break them up with your hands and strain the juice from the cans back over them. Pour the 3 cups of water into the cans, then pour that through the strainer into the bowl with the tomatoes.

Place the garlic cloves on a cutting board. Smash each one with the side of a chef’s knife and smear it slightly with a sprinkling of kosher salt.

Scrape the smashed garlic and salt into an 8-quart heavy-bottom pot. Add the olive oil, set over medium-low heat, cover and stew slowly until the garlic is soft and melted in texture but not browned, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes along with their juice and the water to the pot. Season with some salt, pepper and a touch of hot red pepper flakes. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, skimming the foam but not the oil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, until the oil has emulsified with the rest of the ingredients and the sauce has reduced by approximately two thirds, about 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 2/3 of the basil leaves. You should have about 5 cups of sauce.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes — it will not be cooked through. Drain and reserve a coffee mug (8- to 12 ounces) full of the pasta cooking water.

Ladle about 3 cups of the sauce into the pasta pot. (Save the remaining 2 cups sauce for another use.) Add the partially cooked pasta to the sauce, along with about 8 ounces of the pasta cooking water and bring to a boil. Continue to cook rapidly for approximately 7 more minutes, tossing and stirring to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add more pasta water if the pasta needs to cook a little more.

This process allows the pasta to absorb some of the sauce. Additionally, the pasta releases starch which thickens the sauce and helps it cling to the pasta. This way it doesn’t run off of the spaghetti and sit on the bottom of the bowl. The last bite of pasta should bring the last bit of sauce with it.

Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste, and drizzle with the finishing extra virgin olive oil. Roughly tear the remaining basil leaves and toss them in.

Divide the between serving plates, and top with lots of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 45 min
Source: Gourmet October 1993
Double recipe for leftovers. Likely will need more broth/water, particularly after standing with added pasta

Ingredients
1/4 cup diced pancetta or 2 slices of bacon, chopped
1 sm onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sm rib of celery, chopped fine
1 carrot, sliced thin
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
16 oz can white beans, rinsed well and drained
16 oz can tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/3 cup tubetti or other sm tubular pasta
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
freshly grated Parmesan as an accompaniment

Directions
In a heavy saucepan cook the pancetta over moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, and in the remaining fat cook the onion and the garlic, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the celery, the carrot, and the broth and simmer the mixture, covered, for 5 minutes.
In a bowl mash 1/3 cup of the beans, stir them into the pancetta mixture with the remaining whole beans and the tomatoes, and simmer the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the tubetti, simmer the soup, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente, and if desired thin the soup with water. Let the soup stand off the heat, covered, for 5 minutes, stir in the parsley, and serve the soup in bowls sprinkled with the Parmesan.