tomato sauce Archives - Poor Man's Gourmet Kitchen

Bolognese Sauce with Pappardelle Pasta

Large red pot on the stove top, 3/4 full of homemade Bolognese Sauce.

The Best Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese is a sauce made by sautéing Sofrito, chopped onion, carrot and celery, which is then cooked with minced meat and slowly boiled with diced tomatoes, sauce, tomato paste and red wine. It’s cooked and stewed for several hours, on low heat, to allow the meat to soften and tenderize as the flavor concentrates through the power of reduction. The very best Bolognese Sauce will melt in your mouth with your favorite pasta and will comfort you like any stew or hot chili on a cold winter’s day.

Sofrito: Chopped Celery, Carrot and White Onion.

3 lbs of minced meat; 1 lbs ground Beef, 1 lbs ground Lamb and 1 lbs of ground Italian Sausage.

The origins of the Bolognese Sauce

Bologna Italy is normally considered to be the birth place of this amazing dish known as Bolognese Sauce but, the truth is, it originated just outside of town in a place called Imola in the late 17th century. “It was then that Alberto Alvisi, the chef of the Cardial of Imola, cooked the first real tomato-based meat sauce, which was served with a plate of macaroni pasta.”

1 lbs bag of Pappardelle pasta nests and another 1 lbs bag of Tagliatelle pasta nests.

Bolognese Pasta

Most Americans know about spaghetti, a thin noodle with some type of Ragu or Marinara over the top, sometimes served with hamburger or Italian sausage and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. What many don’t know much about is other pasta’s and the do’s and don’ts with other sauce recipes.

Spaghetti, for example, is not suppose to be served with Bolognese Sauce. Though folks all over the world prepare it this way, there isn’t considered to be enough surface room to hold the sauce. Wider noodles, like Tagliatelle or Pappardelle are preferred. Shorter noodles like Rigatoni and Penne Regatta are also acceptable because they’re able to hold more sauce.

2 nests of Pasta: Pappardelle on the left and Tagliatelle on the right.

Plate of Pappardelle pasta with Bollognese Sauce and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

How to make Bolognese Sauce video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Bolognese Sauce Ingredients:

1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Large Carrot, diced
3 Celery Sticks, chopped
1 lbs Ground Beef
1 lbs Italian Sausage
1 lbs Ground Lamb
1 Cup Red Wine (half Vegie cook other half meat cook)
29 oz Can Tomato Sauce
5 oz Tomato Paste
14.5 oz Can Diced Tomato
1 cup milk, add last

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chopped Onion, Carrot and Celery should be approximately the same amounts.
Cook for 3 to 4 hours and add 1cup of water every hour or so and let it reduce to
soften and thicken the minced meat.

Preferred pasta: Tagliatelle Pasta, Pappardelle Noodles(really wide), Penne, Rigatoni pasta. NEVER use Spaghetti and top off each serving with fresh grated Parmesan.

Tomato and Cream Pink Sauce

What is Pink Sauce?

Pink Sauce is this incredible little secret that most Italians know about. It’s described in several different ways and has a few different versions of the recipe that can be found all over the web if you know what you’re looking for. It’s known as a Vodka Sauce, Tomato and Cream Sauce or simply a Pink Sauce. The first time I had it, though, I instantly fell in love with it, but it was called something entirely different, and unfortunately I don’t remember what the chef said when he recommend it to me. But, interestingly enough, it had seafood, bacon and peas in it and it was spicy. So Good!

This is just one of the ways I make it and it infuses the freshness of hand picked tomatoes with a few classic traditions and some not so classic. For example, I cook the pasta in the sauce instead of cooking it separately. The reason why I do this is for the sake of the sauce. I like to reduce it down so it gets thicker, but I also like the flavor of the Pink Sauce to be through in through my noodle. In this particular case, fully in beaded in the Rigatoni Pasta. Plus Rigatoni has those nice ridges around the outside, much like Penne Rigate, that helps to grip the sauce around the funnel noodle so you get a nice flavorful bite. Also, I use Red wine and Beef Broth, no vodka. I find that this works really well and you’re just going to have to trust me on this one because it’s really good.

Pink Sauce Ingredients:

1 lbs Rigatoni Pasta (Penne Rigate or Fettuccini is fine)

In a Blender combine the following
6 to 8 Roma Tomatoes (fill 3/4 of Blender)
1/2 Red Onion
5 fresh Basil Leaves
1 large Garlic Clove
2 cups Beef Broth
1 1/2 tbsp Italian Seasoning (Sage, Majoram, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme)
1 tbsp dried Oregano
2 tbsp Brown Sugar

Add Blender Ingredients to a hot Pan on the Stove

1 tbsp Sriracha (or Chile Flakes)
1 cup Whipping Creme
1/3 cup Red Wine
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste (usually not needed)

Spaghetti with Angel Hair Pasta

Just the Basics

This is one of the best Spaghetti dish’s I’ve ever had. The secret is in the simmer. You’ve got to let this baby reduce and get the most flavors you’ve ever loved from your favorite Italian seasonings, sink in and settle like little bombs for your taste buds to explode when they hit your tongue!

The meatballs are entirely another matter however and they are just as explosive. But, it’s something I haven’t decided to share with the rest of the world yet, and quite honestly I’ve misplaced my recipe’s “Exact” ingredients, so I’m sorry to say you’ll have to work with another recipe if you’re wanting Meatballs. In the meantime you can brown some Italian sausage and hamburger mix if you’d like to keep it simple and Americanized. I promise you it will be, almost as good! 😉

1/2 small onion, chopped (optional)
1 1/2-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (3 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (7 1/2 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 cup beef stock or bouillon (for a long period of simmering for flavors to meld. If you don’t want to simmer it as long, add less)
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine (a good Cabernet!)
1/2 lb Angel Hair Pasta
1/2 to taste parmesan cheese

Directions:
1 Add onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onions are softened.
2 Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and beef stock (bouillon).
3 Add basil, parsley, brown sugar, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.
4 Stir well and barely bring to a boil.
5 Stir in red wine.
6 Simmer on low, stirring frequently for at least an hour. A longer simmer makes for a better sauce, just be careful not to let it burn!
7 Cook the Angel Hair pasta Al dente. (This means under cook them and strain)
8 Add the pasta to the sauce and let it soak up the remaining liquid as it reduces, stirring frequently.
When the runniness is gone from the liquid, serve.