Posted on 06/03/2005 11:45:40 AM PDT by ken5050
It's a quiet Friday...no crazy Dems in the Senate to entertain us until Monday, and I can't stand the Michael Jackson trial, so I thought I'd get a foodie thread going. Italian food is the food of the gods, and the basis of most recipies is a great marinara sauce. I like mine, but I'm always looking to improve. So, there are a couple of variations I'd like to explore..
I've always used the canned Italian tomatoes. Some say that the California tomatoes have a sweeter taste.
Do you ever add tomato paste? Some recipies say yes, some no. I like the richer taste it adds..
Which aromatics do you use? Onion. celery, carrot? Basil and/or bay leaves? And how much garlic.
I know much of this is choice, to one's taste...but by the same token, have you ever tasted a sauce that was just pure perfection, and you wonder how it happened?
So, any tricks, quirks, hints..like a little wine, or a dash of fresh lemon juice..some even toss in a dash of sugar..
How about a basic recipe?!
I love the basics, good canned tomatoes (fresh ones are never fresh enough), onions, garlic, fresh basil. A little olive oil too, but that's about it.
Lots of lots of wine! Hey, it might even be good to try IN the sauce. :) I like adding crushed red pepper too.
I usually start with a cold can of beer.
I then go into the pantry and grab a jar of whatever the wifee bought.
Drink beer
Pour about 4 tablespoons garlic salt in the jar (sometimes you have to slurp some sauce out so the salt will fit)
Drink beer
Serve.
Ping
You left out drink beer
I'm marking to read and hopefully save this later! I just looooove tomatoes!!!!
CRAP, I knew I would forget soemthng. I left the empty beer can in the pantry.
I purposely avoided posting it..there are sooo many variations...and that's what I'm looking for..the little gems..
Someone put up a BBQ thread last friday that had some great stuff. can't find it though
In the northeast..thee are maybe three weeks where the tomatoes are just ripe enough..so you have to used canned..
You forgot the pasta.
I live in Iowa so you'd think that we'd have great tomatoes. I honestly can't remember the last time I had a good tomato- it's been years. :(
I agree and it goes beyond just pasta too.
I love to cook and some of my favorite dishes to make are Italian.
My lasagna, manicotti and chicken cacciatore are to die for.
add some pesto, maybe?
Totally diffeent tastes....
Do you ever make a bolognese sauce?..Mine's awesome..
What's the pasta for, I thought we were drinking beer?
Shrimp Marinara with Pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 pound peeled, cleaned, deveined medium shrimp
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes, diced
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried leaf basil
dash cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper
cooked pasta
In a medium saucepan, heat oil; cook onion, green pepper, and garlic until tender. Add chopped tomatoes with liquid, tomato paste, and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp. cover and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until shrimp are tender.
Serve shrimp marinara with hot cooked pasta.
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