Friday 25 April 2014

Home-made (Tomato based) Pasta Sauce











 



Ready-made sauces are available in plenty now-a-days, yet nothing can beat the taste of home-made sauce with fresh ingredients. With some Italian Herbs, widely available in the market and fresh vegetables, we can make excellent sauce which goes very well with Pasta as well as Pizza.
  
Ingredients:

Large Ripe Tomatoes (cut into wedges) – 5 to 6
Big Onion (roughly chopped) – 1 to 2
Garlic Cloves (cut into quarters) – 5 to 6
Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum (cut into small dices) – 1 (optional)
Red Chili Powder – 1 to 2 tsp. (according to the spice level)
Salt – to taste

Seasoning:

Italian Mixed Herbs – ½ tsp.
Dried Basil – 1 to 2 tsp.
Dried Parsley flakes – 1 tsp.
(Or) Fresh Parsley leaves – few stalks
Olive Oil – 1 tbsp. & 1 tsp.

Method:

In a pan pour 1 tsp. of oil and add garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes, now add tomatoes and sauté for few more minutes. Switch off and let it cool.  Grind the above in a mixer/blender and set aside.

Pour 1 tbsp. of Olive oil in a pan and add the Italian mixed herbs, followed by dried basil.  Stir in the capsicum and sauté for few minutes. Now reduce the heat and cook for few more minutes until the capsicum is cooked well.  Now add the ground mixture, along with red chili powder and salt and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.  Garnish with fresh or dried parsley.  Delicious home-made pasta sauce is ready to serve with pasta.
 This can be used for Pizza as well.


Tips Tips Tips...


Along with Bell Pepper/Capsicum, you can also add diced Button Mushrooms, Carrots, Beans, to enhance the taste as well as nutrition.



Pasta Shells topped with Sauce and Cheese!





 
 


Pasta with Tomato, Garlic & Basil Sauce


 




Spirals from San Remo!

 

Gnocchetti Sardi from granoro!



Penne Pasta!
 

 There are different varieties of pasta available, take the pasta of your choice, cook  Al dente and serve with pasta sauce. It will be an instant hit with children and adults alike.
 

How to Cook Pasta?

Pasta should not be too soft or too hard, it’s best to cook pasta 3/4th, which is firm to bite. This is what we called ‘al dente’.

For 1 to 2 cups of pasta, pour 4 to 6 cups of water in a large pot and add a tsp. of Olive oil and salt to taste.  When the water boils, add the pasta and cook until firm, not too soft.  Drain the pasta and save the drained water to add it to sauce later.  Adding the drained water enhances the taste. (Quarter to half a cup will be fine.)

As you drain, rinse the pasta in cold water, so that the pasta doesn’t stick to one another.

Now mix the sauce with pasta, (or serve the pasta topped with sauce) garnish with Parsley and/grated Cheese, serve hot.

 For Home-made Pasta sauce recipe, refer to:
http://singaporechettinadrecipes.blogspot.sg/2014/04/home-made-tomato-based-pasta-sauce.html
 
 
Cooked Al dente!
 


With Sauce on top..
 
 
Mixed with Sauce!