How to make pasta sauce like in Italy, recipes

“I love pasta, I burn with an unearthly love for it...” is sung in the famous song of Andrei Makarevich, and many will agree with them. Pasta is loved not only in Italy, but also in Russia, and in almost all other countries of the world. This dish has been known to people since ancient times. The most ancient pasta was found in China, on the banks of the Yellow River. Their length is 50 cm, and their age is about four thousand years.

The number of their species is not easy to calculate. Long and short, thick and thin, from durum and soft wheat varieties (or even from starch, like funchose), thread-like, tubular, curly... Everyone knows the usual names - horns, bows, feathers, shells. But Italian names also sound like music and are already familiar to consumers: spaghetti, pasta, ravioli...

These and many other types of pasta are popular and in constant demand. One of the reasons for this popularity is the speed and ease of their preparation. They can be cooked not only separately, but also added to soups, salads and other culinary dishes. They go well with a whole range of foods: meat, herbs, cheese, etc.

Tips before cooking

Every Italian housewife has a favorite pasta recipe.

But there are general recommendations that will help make this dish tasty and delicious:

It is better to chop the garlic rather than put it through a press. Also, it is not fried separately, but added to the dish;
the sauce will be rich if you cook it with broth;
Flour is used for thickening.

Some housewives use pasta sauce for barbecue. This includes tomato sauce with added seasonings that will go well with the meat.

Useful properties of pasta

In the same song mentioned above, there are also the following lines: “I love pasta, although they say it will ruin me...”. And also - “And I know with all my heart that there is no dish in the world that is tastier than this miracle, more harmful than it.” There have been conversations about the dangers of flour products in general and pasta in particular for a long time, but are they true? This can be judged by studying the composition of this popular product.

The main thing that pasta consists of is carbohydrates. They can make up more than half of the total weight of the dish, on average they occupy about 70%. Carbohydrates provide the body with the energy it needs and give a feeling of fullness. The share of proteins accounts for about 13% of the total volume, and the share of fat is very low and averages 0.6%. The average energy value is 340 Kcal per 100 grams of product.

Fiber, which this dish is also rich in, helps improve the functioning of the digestive system, and in addition, it helps cleanse blood vessels of cholesterol and improves cardiac activity.

If you analyze the content of microelements and vitamins, then of all pasta products, spaghetti has the greatest benefits. In addition to fiber and complex carbohydrates, they contain tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes healthy sleep and improves mood.

This dish contains a number of vitamins.

B vitamins:

thiamine (B1), which promotes the proper functioning of the nervous system;
riboflavin (B2), which speeds up metabolism and helps break down fats;
niacin (B3), which reduces irritability and apathy and helps normalize sleep;
pantothenic acid (B5), which increases metabolism and accelerates regeneration processes in tissues;
pyridoxine (B6), which promotes the production of serotonin - the “hormone of joy”, and also stimulates the production of red blood cells and improves protein metabolism.
folic acid (B9) is a necessary element for the synthesis of nucleic acid, which helps accelerate cell growth and division.

Vitamin A (retinol) is an effective antioxidant that helps maintain beauty, improves vision and boosts immunity.

Vitamin E (tocopherol) is another natural antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals, stimulate muscle activity and the functioning of all body systems, and also slow down the aging process.

In addition to vitamins, pasta contains a number of macroelements that are useful and necessary for humans: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium and sulfur. Microelements include silicon and iron.

Since pasta dishes, while providing the necessary energy, do not increase the glycemic index, they can be consumed by absolutely everyone. They are especially useful for people engaged in heavy physical labor, as well as athletes, since due to the type of activity their body requires an increased amount of complex carbohydrates.

Basic tomato sauce

You don't have to buy a lot of ingredients to make delicious spaghetti. One of the favorite foods of Italians is tomatoes. They make a wonderful pasta sauce.

Prepare the following ingredients:

3 tomatoes – it’s better to choose large ones;
5 tbsp. olive oil;
bulb;
salt.

Having prepared all the necessary ingredients, start preparing a simple but tasty tomato sauce:

Peel the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them. Then chop them finely.
Finely chop the onion.
Combine tomatoes, onions and olive oil in a saucepan. Pour the mixture with half a glass of water. Add salt to taste.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. There is no need to cover the dish with a lid. Cook the sauce for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you notice large pieces of tomatoes, crush them with a spoon.

This is the easiest way to make sauce without tomato paste. Even novice housewives can handle it. To make its taste richer during the cooking process, you can add Italian herbs or finely chopped fresh herbs - basil and oregano.

Bolognese: juicy minced meat and tomatoes

Pasta Bolognese is traditionally made from minced meat with the addition of fresh meaty tomatoes and a bouquet of spices. It is not advisable to use tomato paste here. Fry 250 g of minced beef in olive oil, constantly breaking up any lumps with a wooden spatula. When the minced meat lightens, pour in 100 ml of dry red wine and, continuing to stir, completely evaporate the excess liquid.

While the minced meat is being prepared, pour boiling water over 8 tomatoes, remove the skin, cut the pulp into cubes and place in a frying pan. After mixing the minced meat thoroughly, cover it with a lid and simmer for about 25–30 minutes over low heat. Then add chopped garlic, ground basil and oregano, salt and black pepper - all to taste. Simmer the sauce for another 10 minutes, after which you can add the pasta. Sprinkle it with grated Parmesan, stir and leave covered for a while.

Spaghetti sauce made from tomato paste

If you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand, you can use ready-made tomato sauce. To make it thick, add flour to it. The sauce will be tastier if made with meat or vegetable broth.

For preparation you will need:

5 tbsp. tomato paste;
200 ml broth or water;
bell pepper;
bulb;
1 tbsp. flour;
2 cloves of garlic;
Italian herbs;
2 tbsp. olive oil;
salt.

In stores you can find special tomato paste with all the necessary spices. This greatly simplifies the cooking process because the flavor balance is maintained.

Finely chop the onion and cut the pepper into small cubes.
Heat olive oil in a frying pan and fry vegetables for 5-7 minutes.
Also finely chop the garlic and add it to the paste along with the flour.
Then pour in the broth, tomato paste and season with Italian herbs.

At the end, add salt to taste and simmer for 5-7 minutes over low heat. This recipe is how to make tomato paste sauce. I would still recommend adding crushed tomatoes so that the gravy gets a rich and desired consistency.

History of origin

Italians call all flour products pasta, including spaghetti and ravioli. The main ingredients for preparation are wheat flour and water. Sometimes eggs are added. Recently, popular models have been made from exotic flour: barley, buckwheat, chickpeas, spelled, rye. Who is the ancestor of the paste, and when it appeared, is not known for certain.

Presumably, the start time of baking bread and making pasta coincides. Both are the result of working with the test. According to Roman bas-reliefs, the appearance of the product dates back to the 4th century BC.

Technologies were constantly changing and improving. Pasta in its modern form appeared in the 19th century. At the same time, Italian producers used durum wheat imported from Russia. Tomatoes began to be grown everywhere. The dish turned out to be not only attractive, but also healthy. Like mushrooms after rain, pasta factories began to open, and high-tech equipment for them was developed and produced.

Classic marinara recipe

If you or someone you love is a spicy fan, you'll love classic Italian marinara sauce. It is also tomato-based, but there is a special ingredient that gives it a spicy flavor – chili pepper or hot red pepper.

Also, to create marinara you will need:

3 large tomatoes;
5 tbsp. olive oil;
7 cloves of garlic;
salt;
basil leaves;
half tsp dried oregano.

Before cooking, prepare the tomatoes by scalding them with boiling water, peeling them and chopping them finely.

Place the frying pan over medium heat and heat the olive oil. Add finely chopped garlic.
After a couple of minutes, add tomatoes, hot peppers, herbs and salt. Pour a glass of boiling water over everything.
Cook the marinara over low heat until the mixture becomes thick. An indicator of the readiness of the sauce is the color of the oil - it should be dark orange. It will take 15 minutes to prepare.

Add the amount of hot pepper to your taste. But even if you like it spicy, don’t forget about the balance of flavors - they should be harmoniously combined in the finished dish.

Pasta with mushrooms and spinach

Choose any mushrooms of your choice: champignons, porcini or any other.

Ingredients

300 g curly paste;
salt - to taste;
2 tablespoons butter;
2 tablespoons olive oil;
600 g mushrooms;
ground black pepper - to taste;
150 g spinach;
1 lemon;
a little grated parmesan;
a few sprigs of parsley.

Ingredients

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente according to instructions. Drain, reserving one cup of liquid for later.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook it, stirring constantly, until it turns slightly brown. Remove from heat. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and add chopped mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the pasta, half the chopped spinach and ¼ cup of the pasta water to the mushrooms. Stir and cook until the spinach is slightly wilted. Add the remaining spinach and cook for a few more minutes. If the paste seems dry, add more water.

Then add butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and the zest of a whole lemon. Stir, place on a plate and sprinkle with cheese and chopped parsley.

Famous Bolognese

This sauce is most often chosen for pasta, but not everyone knows how to make it correctly, and not just by frying minced meat with tomatoes.

To prepare it you will need more ingredients than in the recipes described above:

3 tbsp. olive oil;
large onion;
finely chopped celery;
2 finely chopped carrots;
500 g minced beef;
salt;
pepper;
a glass of milk;
nutmeg;
a glass of dry white wine;
a can of canned tomatoes in their own juice.

I am sure that many housewives did not know that Bolognese contains dry white wine. Thanks to him, the sauce acquires a deep, unique taste.

Bolognese should be cooked over medium heat. Heat oil and chopped onion in a saucepan. Fry it until it becomes translucent. Then add celery and carrots. Fry the vegetables for 2 minutes, remembering to stir them.
Next, add the minced meat, salt and pepper it. Simmer the minced meat, stirring it occasionally, until it turns brown.
Slowly pour in the milk and simmer the sauce over low heat. Stir the bolognese until all the liquid has evaporated. Grate some of the nutmeg and add to the sauce.
Now you will need wine. Pour it into the base with minced meat, simmer the mixture until the alcohol evaporates. Finally, add the tomatoes and mix all the ingredients.
When bubbles appear, turn the heat to low.

Be prepared for the bolognese to take 3 hours to cook. Do not cover the saucepan with a lid. During this time, stir it occasionally. Finally, add salt and grate Parmesan cheese over the pasta.

Pasta with chicken and broccoli in creamy sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil;
2 chicken breasts;
salt - to taste;
ground black pepper - to taste;
350 g farfalle (butterfly-shaped pasta);
1 head of broccoli;
240 ml milk;
50 g grated parmesan;
180 g cream cheese;
3 cloves of garlic.

Preparation

Heat oil over medium heat. Place the chicken breasts in the pan, season with spices and fry for 8 minutes on each side until golden brown. Cool slightly and cut into small pieces.

Place the farfalle in boiling salted water. About 2 minutes before they are cooked al dente, add the broccoli florets to the pan. Then drain the water.

In a saucepan, combine milk, Parmesan, cream cheese, minced garlic and spices. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Add farfalle, broccoli and chicken to sauce and mix well.

Carbonara recipe

Carbonara is one of the most popular dishes in Italian restaurants and is easy to prepare at home. This creamy sauce is thick and creamy thanks to the egg yolks. Because of them, carbonara cannot be boiled - it is enough to heat it until bubbles appear.

To create carbonara, prepare:

a glass of 20% cream;
4 yolks;
Parmesan;
bacon;
2 cloves of garlic;
2 tbsp. olive oil;
salt;
pepper.

Fry the bacon slices. Add finely chopped garlic to it. After 5 minutes, pour in a little whipped yolks and cream. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste. Heat the sauce, but be careful not to let the carbonara boil. When the mixture becomes thick, add the fried bacon and grated Parmesan.

Spaghetti alla puttanesca

This is another classic Italian dish with capers, anchovies and chili. The pasta is rich, spicy and incredibly aromatic.

Ingredients

400 g spaghetti;
salt - to taste;
a few tablespoons of olive oil;
4 cloves of garlic;
2 red chili peppers;
3 anchovy fillets;
100 g olives;
100 g capers;
200 g ripe cherry tomatoes;
½ bunch of basil;
a little grated parmesan.

Preparation

Boil the spaghetti until al dente in salted water. Heat the oil over medium heat and add the chopped garlic, thin chilli strips, finely chopped anchovy fillets, olives and chopped capers. Fry for a few minutes.

Add halved tomatoes and some spaghetti water. Cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften. Add pasta and basil leaves to sauce. Stir and add salt.

Place pasta on a plate and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Mushroom sauce

It’s hard to imagine Italian cuisine without creamy sauce and Parmesan cheese. The dish turns out tender and refined. How to make creamy pasta sauce like the best chefs? Of course, you can just use cream and grated cheese.

But if you add mushrooms, the dish will sparkle with new colors:

300 g fresh champignons;
200 g pork belly;
grated parmesan;
20% cream;
nutmeg;
salt;
pepper.

Cut the pork belly into strips and the champignons into cubes. Fry the meat until golden brown. Separately from it, fry the mushrooms until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and add the brisket. Heat the cream and, without bringing it to a boil, add Parmesan and a pinch of nutmeg. Mix the sauce thoroughly and remove it from the heat when the cream thickens.

Fettuccine Alfredo

In the classic version, the pasta is mixed only with the most delicate creamy sauce, which is prepared from only three ingredients. Later they began to make the sauce more creamy and began to add chicken, mushrooms or shrimp to it.

Ingredients

250 g fettuccine;
salt - to taste;
50 g butter;
100 ml cream - optional;
100 g grated parmesan;
ground black pepper - to taste.

Preparation

Cook fettuccine in salted water until al dente according to package instructions. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat and then remove from heat.

For a creamy sauce, add cream to the butter. Do not remove from heat until the pasta is cooked and stir constantly.

Place the fettuccine in a saucepan using tongs. The paste shouldn't be dry, so don't try to shake off all the liquid. Turn the heat to medium and stir the pasta. Add half the cheese and mix very well again. If necessary, add a little more water in which the fettuccine was cooked. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and stir again.

Place the pasta on a serving plate and sprinkle with ground pepper.

Spaghetti sauce with shrimp

Pasta can be prepared not only with meat, but also with seafood. This is a great option for a romantic dinner. A delicious shrimp sauce will take you to sunny Italy if prepared correctly.

For this you will need:

shrimps;
20% cream;
butter;
medium bulb;
2 cloves of garlic;
parsley;
salt;
pepper.

Melt the butter in which you need to fry the finely chopped onion and garlic. Peel the shrimp and add them to the pan. After 2 minutes, pour in the cream, salt and pepper. Add finely chopped greens. When the cream thickens, remove the sauce from the heat.

Spices for navy pasta

Classic naval pasta was prepared with virtually no seasoning. It was a very economical but satisfying dish for sailors. Now it is impossible to imagine it without spices; vegetables and herbs are often added. Usually all this is introduced into the chopped meat during frying. What would you put in the minced meat?

What spices are suitable for navy pasta:

dry garlic;
black pepper;
dry chopped basil;
red pepper;
turmeric;
nutmeg;
oregano.

No, you don’t need to pour all these spices into the pasta; you can choose two or three types. Also, the quantity and composition largely depends on the meat itself. Beef is aromatic and tasty on its own, just add some salt and pepper, or you can add oregano or basil. Pork does not have a distinct aroma; this meat needs to be seasoned more generously and given a bright taste.

By the way, it is not necessary to add fresh carrots and onions to the minced meat. Dried vegetables can also be poured in, this will save time.

Pesto

This is one of the classic sauces of Italian cuisine. It is based on the favorite herb of Italians - basil.

To make pesto yourself at home, in addition to herbs, you will need:

olive oil;
garlic clove;
Pine nuts;
grated parmesan;
salt.

It will be easier for you to prepare pesto if you have a blender, because the sauce has a puree-like consistency. Place basil, garlic clove and pine nuts in a blender, add salt and olive oil. Grind, then add Parmesan and stir.

Pasta primavera with vegetables

Pasta primavera is great to make in the summer with fresh, seasonal vegetables you can find in the kitchen.

Ingredients

200 g fusilli (paste in the form of spirals);
salt - to taste;
2 tablespoons olive oil;
1 carrot;
½ red onion;
1 zucchini;
½ eggplant;
½ bell pepper;
1 clove of garlic;
100 g tomato paste;
1 teaspoon Italian herbs seasoning;
several cherry tomatoes;
a few basil leaves;
a little grated parmesan.

Tips for choosing a sauce

One of the main culinary principles is a harmonious combination of flavors. What sauce should you choose for pasta to highlight the taste of the dish?

It all depends on the type of pasta you chose to prepare the dish:

spaghetti - the best sauce for them is creamy carbonara;
Bucatini is thick spaghetti with a hole in the middle. Bucatini pairs with buttery gravies;
Linguine is like flattened spaghetti. Italians most often prepare them with seafood and pesto sauce;
penne are short tubes that are best cooked with spicy tomato sauce;
the taste of lasagna is revealed with bolognese;
Italians prepare fusilli, or small spirals, with a sauce cooked in vegetable broth;
tagliatelle served with bolognese;
fregola is good with olive oil and grated cheese.

Thailand. Herbal chili sauce

You could write an entire cookbook about Thai green sauces. But we will focus on one of its variants - Thai herbal chili sauce. It is quite a thick sauce due to the addition of powdered fried rice. The chilies are also roasted to get the deepest flavor and then cut into small flakes. While Italian green sauces use olive oil liberally in their recipes, here we find lime juice and fish sauce among the ingredients, which form a very tasty liquid base. Then a little sugar, cilantro and of course mint leaves are added to balance the flavors along with finely chopped green onions. The result is a green sauce that is great for dumplings, kebabs, grilled meat and vegetable salads.

Description of pasta seasoning

Pasta has been used in cooking for a very long time.
China is considered to be their homeland, since the oldest find was found there during excavations. There are many different types: horns, snails, feathers, spaghetti. For lovers of delicious food, they may seem too bland. However, everything changes if you add spices to them. You can buy the ready-made mixture at any grocery store or hypermarket. For example, Maggi seasoning for pasta is popular. Such mixtures are inexpensive, but they help save time when cooking.

You can also make your own seasoning by mixing suitable herbs and spices. Thanks to this, you will be able to independently determine which seasonings are suitable for pasta.

Spices for pasta casserole

Very often, leftover pasta is used for all kinds of casseroles. This is a great way to not only identify an unclaimed side dish, but also satisfyingly feed the whole family. Typically, casseroles are prepared with meat, cheese, eggs, mushrooms, and chicken. Spices should not be suitable for pasta, everything goes well with them, but for the additives themselves. In this case, it is important to carefully grind the seasonings and distribute them throughout the mixture.

Not only salty but also sweet casseroles with cottage cheese, eggs, and fruits are prepared from pasta. Such dishes are served for breakfast or used as dessert. In addition to granulated sugar, they add vanilla, cinnamon, sometimes nutmeg, ginger, and zest. This is a matter of personal taste. You can add some of the spices not to the casserole mixture, but to the serving sauce.

Brown sugar

Sweetness is one of the important flavor notes in tomato-based pasta sauce. Brown sugar adds depth and richness of flavor that comes from the molasses content. Keep in mind that too much sweetness can make the pasta seasoning sticky and unpleasant. You should use brown sugar in very small quantities. A quarter teaspoon is usually the most appropriate amount, but you can add a little more or less depending on your preference.