Marthas Basic Red Sauce Food

CLASSIC RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a straight-sided skillet over medium. Swirl in oil; add onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.

CLASSIC MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Pour tomatoes into a large bowl and crush with your hands. Pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. Reserve.
• In a large skillet (do not use a deep pot) over medium heat, heat the oil. When it is hot, add garlic.
• As soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. Add whole chile or red pepper flakes, oregano (if using) and salt. Stir.
• Place basil sprig, including stem, on the surface (like a flower). Let it wilt, then submerge in sauce. Simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface is a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (If using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, adding more salt and oregano as needed.) Discard basil and chile (if using).

BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add flour and salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden, has a slightly nutty aroma, and is the texture of cooked oatmeal, about 5 minutes.
• Whisking constantly, pour in 2 cups milk; add 2 more cups milk and whisk until smooth. Cook mixture, stirring constantly along the bottom of pan, until boiling, about 7 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and does not feel grainy when a very small amount is rubbed between two fingers, about 10 minutes.

MARTHA'S FAVORITE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Secure lid and shake vigorously until thickened. Refrigerate up to 3 days (shake vigorously before each use.)

LASAGNA WITH MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Meat Sauce: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add beef, sausage, onion, carrots, celery, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up meat into bite-size pieces, until vegetables soften and meat has browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red-pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomato paste; cook 2 minutes more. Puree tomatoes in a blender or food processor; add to pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened slightly but still very loose, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Cheese Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, milk, eggs, 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 1/2 cups mozzarella, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Assembly: Spread 2 cups meat sauce evenly in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, preferably ceramic or enameled cast iron. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce (space noodles evenly; they will expand as the lasagna cooks). Spread 2 cups cheese mixture over noodles; top with 3 more noodles. Repeat layering of meat and cheese mixtures between noodles twice more. Spread 2 cups meat sauce evenly over top layer of noodles. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Loosely cover with parchment-lined foil and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake until noodles are tender but still al dente (easily pierced with the tip of a knife), 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover; continue baking until bubbly and puffed slightly along edges and golden brown in places on top, 20 to 25 minutes more. (There may appear to be a lot of liquid in the dish. It will be absorbed as the lasagna cools.) Transfer dish to a wire rack and let cool slightly and set, about 20 minutes; cut into squares to serve.

FAMOUS LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Generously salt water; add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Lay noodles on a baking sheet, separating layers with parchment or waxed paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, parsley, and egg. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Begin layering: Place 4 noodles in dish, slightly overlapping. Top with half the meat sauce and 4 more noodles. Top with half the ricotta filling, then half the mozzarella. Repeat the layering process, ending with the mozzarella. Sprinkle top with Parmesan.
• Cover with lightly oiled foil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until bubbling and browned, 30 to 40 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

CLASSIC MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Mix together beef and pork using your hands. Stir in garlic, cheese, parsley, eggs, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; season with pepper. Soak bread in milk for 5 minutes, and then stir into meat mixture. Lightly dampen hands, and roll mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, transferring to a rimmed baking sheet as you work. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Bring sauce to a gentle simmer in a medium pot. Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry meatballs, shaking skillet occasionally, until brown all over, about 6 minutes, and transfer to sauce. Simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes. (Test doneness by cutting 1 meatball open.)

CLASSIC RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Puree the tomatoes to a smooth, creamy consistency in a food processor or with an immersion blender. (If you like a more country feel, you can wait and break them up in the pan later with a wooden spoon.)
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. When hot, add the onion and saute 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until you see the color start changing. If you'd like to make the sauce spicy, add the red pepper flakes.
• Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer about 30 minutes. (If you did not puree the tomatoes, use a wooden spoon to break them into pieces while they cook.) Strive for balance in the consistency of the sauce: It has to be fluid, but it should not look overly wet. Add the basil and remove from the heat. Toss with just-cooked pasta.

BASIC MARINARA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil and garlic over medium until fragrant. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft, 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with 3/4 pound cooked pasta.

MARCELLA HAZAN'S TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter and the onion halves in a saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt.
• Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon. Add salt as needed.
• Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta. This recipe makes enough sauce for a pound of pasta.

TEST KITCHEN'S FAVORITE SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Red Sauce: Heat a straight-sided skillet over medium. Swirl in oil; add onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds. Transfer one-third of onion mixture to a bowl and reserve for meatballs. Add tomatoes to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.
• Meatballs: While sauce simmers, heat a large skillet over medium-high. Swirl in oil. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and most of moisture has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with reserved onion mixture; let cool slightly.
• Preheat broiler with rack 4 inches below heating element. Stir breadcrumbs and milk into mushroom mixture until milk is absorbed. Add cheese, parsley, oregano, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add beef and gently fold with your hands until evenly combined (don't overwork, or meatballs will be tough). Use an ice cream scoop, or roll heaping tablespoons between dampened palms, to form thirty 1 1/2-inch balls. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet brushed with oil. Broil, undisturbed, until browned on top, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer meatballs to skillet with red sauce. Simmer, stirring gently, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, boil pasta in a large pot of generously salted water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than per package instructions. Drain pasta and return to pot; toss with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Serve, topped with meatballs, more sauce, cheese, red-pepper flakes, and parsley.

BASIC MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and juice, breaking up tomatoes. Simmer over medium heat until thickened and saucy, 45 to 60 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.