Meatless Tomato Sauce Sicilian Style Food

PASTA ALLA NORMA (SICILIAN PASTA WITH EGGPLANT, TOMATOES, AND RICOTTA SALATA) RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add as much eggplant as fits in a single layer and season with salt. Cook, shaking pan occasionally, until eggplant is well browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer eggplant to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining eggplant, adding olive oil as necessary, until all eggplant is browned.
• Add any remaining olive oil and increase heat to medium-high. Heat until olive oil is shimmering. Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but garlic is not browned, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly until evenly incorporated and tomato paste starts to fry. Add crushed tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is thickened into a sauce-like consistency, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.
• Add sauce to pasta and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as necessary to thin sauce to desired consistency. Add eggplant slices and toss to combine.
• Serve pasta immediately, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, garnished with grated ricotta salata and torn basil leaves. This Recipe Appears In Sicilian-Style Pasta with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Ricotta Salata (Pasta Alla Norma)

SICILIAN LENTIL PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and garlic. Cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add lentils and 3 cups water to vegetables. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 45 to 60 minutes.
• Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. If necessary, add more water to keep the sauce from sticking. Be careful not to dilute; the sauce should be quite thick.

SICILIAN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan.
• Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic sweat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent.
• Add the passata or chopped tomatoes, anchovies, olives, capers and plenty of black pepper, bring to the boil, then lower the heat right down and simmer for 15 minutes.
• May be served with fish, chicken or cold meats.
• Serve hot or cold.

MEAT(LESS) TOMATO SAUCE - SICILIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Empty the tomatoes into a large saucepan and turn the heat to medium.
• In the meantime, heat a heavy skillet over medium heat.
• When hot, add the ground beef and stir it around until brown.
• You do not need to add oil as the fat from the beef will suffice.
• When the meat is cooked, remove with a slotted spoon, allowing excess oil to drip back into the skillet, and transfer the meat to the saucepan of tomatoes and stir.
• Add the onions and garlic to the fat in the skillet and cook until the onion is tender.
• Remove with a slotted spoon, again, allowing the excess oil to drip back into the skillet and stir into the tomatoes.
• Stir in the salt, sugar and basil.
• Bring sauce to a boil, cover, then turn down the heat to simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Turn off the heat and let the pot sit on the stove until you are ready to use it.
• If you are planning to use it the next day, refrigerate when cooled.
• Reheat as necessary or freeze for future use.

SICILIAN PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil and crushed pepper in sauce pan,add onion and garlic. Saute until translucent. Deglaze with wine, add tomatoes cushed and paste. Bring to simmer, continue to simmer for 45 minutes up to 4 hours. Add herbs, sugar, and season if needed.
• Toss with favorite pasta. Serve with grated parmesan romano and a glass of wine.
• Can also add meat/ sausage/ ribs before deglazing with wine. Or mix in a cup of ricotta and grated mozzerella and bake in 400 degree oven until bubbling and golden.

FRESH SICILIAN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in an 8-quart heavy bottom pot.
• Saute garlic& onion until tender but not brown.
• Add all remaining ingredients except salt& pepper.
• Bring to a simmer and cook gently (uncovered) for 4 hours, stirring often.
• Add salt& pepper as desired.

FAMILY SICILIAN SAUCE AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• To make the meatballs, combine bread and milk or water in a medium bowl. Mix in ground beef, eggs, Romano cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Form golf ball-sized meatballs; place into freezer to firm up.
• To make sauce, heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat; stir in onion. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and 1 sausage link; cook about 3 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, brown beef chunks and pork neck bones; set aside.
• When onions and garlic are done, turn heat down to low. Add tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the browned beef and pork, crushed tomatoes, wine, bay leaves, cinnamon, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 to 4 hours.
• Once you add the meatballs, let sauce simmer for 1 hour. When sauce is nearly ready, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Cover pasta with sauce and meatballs and serve immediately.

SICILIAN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Place tomatoes, onion and 6 of the garlic cloves in a large non reactive pan.
• Place pan over medium heat with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and press sauce through a sieve or food mill.
• Finely chop remaining garlic and gently cook in oil just lightly until you can smell a garlic smell, remove from heat and stir in the sieved tomato mixture.
• Add the basil leaves salt and sugar and simmer for a further 10 minutes, at this stage taste and add more salt if required.
• Serve or bottle in sterilized bottles and seal or cool and freeze.
• TIPS~
• End of the season Tomatoes have a richer taste for sauces.
• Use stainless steel ceramic or cast iron pots to prevent reaction to the tomatoes.
• Place wooden spoon under lid to keep it propped ajar.

HOMEMADE MEATLESS SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, saute onions in oil until tender. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, salt, oregano, pepper and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally., Add tomato paste and brown sugar; simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Discard bay leaves. Serve with pasta and basil, if desired.