Pasta sauces vary from white to red, light to heavy, and meaty to vegetarian. Canned tomatoes can be tastier than fresh ones, and choosing high-quality ingredients and cooking pasta correctly are key. Cheese and finishing sauces with olive oil or butter can enhance flavor.
Pasta sauces, often called gravies outside the United States, can range from white to red, light to heavy, and meaty to vegetarian. Some tips for making the perfect sauce apply only to the sauce, while others dictate the type of pasta as well. While fresh ingredients usually make the best sauces, some canned foods — like tomatoes — are sometimes more convenient and even tastier than those fresh off the vine. Regardless of the recipe, choosing high-quality ingredients and cooking the pasta correctly are key to making a good pasta sauce.
In the United States, some of the most popular pasta sauces are rich tomato and meat based recipes. In other countries, people may prefer lighter sauces, such as a simple garlic and oil sauce or a chunky, spicy puttanesca dish. Many people prefer to pair the right pasta with a sauce, for example garlic and olive oil are light, as is angel hair or thin spaghetti, so they are often chosen to go together. Similarly, because puttanesca sauce is thicker, it typically pairs well with pasta that has ridges or holes to hold it, such as penne or ziti.
One piece of advice that salsa makers often share is that canned tomatoes make the best pasta sauces. Commercial growers often treat freshly picked tomatoes with ethylene gas, or another technique, to keep the product fresh while it’s on store shelves. These practices usually improve the flavor of the vegetable, so canned tomatoes are often more flavorful.
Canned tomatoes are usually available whole, chopped, or diced, and this can help cooks make sauces faster while imparting stronger flavors and more delicious aroma. Whole or diced varieties generally make a chunky salsa, while using mashed canned tomatoes produces a smoother salsa. Canned tomato paste has an intense flavor and thick texture that can be used to enhance the taste and body of a pasta sauce. Normally, salsas made from canned tomatoes cook much faster — in about 20 minutes — than those made from fresh tomatoes, which often require at least an hour of simmering to fully develop the flavor.
One of the top tips chefs share is that pasta should be slightly undercooked, or al dente, when combined with a sauce. Mixing the two together and continuing to cook the pasta in the sauce imparts some of the sauce flavors to the noodles. The rule of thumb is usually to cook the pasta for about two minutes. If the sauce is too thick, adding a little pasta water should help it not burn.
In fact, pasta water is another tip that can enhance many pasta sauces. One method is to saute the garlic in hot olive oil and add a little water for the pasta. The hot oil and starch in the water combine to create a smooth base. Add vegetables, such as canned tomatoes, and cook the sauce for 20 to 30 minutes, adding more water if needed.
Although cooks usually use large pans to make their pasta sauces, some chefs prefer to use a pan with a large bottom area and low sides, such as a frying pan. Many professionals employ this technique and use a skillet to finish the raw pasta and sauce together. Restaurant chefs can flip the pan to lightly coat the pasta, but less experienced cooks can use tongs to toss the noodles and sauce.
Cheese is a binder, texturizer, and flavoring that many people overlook. One of the best tips for using cheese in a pasta dish is to grate it finely so it melts quickly and easily. Often, adding a little cheese in the last few minutes of cooking the pasta and sauce will cause the sauce to cling to the noodles.
Most Italian cooks use a technique called mantecare, which means “to make creamy”. To do this, they finish the pasta sauces with a touch of olive oil or butter, or a combination of both. When using butter, adding small chunks of cold butter usually gives the best results.
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