Basil Pesto Sauce

This fresh sauce takes mere minutes to make and it keeps frozen for months. Make it in the summer when fresh basil is bountiful. Freeze it in tubs, then simply scrape out what you need. It will taste better than anything you can buy in a jar. And it will thaw within a few minutes or, when mixed with anything hot, instantly

10 cups (300 g) loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2 cups (200 g) pregrated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup (100 g) pine nuts
2 teaspoons pre-minced oil-packed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 to 1 cup (175 to 235 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Put the basil, cheese, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Process until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl, then add 3/4 cup (175 ml) of oil and blend to a loose paste, about 20 seconds, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add up to 1/4 cup (60 ml) more oil for a looser, oilier pesto. Scrape into two small airtight containers and chill up to 1
week or freeze up to 8 months. For an interesting variation, try:
• Red Pesto Sauce: Add 1⁄2 cup (25 g) oil-packed
sun-dried tomatoes along with the basil.

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Simmered Tomato Basil Sauce

Spaghetti sauce is typically simmered longer than marinara sauce to deepen the flavors and thicken the texture. In this sauce, the sweetness of carrots cuts the acidity of tomatoes. Onions and celery round out the flavor base. Canned tomatoes are used for expediency here, but for the best taste, use fresh, ripe plum tomatoes (about 21⁄2 pounds, or 1.1 kg, peeled, seeded, and chopped). To create a richer flavor, add 1 cup (235 ml) red wine after sautéing the garlic and simmer the wine until reduced in volume by about half. Double the recipe if you like. The sauce will keep frozen for a couple of months.

1⁄4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
11⁄2 cups (195 g) prechopped onion
3/4 cup (100 g) prechopped carrot
1⁄2 cup (80 g) prechopped celery
1 tablespoon (10 g) preminced oil-packed garlic
2 cans (28 ounces, or 785 g) plum tomatoes in puree
2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste (optional)
1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried
Salt and ground black pepper


Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Working near the pan, pluck the tomatoes from the can one by one. For each tomato, grab the firm stem end of the tomato and pinch and pull out the core from the tomato flesh. Discard the core and tear the flesh with your hands, dropping the tomato pieces into the pan. Repeat with each tomato. Pour the liquid from one of the cans into pan. Stir in the tomato paste, if using, and 2 tablespoons (8 g) of the fresh basil (or all of the dried). Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the tomatoes break down and thicken and the sauce reduces in volume, 35 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the remaining fresh basil. For a smooth sauce, cool slightly and pass through a food mill or puree with a stick blender or in an upright blender or food processor.


May be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Other flavorful additions include:
• Tomato Sauce with Mushrooms: Add 8 ounces (225 g) presliced
cremini or white mushrooms (about 2 cups) with the
garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
• Tomato Sauce with Roasted Red Peppers: Add 1 cup (130 g) drained jarred roasted red peppers along with the tomatoes.
• Tomato Sauce with Chunky Garden Vegetables: Add 1 cup (130 g) prechopped bell peppers along with the onions. Add 4 ounces (115 g) (1 cup) presliced cremini or white mushrooms
along with the garlic. If you like, add 3⁄4 cup (75 g) chopped zucchini about 15 minutes before the end of the simmering
time. Do not puree.
• Tomato Sauce with Spinach and Cheese: Add 4 ounces (115g) (about 2 cups) prewashed baby spinach leaves and 3⁄4 cup (75 g) pregrated Parmesan cheese about 15 minutes before the end of the simmering time. Cook until the spinach wilts.
• Tomato Sauce with Four Cheeses: Add 1⁄2 cup (50 g) each pregrated Parmesan, pregrated Romano or Grana Padano, preshredded provolone, and ricotta cheese about 15 minutes before the end of the simmering time.
• Tomato Sauce with Meat: Add 12 ounces (340 g) lean ground beef and/or pork along with the garlic and cook until browned, 5 to 8 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon.
• Tomato Sauce with Italian Sausage: Add 12 ounces (340 g) mild or spicy Italian sausage (removed from casing if necessary) along with the garlic and cook until browned, 5 to 8 minutes,
breaking up the meat with a spoon.

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Quick Tomato Marinara Sauce

Marinara is a quickly made Italian-American tomato sauce. When pureed, it makes a great pizza sauce. Because it’s made on the fly, canned tomatoes are commonly used. For this sauce, buy the best canned tomatoes available, such as San Marzano plum tomatoes. If the tomatoes aren’t very red, ripe, and luscious, add 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. In Italian, marinara means “mariner’s style.” As you might guess, this thin, freshflavored sauce is good with seafood. Some marinara sauces also include anchovies.

1⁄4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (10 g) preminced oil-packed garlic
1 can (28 ounces, or 410 g) plum tomatoes in puree
3 tablespoons (12 g) chopped fresh basil or parsley
or 1 teaspoon dried basil or oregano

Salt and ground black pepper Heat the oil in a large skillet or over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Working near the pan, pluck the tomatoes from the can one by one. Grab the firm stem end of each tomato and pinch and pull out the core from the tomato flesh. Discard the core and tear the flesh with your fingers, dropping tomato pieces into pan. Repeat with each tomato. Pour half of the canning liquid into the pan along with 2 tablespoons (8 g) of the basil or parsley (or all of the dried herbs). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, 10 to 15 minutes. For a thicker sauce, crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as they cook. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon (4 g) basil or parsley. May be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

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