Being a foodie lover I'm also a knowledge junkie.
I confess that I love taking cooking classes. You may think you know everything, but there is SO MUCH to learn from other chefs. Even if it is just a technique or a tip that makes something simpler, or just makes things make sense. It's worth it to always seek to enhance your knowledge about a subject.
Recently I been taking classes online through Craftsy. Have you heard of them? They are wonderful online classes with various subjects, one being cooking. So browsing the class topics I decided to purchase one by the famed chef Guliano Hazan on Classic Italian Pasta Sauces: Meat and Tomato.
(Excuse the messy bowl, I tossed the pasta and sauce in this bowl and should have swapped it out...but I was too impatient and hungry!)
The classes are videos taped in segments that you can watch at your own pace, rerun, and even have discussions with class participants and the chef himself. I must say it is wonderful! I learned so much more about making pasta sauces than I never knew before.
Today I'm sharing the first sauce I made from the class. It's called Mother's Butter, Tomato & Onion Sauce. It's just that. Tomatoes cooked with butter and an onion. It's cooked down into a fabulous rich sauce that's best served over an egg pasta. Try looking in the artisan section of the pasta aisle for something like egg fettuccine. One other item he suggests is that you use San Marzano canned tomatoes (real San Marzano tomatoes) such as a brand like Cento. Both are easily found in the grocery store, but if you can't find them, substitute with the best that you can find. Since the ingredients are so few it is important that they be of the best quality to allow the flavors to shine.
This sauce is like comfort heaven! I hope you try it and let me know how you liked it. I also hope you check out Craftsy, I think it's a great site. I can't wait to try one of Peter Reinhart's bread classes next!
Note: This is not sponsored, I am just sharing my opinion of a site I came across that I think you would like.
MOTHER'S BUTTER, TOMATO & ONION SAUCE
From Hazan Family Favorites by Giuliano Hazan
Serves 4 people
INGREDIENTS
• 3 cups (31 ounces/907 g) canned whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
• 5 tablespoons (2½ ounces/75 g) butter
• 1¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 medium (6 ounces/ 170 g) sweet yellow onion
• Tagliolini made with 3 eggs and 2¼ cups flour (or 12 ounces dry store-bought narrow noodles)
• 1/3 cup (11/3 ounces/57 g) freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1. Coarsely chop the canned tomatoes. Trim both ends of the onion, peel it and cut in half lengthwise.
2. Put the tomatoes, butter, onion and salt in a 4 to 5-quart (3.8 to 4.7 L) saucepan and place over medium heat. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, lower the heat to a slow but steady simmer. Cook, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes until the tomatoes are no longer watery and the sauce has reduced, 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the sauce is done the butter will have separated from the tomatoes and there should not be any liquid left.
3. When the sauce is ready, fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts (5.67 L) of water, cover, and place over high heat. When the water boils, add 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, put in the tagliolini, and stir until all the strands are submerged. Cook until al dente. When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve at once.
