November 2014 • The Traveling Epicurean

Pasta Sauce-Tomato Basil

Homemade gourmet pasta sauce isn’t quick and easy when you spend hours sautéing sausages and simmering for 3 hours. We don’t always have the time for that especially around the busy holidays. Yet, you always seem to have unexpected family or friends dropping in. So here is a quick and easy homemade tomato-basil pasta sauce that you are going to love! Yes, a tomato basil pasta sauce that only takes about 30 minutes to make and stills fills your kitchen with those comforting aromas of tomatoes, garlic and basil that make you want to rip off a piece of crusty bread and dunk it right in.

The whole point of this recipe is quick and delicious…no chopping, just grating and only using one pan. We are still getting layers of gourmet flavors with the carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, red wine, dried and fresh herbs! This sauce also comes out with a thick consistency. If you want a chunkier sauce you would just puree the first can with the sauteed vegetables until smooth, and with the other can of tomatoes you would pulse only a couple of times in the food processor keeping the tomatoes chunky then adding into the pan. Make it this way also if you like a chunkier VODKA SAUCE! If you are using it for making pizza just puree everything and you are ready to go… you don’t even need to simmer the sauce at all just spread the raw sauce onto the raw dough and into the oven (the carrots, onions, and garlic were sauteed of course before you pureed them with the tomatoes. This homemade gourmet tomato basil pasta sauce will definitely help make your life a little easier while getting you rave reviews! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

2 – 28.oz cans whole peeled tomatoes – NOTE: If you want a chunkier sauce puree til smooth ONLY 1 can with the sauteed vegetables and then other can pulse only a couple of times. Make It this way also if you like a chunkier VODKA SAUCE!

1 carrot peeled

1/2 lg onion grated

2 lg garlic cloves thru garlic press

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp finely ground Italian seasonings

1 tbsp sugar

4-6 fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup of red wine, cabernet, pinot noir what ever you are drinking 🙂

DIRECTIONS:

Peel and the grated 1 carrot in sauce pan

Cut lg onion in 1/2 peel and grate into same sauce pan

Smash 2 lg clove of garlic and put thru garlic press and into same sauce pan

Add 2 tbsp olive oil and put on med./low heat and begin to sauté

Sauté for about 10 minutes on med/low til soften (you don’t want it to brown or burn)

Deglaze by adding in 1/4 cup red wine (or white if you don’t have red)

Simmer for 2 minutes and then add to food processor with 1 can whole peeled tomatoes

Puree til a smooth consistency and then add to same pan.

Puree the other can of whole peeled and add to pan as well…..NOTE: If you want a chunkier sauce puree til smooth ONLY 1 can with the sauteed vegetables and then other can pulse only a couple of times. Make It this way also if you like a chunkier VODKA SAUCE!

Add 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp finely ground Italian seasonings, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste and 5 fresh basil leaves

Simmer for 20 minutes and serve with you favorite pasta, or chicken cutlet or ciabatta bread and sprinkle with some freshly grated Reggiano Parmeseano or Pecorino Romano and mangia!

Lemon Bars

Wow, lemon bars are one of those special treats that you always remember having! Maybe it’s the tart yet sweet tang you get from the fresh squeezed lemon juice and zest in the custard or the rich flakiness you get from the crust that almost reminds you of lemon meringue pie…of course with out the meringue. All and all I think making lemon bars are a lot easier than making pie. If fact, until you try this great recipe you’ll never believe how easy it is to whip up and all your friends will think you are an incredible baker!

The inspiration came from my neighbor Julie who is one of those amazing homemaker’s who could give Martha Stewart a run for her money! Julie is always creating little treats for people and when she delivered these lemon bar wedges in a pretty little tin I knew was going to have to blog about them. These really do make a lovely gift especially now around the holidays and you can divide one batch into several gifts with ornate tins that you can find every where lining them with parchment paper so the lemon bars don’t bounce around too much in the tin.

You can cut them into squares or wedges and you don’t have to worry about little imperfections that happen naturally when you slice them because the confectioners sugar that you sprinkle on top makes the whole process a lot more forgiving then you anticipated. The recipe Julie follows is from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. So of course I went through several recipes and I found hers to be the most straight forward without any nonsense. For example, one recipe had you putting down foil under the crust for ease of removal later after the custard is baked and cooled. The BIG problem here is when you pull up the edges of the aluminum foil and remove it out all in one piece it destroys the entire smoothness of the custard and that confectioners sugar can be only so forgiving. So forget the foil! What helps when cutting the lemon bars is keeping a very sharp knife in a glass of very hot water, wipe off excess water drips and then cut thru for a cleaner edge.

There were where several other recipes that use confectioners sugar in the dough mixture for the crust, but as Julie put’s it they are already sweet enough we don’t need to over do it. I know you will enjoy these lemon bars as much as I do and now with the holidays upon us you have a great excuse to eat them too!

INGREDIENTS FOR CRUST – PRE-HEAT OVEN TO 350º

2 c. flour
2 sticks of unsalted butter-ROOM TEMPERATURE
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS FOR CRUST:

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy with mixer.
Sift flour and salt and add to butter mixture on low until just mixed
Turn dough out onto well floured board and form into a ball
Flatten out ball in 9″ X 13″ X 2″ baking pan like shown in photo and then chill 20 minutes
Bake crust for 15-20 minutes til very light brown. Let cool on wire rack and keep oven going
Once the crust is cooled the begin to mix custard…DO NOT MAKE CUSTARD BEFORE MAKING CRUST (you don’t want the custard mixture laying around while you wait for crust to cool)

INGREDIENTS FOR CUSTARD:

6 extra-lg eggs
3 c. sugar
1 c. flour
2 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest (4-6 lemons)
1 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (from zested lemons)
1/2 c. confectioners sugar for dusting the top

DIRECTIONS FOR CUSTARD:

Whisk the eggs, sugar, and flour
Then whisk in lemon zest and lemon juice
Pour over the cooled crust and bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling is set
NOTE: it may look a little giggly but will firm more as it cools
Let it cool a little
Put into frigerator for 2 hours
When cutting the lemon bars keep the sharp knife in a glass of very hot water, wipe off excess water drips and the cut thru for a cleaner edge
Cut them into wedges or squares and sprinkle with confectioners sugar

Here are some other dishes you may want to take a peak at….enjoy : )