Tomato Porcini And Pancetta Sauce Recipes

PASTA WITH PANCETTA AND TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Add the pancetta to a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato puree. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, to taste.
• Meanwhile, boil the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Toss the linguine with the sauce in the skillet, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid until the pasta is moist but being careful not to dilute the sauce. Toss with the cheese. Season with salt, to taste.

FETTUCCINE WITH PANCETTA, PORCINI, AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook, turning, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
• Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms to pan. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until they begin to break down, about 2 minutes.
• Add wine and reduce by half, scraping up any bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Pour in milk and return pancetta to pan. Gently simmer until sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in well-salted boiling water according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Add reserved pasta water to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with grated Parmesan.

PASTA WITH DRIED MUSHROOMS AND TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the mushrooms in a bowl or a pyrex measuring cup and cover with hot water. Let soak 15 to 30 minutes, until thoroughly soft. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Drain the mushrooms and squeeze them over the strainer. Then rinse in several changes of water and chop coarsely. Measure out 1/4 cup of the mushroom soaking liquid.
• Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta. Heat the olive oil in a large, wide, heavy nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add the onion or shallot. Cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir together for minute, until fragrant, then add the mushrooms and stir together for a minute or two, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the mushroom soaking liquid you set aside, the thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and turn up the heat. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until thick and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes. Add a generous amount of pepper, taste and adjust seasonings. Keep warm.
• When the pasta water comes to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt and the pasta. Cook al dente, following the timing directions on the package but checking a minute or two before the time on the package. Remove 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and stir it into the mushroom sauce. When the pasta is cooked through but still firm to the bite, remove another 1/2 cup water, drain the pasta and toss with the sauce in the frying pan if possible. If you wish to thin out the sauce or moisten the pasta further, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water or more of the mushroom soaking liquid. Serve hot; pass the Parmesan at the table.

TOMATO, PORCINI AND PANCETTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Rinse mushrooms; and soak in hot water for 30 mins. Remove mushrooms and chop, reserving liquid. Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan, add pancetta and saute 2 mins. Add onion and rosemary and cook until onion is translucent, about 8 mins. Add dried red pepper and cook 20 seconds. Add tomatoes and mushrooms. Carefully poor in reserved soaking liquid. Simmer until thick, 35 mins.

GNOCCHI AND TOMATO PANCETTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes until fork tender (not mushy). As soon as they are done, remove from the water and place in a dish. Remove the skin from the potatoes using a sharp knife or fork. Cut the potatoes into pieces and process the peeled, hot potatoes through a food mill using the medium disk.
• Place a mound of flour, about 2 1/2 cups to start, on your work surface (a floured board). Place all of the processed potatoes on top of the flour. Knead the flour/potato mixture with your hands until the dough is smooth; free of lumps, but yet still a little sticky. This recipe does not lend itself to making the dough in the food processor or mixer. Keep adding flour as necessary to obtain the desired consistency. The amount of the flour needed depends on how much water is in the potatoes, the moisture in the air, etc. Sometimes it can take up to 4 cups to obtain the right consistency. Keep kneading until it is right.
• After kneading the dough, place it under a dry kitchen towel to keep it warm. Immediately start making the gnocchi. This dough must be used right away. Cut a small piece off of the dough. Roll the piece into a "log" that is approximately 12 to 16 inches long. The log should be about 1/2-inch in diameter. You do not want it too wide or the gnocchi get too "fat." Cut the "log" into pieces about 1-inch long. You will end up with about 12 to16 gnocchi per log. The next step is to form the gnocchi.
• Take a fork in your left hand (if you are right handed), and hold it straight up with the tines facing towards the ceiling. With your index finger of your right hand, take 1 piece of gnocchi (the 1-inch pieces that you cut above), and starting at the top of the fork, roll the piece down the inside tine of the fork. This should be done with firm pressure (not too firm as to smash the gnocchi, but firm enough to roll the piece down the fork and leave an indentation on the gnocchi). When you get to the base of the tines, release the gnocchi and let it drop to a floured tray. The "completed" gnocchi should be marked with the fork tines on 1 side of it and have a slight indentation from your index finger on the other side of it. This shape and marking allow the pasta to "catch" the sauce when you serve it.
• Proceed with all of the dough and make each piece as directed. This goes very fast once you get the hang of it. Let the pasta sit on the floured trays on you counter until ready to serve. However, serving time should be within 4 to 5 hours of making the gnocchi. Otherwise they will dry out and get tough.
• To serve, boil the gnocchi in lots of boiling, salted water. As soon as the pasta rises to the top, it is done. (This is also very quick). Drain the cooked gnocchi in a colander or strainer. Place the cooked pasta in a serving platter and top/mix with the sauce.
• Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chopped pancetta, red pepper flakes and parsley. Cook until the pancetta is cooked through and is slightly brown. Add the garlic; cook for another 2 minutes.
• Process the tomatoes with their juice in the food processor. Pulse the tomatoes briefly until they are coarsely chopped. You do not want them to puree. Add to the cooked ingredients in the saucepan. Add salt to taste. Continue cooking on a low simmer for about 1 hour until the sauce has reduced and is somewhat thicker. You can keep cooking this for up to 3 hours. The longer you cook it, the thicker and richer it becomes. If you cook it too long, add water to reduce the thickness and you reach the desired consistency.

PENNE PORCINI -- WITH TOMATO, PROSCIUTTO & PORCINI MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Fill a 5-quart stock pot 3/4 full with salted water and bring to a boil for pasta. Pre-heat a 3-quart stock pot over medium heat and add olive oil, shallots and prosciutto. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook 2-3 minutes until shallots are translucent. Deglaze pot with red wine and reduce by half. Squeeze excess wine out of porcini mushrooms and add to red wine reduction. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and add cream, stirring to incorporate. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally.
• Add pasta to boiling water and cook al dente. Drain and return to pot. Add sauce, cheese and basil and mix well. Serve immediately and sprinkle with more cheese as preferred.
• Suggested wine: 2000 Frescobaldi/Mondavi Lucente
• (blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Sangiovese).

SPICY TOMATO SAUCE WITH PANCETTA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat. Cook pancetta, stirring often, until golden and fat has rendered, about 8 minutes. Add onion and red-pepper flakes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Stir in chopped tomatoes with juice, and add salt. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick, about 25 minutes.

GNOCCHI WITH CREAMY TOMATO-PORCINI SAUCE

Steps:

• Place porcini in medium bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over. Let stand until porcini are soft, about 30 minutes. Remove porcini from water, reserving soaking liquid. Finely chop porcini.
• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add porcini and sauté 3 minutes. Add cream and 3/4 cup soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Simmer until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Stir in marinara sauce; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to simmer before using.)
• Cook gnocchi in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain.
• Add gnocchi to sauce and toss to coat. Divide among 4 plates. Serve, passing Parmesan separately.

FETTUCCINI WITH PANCETTA AND TOMATO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook pancetta or bacon in large skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain, using slotted spoon.
• Add olive oil and garlic to drippings and saute 30 seconds.
• Add tomatoes, with juices, wine, and cream and bring to a slow boil.
• Add basil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Toss with cooked pasta and serve topped with parmesan.