What Is Calabrese Sauce Recipes

CONNIE'S CALABRIAN PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Using a food processor, process tomatoes until mostly smooth. A few small chunks are OK.
• Crush the garlic using a garlic press, or finely chop.
• Clean the fennel well, then slice into 1/4" slices and dry the pieces with a paper towel.
• Add the oil to a large, heavy stock pot.
• When shimmering, add the fennel and saute until it's starting to lightly brown.
• Add the garlic and stir just until it's fragrant.
• Immediately add the processed tomatoes.
• Add the tomato paste, basil, and spices.
• Cook for an hour, uncovered, with the sauce just barely simmering, and stirring occasionally.
• Taste the sauce. If it is a bit acidic/tart, add 1 T of sugar at a time stirring well and tasting it after each addition. Add no more than 1/4 cup at this time.
• Continue simmering,. If you like a "fresh" sauce with some tomato lumps, you can use it as quickly as 1 hour. If you like a smooth sauce, as she makes hers, continue to cook.
• After another hour, taste it again. If it's still too acidic/tart for your taste, add more sugar, 1 T at a time, tasting after each addition.
• When done, freeze or can the sauce for later consumption. If you can it, make sure you follow safe canning procedures and make sure the pH is safe.

BOMBA CALABRESE (SPICY CALABRIAN PEPPER SPREAD)

Steps:

• Place mushrooms, onion, and eggplant into bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off until very finely chopped but not liquefied, 8 to 10 pulses.
• Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil into a skillet. Transfer mushroom mixture to skillet over medium-high heat. Add a large pinch of salt. Cook until mixture is soft, stirring, about 10 minutes.
• Cut off tops of cherry peppers; discard stems but save the ring of pepper around it. (Do wear protective gloves for this.) Cut the peppers in half and remove the seed pods. Shake out the rest of the seeds. Prep the bell peppers and habanero peppers the same way. Place all peppers in bowl of food processor. Pulse on and off until peppers are very finely chopped, but not liquefied. Transfer peppers to eggplant-onion-mushroom mixture in skillet. Add remaining olive oil. Cook and stir over medium-high heat, reducing heat as needed if mixture looks like it may brown. Add fennel seeds, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Cook until peppers are sweet and tender, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Stir in white wine vinegar and (optionally) another tablespoon of olive oil. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and cool to room temperature. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt, a splash of vinegar, and/or olive oil, if needed. Transfer to jars. Store in refrigerator.

CHICKEN CALABRESE

Steps:

• Split or butterfly the chicken breasts. Layer prosciutto, a teaspoon of pesto, and 1 tablespoon of sun dried tomatoes. Roll up the chicken breasts while tucking in the sides to completely envelop the filling.
• In a deep skillet, brown the chicken rolls on both sides. In the same skillet, add the wine, the tomato sauce and the basil.
• Salt and pepper as needed and simmer 30 minutes.
• Serve with rice or polenta.