Marinara Sauce

[jglass]

Mama I made this - Pasta e Fagioli from Giada's Family Dinners cookbook I got a few days ago. I just wasnt that impressed with the recipe. The flavor just seemed off to me.
Do you have a recipe for it? I would love any Italian soup recipes you have to share.

[Mama Mangia]

Well - thank you Mr. Jglass for a lovely compliment!

I am so glad you enjoyed it. Now you can see the difference between using ricotta cheese and potatoes when making gnocchi. You can eat twice as much then! LOL

I would love for you to bug everyday! Someone needs to learn all my secrets!

: )

Mama

[jglass]

I think I like the ricotta better. So much lighter and what a great taste.
I would love to know even half of what you know about cooking lol.
Someone with your experience and knowledge and willing to share is priceless if you ask me. Cookbooks pale in comparison.

My father in law put me out 35 tomato plants total. I cannot wait to use the recipe you list using fresh tomatoes to can marinara sauce.

[Mama Mangia]

Well dear - I am here to help. And to teach. I am presently toying with the idea of making some CD's of me making several different dishes. I'll keep you posted on that.

Now - for pasta d fiagioli - called pasta fa-zool around here - I don't measure - never did - so I don't know how much help this will be - be I'll try to "eyeball" it while writing - LOL

Here's a very easy and simple version - of course I have more - but try this and let me know -

Pick over beans, removing any shriveled or damaged beans and any foreign objects. Rinse the beans in a sieve under cold running water. Use about 1 cup of beans until you see if you like this - oh and you can use pink or red beans - kidney.

Cover the beans with enough cold water by a good 4 inches; bring to boil; boil 2 minutes; remove from heat and let stand, covered for about an hour. Drain and rinse with cold running water.

Reheat with about 6 cups broth (chicken - always homemade) - adjust salt; simmer until the beans are tender - this should take about 1 - 1 ½ hours.


Now - for the pasta part - now is when I make my homemade with flour, eggs and a pinch of salt.

Cut as you please - I like about 1 ½-inches in size - something to chew on. Place on a clean lintless lightly floured dish towel and let sit for no more than 60 - 90 minutes at room temperature

Once your beans are tender, adust the salt and pepper, add parsley and garlic (if using). Cook until pasta is cooked - NOT FLOATING - BUT COOKED.

To serve - ladle in bowls and sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romans or Parmesan Reggiano. Have plenty of crusty Italian bread for soppin?!


Now remember - I always add veggies to mine as well - it's all a matter or preference.

If I am making it COMPLETELY from scratch - Istart off as if I were making a hearty chicken soup - boiling the bird, seasoning with salt, pepper, parsely, garlic, adding bouillon, onions, carrots, celery, and after it is skimmed - remove the bird and strip it down - add diced chicken to broth if desired or use it for another meal. Toss in my tomatoes (crushed by hand), adjust seasonings and add my pasta to cook. Add cannellini beans or kidney and heat through and enjoy!

Here's one as well -

Olive Garden® Pasta e Fagioli
Servings: 8


* 1 pound [454 g] ground beef
* 1 small onion, diced [1 cup / 250 mL]
* 1 large carrot, julienned [1 cup / 250 mL]
* 3 stalks celery, chopped [1 cup / 250 mL]
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 [14 1/2-ounce /412-mL each] cans tomato dices
* 1 [15-ounce / 426-mL] can red kidney beans, with liquid
* 1 [15-ounce / 426-mL] can great northern beans, with liquid
* 1 [15-ounce / 426-mL] can tomato sauce
* 1 [12-ounce / 340-mL] can mixed vegetables juice
* 1 tablespoon [15 mL] vinegar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons [7.5 mL] salt
* 1 teaspoon [5 mL] oregano
* 1 teaspoon [5 mL] basil
* 1/2 teaspoon [2.5 mL] pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon [2.5 mL] thyme
* 1/2 pound [227 g] ditali pasta
* 1 1/2 to 2 quarts [1 1/2 to 2 L] boiling water

* Brown round beef into large saucepan over medium heat.
* Drain off most of the fat.
* Mix in onion dices, julienned carrot, chopped celery and minced garlic; stirring, fry for 10 minutes.
* Mix in tomato dices, red kidney beans with liquid, great northern beans with liquid, tomato sauce, mixed vegetables juice, vinegar, salt, oregano, basil, pepper and thyme.
* Leave to simmer for 1 hour.
* Approximately 10 minutes before the end of cooking time, boil pasta noodles into boiling water over high heat for approximately 10 minutes, just until al dente, or slightly tough; drain.
* Transfer drained pasta into ground beef/tomato mixture.
* Leave to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until hot, before serving.


I hope this helps.

[jglass]

That helps alot.
Thanks.

[Mama Mangia]

Anytime! You can always "tweak" it your way. that is the best thing about cooking - you can have so much fun creating and re-creating!

You're welcomed!

Enjoy!

[jglass]

I made another batch of your ricotta gnocchi today Mama.
I had enough to freeze three bags each with two dozen gnocchi in it.
Going to get the stuff to make some more marinara sauce tomorrow.
As Alton Brown would say..thats good eats.

[Mama Mangia]

Have I created a gnocchi monster??? LOL

The cheese gnocchi are so easy to make and much lighter than the potato ones. Sounds like you're enjoying them and the sauce - that makes me smile!

: )

[jglass]

We have them twice a week atleast.

[Mama Mangia]

Now you sound like an old-fashioned Italian - pasta every Sunday and Thursday in our house! LOL