How to Make Pasta Sauce :: Quick And Easy Recipes for Homemade Tomato Sauce and White Clam Sauce!

Many people think that cooking a Great Pasta Sauce from scratch is too much trouble. They decide to go with a jar of sauce from the supermarket, instead.

Have you ever read the list of ingredients on one of those jarred sauces? If so, and if you care about the quality of the food that you feed to your family, you might want to consider making a sauce at home - it's easier than you think!

The two Pasta Sauce Recipes that follow are incredibly easy to make at home, and since you're cooking them from scratch, you control the quality of the ingredients!

Each of these recipes - Tomato Sauce and White Clam Sauce - can be prepared in about 15 minutes.

That's less time than it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta! And after you get the hang of these simple and delicious Pasta Sauce Recipes, you'll never waste money on those processed jar sauces again!

This fast and easy Tomato Sauce Recipe is perfect for unexpected guests, or when there just isn't enough time in the day!

It can be finished in the time it takes to boil your favorite pasta, and it's miles better than the jarred, processed sauce from the supermarket.

It uses Canned Tomatoes, so you can make it all year round. If you keep a few cans of tomatoes in the pantry, you'll always have a great meal ready to go at a moment's notice!

Canned Tomato Buying Tip!

• This fast and easy Tomato Sauce Recipe uses "Crushed Tomatoes" - when buying them at the supermarket, make sure that "Tomatoes" are the first ingredient. This will signify that the tomatoes have not been cooked before they were canned.
  If the first ingredient is "Tomato Puree", then the tomatoes were already cooked before they were canned, and cooking them again will result in a less fresh tomato taste!

• 12 Inch Non-Stick Sauce Pan
  
• Pasta Pot
• Box Grater
  

• 1 lb of your favorite Pasta
• 2 tbls Kosher Salt

• ¼ cup Sweet Onion, grated on box grater
• 2 tbls Unsalted Butter
• ¼ tsp Dried Oregano
• ½ tsp Salt
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
• ¼ tsp Sugar
• 1 tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbls Fresh Basil, finely chopped
  

1. Fill the Pasta Pot with water and boil it over high heat
2. Once the water reaches a boil, add 2 tbls Kosher Salt to the Pasta Water and stir
3. Add the Pasta to the Salted Water and cook according to the package directions
4. Before straining the Cooked Pasta, reserve about ¼ cup of the salted Pasta Water

For the Tomato Sauce

1. Meanwhile, grate the Onion on a box grater using the side with the largest holes. Grating it not only saves time, but it releases the sweetness in the juices of the onion for a better flavor!
   
2. Melt the Butter in the Sauce Pan over medium heat.
3. Add the Onions, Oregano and Salt
4. Sauté about 5 minutes, until the Onions are lightly browned
5. Add the Garlic and cook another 30 seconds
6. Add the Crushed Tomatoes, then the Sugar, and stir to combine
   
7. Turn the heat on the Sauce Pan to high and bring the Tomato Sauce to a simmer
8. Once tiny bubbles begin forming around the edges of the Sauce Pan, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer to reduce, about 10 minutes
9. Remove the Tomato Sauce from heat
10. Add the reserved Pasta Water to the Sauce
    
11. Add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the Basil, plus Salt and Pepper to taste.
12. Pour Tomato Sauce over the cooked Pasta and serve!

When cooking Homemade Pasta Sauce, it's a good idea to always save some of the Salted Pasta Water and add it to the sauce just at the end of cooking. It adds lots of flavor to the end result!

I often find myself forgetting to reserve some liquid, so I started using this handy trick: While the Pasta is cooking and you put the colander in the sink, make it a habit to put a glass measuring cup inside the colander.

Then, when you go to strain the pasta, you'll see the measuring cup and remember to reserve some of the water!

Here is a recipe for a delicious, easy and fast White Clam Sauce for just about any type of pasta.

I like to serve it with Mezzi Rigatoni, but it's also great with Thick Spaghetti and Linguine.

The sauce takes all of about 10 minutes to prepare, so it can be ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta!

• 1 Quart Non-Stick Saucier Pan
• Non-Stick Whisk
• Pasta Pot

• 1 lb of your favorite Pasta (I recommend Mezzi Rigatoni or Linguine)
  
• 5 oz can Evaporated Milk
• 2 6.5 oz cans Minced Clams, in Juice
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 tbls Unsalted Butter
• 2 tbls Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Dry Dill Weed (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning (or to taste)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook the Pasta according to the package directions. Be sure to reserve some of the Pasta Water in case you need to thin the Clam Sauce later!

While the Pasta is boiling, you can prepare the Sauce - it only takes 10 to 15 minutes to make!

1. Open the cans of Clams and drain the Juice into a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Set the Clams aside for now
2. Melt the Butter over medium heat in a 1 Quart Saucier Pan
3. When the Butter's foam subsides, add the Garlic and cook for 30 seconds
4. Add the Flour and whisk together to form a Roux
5. Cook the Roux about 2 minutes over medium heat
6. Slowly pour in the Evaporated Milk and whisk until smooth
7. Slowly add the Clam Juice, whisking the whole time
   
8. Add the herbs and spices and whisk the Clam Sauce until everything is fully incorporated - go easy on the Salt, since the Clam Juice can be pretty salty on its own!
9. Just before the Pasta is done boiling, scoop out 1/3 cup of the Pasta Water and whisk it into the Sauce
10. The Sauce should be the consistency of a thin gravy - if it's too thin, just continue cooking and whisking until it's just right; if it's too thick, you can add more Pasta Water to thin it out
    
11. Turn off the heat and add the Clams to the Sauce - if you add them too early they will get rubbery, so save them until the end!
12. Drain the pasta and return it to the cooking pot, or pour it into a serving bowl
13. Pour the Sauce over the Pasta and cover; let the mixture sit a few minutes before serving to allow the sauce to bond with the Pasta

Serve with Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese and Enjoy!

Spaghetti photo from Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Rigatoni photo in the Public Domain from http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/194682