for display only
Big Blue Interactive The Corner Forum  
Back to the Corner

Archived Thread

NFT: Who else doesn't care for tomato sauce on their spaghetti?

Klaatu : 6/8/2019 10:33 am
Sicilian here, and while tomato sauce (or "red sauce," if you prefer) and its variations (like Bolognese sauce) has its place in quite a few pasta dishes, my preferences on spaghetti have always been just garlic and oil (aglio e oglio), or cheese and pepper (cacio e pepe), or my Nonna's legendary spaghetti with fried cauliflower. A plain Marinara sauce? No thanks. I'll save that for pizza (with a ton of oregano).
Pages: 1 2 <<Prev | Show All |
RE: This thread is as un-American as it gets.  
Section331 : 6/8/2019 12:52 pm : link
In comment 14466756 BlueLou'sBack said:
Quote:
I was always suspicious of a guy with a handle like "Klaatu" that something subversive could be in play...

I also can't believe we got 20 responses deep into this thread and not a single response mentions pesto.

If you make a good pesto, and it's easy in a food processor or blender, (forget Nonna's grind it in a mortar and pestle hours long concoction!) and keep it in jars with a thin film of EVOO over the surface, it keeps for quite a while.

That's my go-to pasta sauce.


I was response #5, and I mentioned pesto.
RE: My kids  
Section331 : 6/8/2019 12:53 pm : link
In comment 14466762 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
wouldn't eat sauce on their pasta until they were grown up.

Don't feel bad.


So you’re saying Klaatu isn’t grown up yet?
RE: RE: Get bent, food cops.  
Klaatu : 6/8/2019 12:59 pm : link
In comment 14466799 Bill in UT said:
Quote:
In comment 14466792 Klaatu said:


Quote:


If it has tomatoes in it, it's a variation to me, and I'd just rather not eat it.




ah, an admitted lycopersicumophobe


Nope. No problem with the "T" in a BLT, or in a Caprese salad. Just not on my spaghetti.
I only eat tomatoe sauce  
JPinstripes : 6/8/2019 1:05 pm : link
on my Spaghetti if I'm eating Spaghetti and Meatballs, which by the way is probably my favorite dish to both cook and eat in the entire world.

I love my Spaghetti and Meatballs - first fry the Meatballs of course, then drop half of them into the sauce for another 30 minutes on a low flame and pour over the Spaghetti... #FOODPORN
I don't mind sauce but not drowning  
jgambrosio : 6/8/2019 1:09 pm : link
I grew up on my dad's gravy - really thick with onions, peppers garlic as the base and mostly crushed, diced and tomato paste cooked down, small amount of sauce in comparison, cooked down the entire weekendd and eventually meatballs, sausage and sometimes a cheesecloth wrapped chicken in. All it needed was to coat the pasta for what you needed. Just enough to wipe your plate clean with some bread after.
RE: I only eat tomatoe sauce  
BlueLou'sBack : 6/8/2019 1:11 pm : link
In comment 14466820 JPinstripes said:
Quote:
on my Spaghetti if I'm eating Spaghetti and Meatballs, which by the way is probably my favorite dish to both cook and eat in the entire world.

I love my Spaghetti and Meatballs - first fry the Meatballs of course, then drop half of them into the sauce for another 30 minutes on a low flame and pour over the Spaghetti... #FOODPORN


Well, I hope at least you leave out the toes...
LOL  
JPinstripes : 6/8/2019 1:15 pm : link
-
RE: RE: RE: Also  
smshmth8690 : 6/8/2019 1:26 pm : link
In comment 14466795 BlueLou'sBack said:
Quote:
In comment 14466786 Bill in UT said:


Quote:


In comment 14466759 BlueLou'sBack said:


Quote:


Bolognese is NOT "a variation of tomato sauce!"


Heaven forbid.



What a bunch of dummies on this board, Lou. How do they not know that bolognese is a variation of chili? And I was gonna mention pesto, but you beat me to it.



Darn it! I always thought chili was kinda spicy Bolognese with beans... except I never grind beef for chili but prefer chunks cooked until they start to fall apart.

I knew one Italian chef who never pre-ground his beef for "Bolognese" either, but in fairness he called it "meat ragu", not bolognese.


Meat ragu, great variations here. I've done lamb, duck, and wild boar, not all at the same time, but separate. Odd though, for some reason the duck, and boar we called Sugo, but lamb, beef, and pork get the Ragu name.

I also do variations of Bolognese. Tonight I've got an Octopus Bolognese, ground Octopus, Prosciutto, Tomato, Cream, Butter, and a little Veal Stock. Yes, we put cheese on it too.
RE: RE: I only eat tomatoe sauce  
Bill in UT : 6/8/2019 1:26 pm : link
In comment 14466824 BlueLou'sBack said:
Quote:
In comment 14466820 JPinstripes said:


Quote:


on my Spaghetti if I'm eating Spaghetti and Meatballs, which by the way is probably my favorite dish to both cook and eat in the entire world.

I love my Spaghetti and Meatballs - first fry the Meatballs of course, then drop half of them into the sauce for another 30 minutes on a low flame and pour over the Spaghetti... #FOODPORN



Well, I hope at least you leave out the toes...


yeah, so Quayleian
RE: RE: RE: RE: Also  
Bill in UT : 6/8/2019 1:29 pm : link
In comment 14466832 smshmth8690 said:
Quote:

Tonight I've got an Octopus Bolognese, ground Octopus, Prosciutto, Tomato, Cream, Butter, and a little Veal Stock. Yes, we put cheese on it too.


Who the hell thinks of making octopus bolognese? God bless you. At least I know what to do with my leftover octopus now :)
RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Also  
BlueLou'sBack : 6/8/2019 1:37 pm : link
In comment 14466835 Bill in UT said:
Quote:
In comment 14466832 smshmth8690 said:


Quote:



Tonight I've got an Octopus Bolognese, ground Octopus, Prosciutto, Tomato, Cream, Butter, and a little Veal Stock. Yes, we put cheese on it too.



Who the hell thinks of making octopus bolognese? God bless you. At least I know what to do with my leftover octopus now :)


Drew cooks with a decidedly Cajun influence (his restaurant - Drew's Bayshore Bistro in Keyport, NJ is excellent and balanced between Cajun and French bistro traditions).

So seafood plus meat (especially cured or smoked pork meat) for him is like what Forrest Gump said about himself and Jenny - "like peas and carrots."

;-)
RE: RE: I only eat tomatoe sauce  
Klaatu : 6/8/2019 1:53 pm : link
In comment 14466824 BlueLou'sBack said:
Quote:
In comment 14466820 JPinstripes said:


Quote:


on my Spaghetti if I'm eating Spaghetti and Meatballs, which by the way is probably my favorite dish to both cook and eat in the entire world.

I love my Spaghetti and Meatballs - first fry the Meatballs of course, then drop half of them into the sauce for another 30 minutes on a low flame and pour over the Spaghetti... #FOODPORN



Well, I hope at least you leave out the toes...




Can I eat the toes? Can I eat the toes?
Give me evoo & garlic with a touch of basil & oregano  
bigblue1124 : 6/8/2019 1:59 pm : link
Every day of the week rather than marinara. Now if we are talking gravy that's another thread.

30 years I have been a chef and always scratch my my head why people want just pasta and sauce. Marinara is a mother sauce imo and you take it from there. Kid's being the only exception.
RE: I only eat tomatoe sauce  
bigblue1124 : 6/8/2019 2:55 pm : link
In comment 14466820 JPinstripes said:
Quote:
on my Spaghetti if I'm eating Spaghetti and Meatballs, which by the way is probably my favorite dish to both cook and eat in the entire world.

I love my Spaghetti and Meatballs - first fry the Meatballs of course, then drop half of them into the sauce for another 30 minutes on a low flame and pour over the Spaghetti... #FOODPORN


You DO NOT FRY a meatball, pan sear, roast? I really hope that was a typo.
What grinds my gears  
CRinCA : 6/8/2019 3:06 pm : link
Is when I see "cream" listed as a carbonara ingredient on restaurant menus. Blasphemy!
RE: RE: I only eat tomatoe sauce  
Klaatu : 6/8/2019 3:18 pm : link
In comment 14466892 bigblue1124 said:
Quote:
In comment 14466820 JPinstripes said:


Quote:


on my Spaghetti if I'm eating Spaghetti and Meatballs, which by the way is probably my favorite dish to both cook and eat in the entire world.

I love my Spaghetti and Meatballs - first fry the Meatballs of course, then drop half of them into the sauce for another 30 minutes on a low flame and pour over the Spaghetti... #FOODPORN



You DO NOT FRY a meatball, pan sear, roast? I really hope that was a typo.


RE: RE: I only eat tomatoe sauce  
Bill in UT : 6/8/2019 3:43 pm : link
In comment 14466892 bigblue1124 said:
Quote:


You DO NOT FRY a meatball, pan sear, roast? I really hope that was a typo.


I'm constantly looking for the perfect meatball flavor, texture, moistness. I've pan seared, roasted and even deep fried, but I don't think it brings much to the party for me. I've gone back to just cooking them in the sauce.
We roast our meatballs in oven  
Jimmy Googs : 6/8/2019 3:59 pm : link
For 30 minutes at 450. Then submerge in gravy and put gravy pot into oven to finish cooking.

Nobody at Googs home goes hungry...
RE: RE: I only eat tomato sauce  
JPinstripes : 6/8/2019 4:07 pm : link
In comment 14466892 bigblue1124 said:
Quote:
In comment 14466820 JPinstripes said:


Quote:


on my Spaghetti if I'm eating Spaghetti and Meatballs, which by the way is probably my favorite dish to both cook and eat in the entire world.

I love my Spaghetti and Meatballs - first fry the Meatballs of course, then drop half of them into the sauce for another 30 minutes on a low flame and pour over the Spaghetti... #FOODPORN



You DO NOT FRY a meatball, pan sear, roast? I really hope that was a typo.


What are you talking about? Of course I fry my meatballs, is this some kind of joke comment? Pan sear? Roast? Have you ever made meatballs before?
The ultimate in meatballs might just be raw  
idiotsavant : 6/8/2019 4:55 pm : link
I jest. But anyone with fake meat is going out the back door.
For all you “just olive oil and garlic” guys  
Bill L : 6/8/2019 5:17 pm : link
Are you EVOO snobs? Do you shop for different oils, drink them to see, go to special shops.

Or can Bertolli’s do the trick?
RE: RE: RE: I only eat tomatoe [sic] sauce  
BlueLou'sBack : 6/8/2019 5:30 pm : link
In comment 14466927 Bill in UT said:
Quote:
In comment 14466892 bigblue1124 said:


Quote:




You DO NOT FRY a meatball, pan sear, roast? I really hope that was a typo.



I'm constantly looking for the perfect meatball flavor, texture, moistness. I've pan seared, roasted and even deep fried, but I don't think it brings much to the party for me. I've gone back to just cooking them in the sauce.


Dear Bill in UT:

Whether or not you pan fry, deep fry, pan sear (isn't that the same as pan fry?) roast or for that matter poach your meatballs in broth or tomato sauces doesn't make the faintest bit of difference to the "perfect moisture or texture" of the meatball.

Moistness and texture are varied by the type of meat and fat content, the "lightening agent(s)" used - panade, grated raw potato, rice, mashed potato (cooked) bread crumbs, egg, baking powder, soda water - and eggs. The variation in cooking you mention affect the flavor of the meatball by whether or not the surface of the balls are browned to create the meatier maillard reaction, or not. But they don't appreciably alter the meatballs' interior characteristics.

I like about two pounds of half ground beef and half poultry - chicken or turkey - with a stiff panade made from about 3 oz of dry but not stale white bread worked into a very thick and stiff paste with just enough 50 % reduced stock or broth, and 1 egg. A few tablespoons of cooked minced onion and garlic, and a couple of tablespoons of minced chopped fresh parsley and some spices pending my mood.

The panade and the egg largely determine the balls' texture. My wife makes great meatballs but with a grated raw potato, an egg, and baking powder mixed in.

To each their own.
Pan Frying versus Seared/Roasted  
JPinstripes : 6/8/2019 5:42 pm : link
To pan sear something you would get the pan very hot and then sear the item in the pan. Usually this method implies that the outside will be fully cooked and even burnt but the inside will be less cooked sometimes even raw.

Pan roasted starts out the same as pan seared, the pan is heated and then the item is seared, and then the entire pan is put in the oven to finish roasting.

And the last is pan fried which is how my living family has been cooking meatballs for the past 70 years is to differentiate it from deep frying and is sometimes called shallow fried and basically means that the item being fried needs to be turned over because there is not enough fat to completely submerge the item.
Spaghetti is overrated  
adamg : 6/8/2019 6:00 pm : link
My go to is fettuccine bolognese...
If it has to be spaghetti  
adamg : 6/8/2019 6:00 pm : link
Carbonara is the way to go.
RE: Pan Frying versus Seared/Roasted  
Bill in UT : 6/8/2019 6:03 pm : link
In comment 14466993 JPinstripes said:
Quote:
To pan sear something you would get the pan very hot and then sear the item in the pan. Usually this method implies that the outside will be fully cooked and even burnt but the inside will be less cooked sometimes even raw.

Pan roasted starts out the same as pan seared, the pan is heated and then the item is seared, and then the entire pan is put in the oven to finish roasting.

And the last is pan fried which is how my living family has been cooking meatballs for the past 70 years is to differentiate it from deep frying and is sometimes called shallow fried and basically means that the item being fried needs to be turned over because there is not enough fat to completely submerge the item.


All roads lead to Rome. Basically, however you get there, the question is whether creating a crust on the outside of the meatball improves it's flavor. I haven't found that it does, but maybe I haven't got the greatest palate. It certainly changes it's texture.
Anyone else grow up with Heinz ketchup as their sauce on spaghetti?  
Milton : 6/8/2019 6:03 pm : link
I didn't find out about tomato sauces like Ragu until I went to college. Of course nowadays I prefer a garlic-rich olive oil sauce. I can also dig a tomato cream sauce with a seafood medley (salmon works especially well with a pink sauce).

p.s.--and I like the thin spaghettis (capellini/angel hair)....
RE: RE: RE: RE: I only eat tomatoe [sic] sauce  
Bill in UT : 6/8/2019 6:04 pm : link
In comment 14466989 BlueLou'sBack said:
Quote:
In comment 14466927 Bill in UT said:


Quote:


In comment 14466892 bigblue1124 said:


Quote:




You DO NOT FRY a meatball, pan sear, roast? I really hope that was a typo.



I'm constantly looking for the perfect meatball flavor, texture, moistness. I've pan seared, roasted and even deep fried, but I don't think it brings much to the party for me. I've gone back to just cooking them in the sauce.



Dear Bill in UT:

Whether or not you pan fry, deep fry, pan sear (isn't that the same as pan fry?) roast or for that matter poach your meatballs in broth or tomato sauces doesn't make the faintest bit of difference to the "perfect moisture or texture" of the meatball.

Moistness and texture are varied by the type of meat and fat content, the "lightening agent(s)" used - panade, grated raw potato, rice, mashed potato (cooked) bread crumbs, egg, baking powder, soda water - and eggs. The variation in cooking you mention affect the flavor of the meatball by whether or not the surface of the balls are browned to create the meatier maillard reaction, or not. But they don't appreciably alter the meatballs' interior characteristics.

I like about two pounds of half ground beef and half poultry - chicken or turkey - with a stiff panade made from about 3 oz of dry but not stale white bread worked into a very thick and stiff paste with just enough 50 % reduced stock or broth, and 1 egg. A few tablespoons of cooked minced onion and garlic, and a couple of tablespoons of minced chopped fresh parsley and some spices pending my mood.

The panade and the egg largely determine the balls' texture. My wife makes great meatballs but with a grated raw potato, an egg, and baking powder mixed in.

To each their own.


Thanks, Lou.
My wife makes a nice dish sans red sauce  
Matt M. : 6/8/2019 7:06 pm : link
Cauliflower par boiled and then mixed in a saute pan with crushed red pepper flakes, golden raisins, and the pasta with a little EVOO and a little pasta water.

Another is simple, pasta with a crema d'peperoncini, which we haven't been able to find in the US in a while. To try to replicate it we use fresh parsley, garlic, evoo, crushed pepper flakes.
Lou - like you say  
Matt M. : 6/8/2019 7:07 pm : link
sometimes recipes re born out of necessity. My wife started making a carbonara with Genoa salami because that's what we had in the fridge and she wanted something different. The kids loved it and so that's how she makes it from now on.
RE: My wife makes a nice dish sans red sauce  
JPinstripes : 6/8/2019 7:30 pm : link
In comment 14467056 Matt M. said:
Quote:
Cauliflower par boiled and then mixed in a saute pan with crushed red pepper flakes, golden raisins, and the pasta with a little EVOO and a little pasta water.

Another is simple, pasta with a crema d'peperoncini, which we haven't been able to find in the US in a while. To try to replicate it we use fresh parsley, garlic, evoo, crushed pepper flakes.


Matt, "crema d'peperoncini" is simple to make and has no cream.

Ingredients:
Olive oil
Chilli peppers - (Habanero or Jalapeno is fine)
Salt to taste
I drop a few whole garlic cloves for my liking
A few shots of whiskey
An empty Jar

Process:
Cut the stems from the Chilli peppers
Place them into the empty jar
Optional - some people will use the food processor and blend the peppers down. I don't.
Add the shots of whiskey and close the jar for 4 days. The whiskey should cover 1/4th of the peppers in height. Stir it once daily getting all the peppers moist.
After 4 days add the olive oil, salt and garlic cloves and keep the jar closed for 3 days.
Ready to eat.

The whisky brings out the hot flavor of the peppers before adding the olive oil. Give it a try, add what you like...
fra diavlo or  
viggie : 6/8/2019 8:58 pm : link
garlic and oil with broccolirabe
RE: Lou - like you say  
BlueLou'sBack : 6/8/2019 9:04 pm : link
In comment 14467059 Matt M. said:
Quote:
sometimes recipes re born out of necessity. My wife started making a carbonara with Genoa salami because that's what we had in the fridge and she wanted something different. The kids loved it and so that's how she makes it from now on.


Just the other day I made a "Chili with beans" with hunks of Genoa salami instead of beef! Actually came out pretty good except for a slight over-saltiness. Didn't account properly for the salt in the salami.

Love Genoa Salami - the one I used specified "uncured" which I gather means not smoked.
it's gots to be gooood tomato sauce  
gidiefor : Mod : 6/8/2019 11:16 pm : link
but --- seriously Klaatu -- hand in your Italian card
RE: RE: Lou - like you say  
Jim in Fairfax : 6/8/2019 11:55 pm : link
In comment 14467174 BlueLou'sBack said:
Quote:

Love Genoa Salami - the one I used specified "uncured" which I gather means not smoked.

It’s not related to smoking (Genoa salami, whether “cured” or “uncured” is not smoked).

Cured meats contain nitrates, which preserve food. They also provide the pink hue you see in salamis, hot dogs etc. They have been linked to cancer, so you now see many “uncured” products on the market. Thing is, they’re not any healthier. They use a natural preservative, usually celery powder, which itself is high in nitrates.
RE: it's gots to be gooood tomato sauce  
Klaatu : 6/9/2019 8:01 am : link
In comment 14467227 gidiefor said:
Quote:
but --- seriously Klaatu -- hand in your Italian card


My Italian card is a Benelli SuperNova. Come and get it.
I don't need to come and get anything  
gidiefor : Mod : 6/9/2019 9:16 am : link
eventually a goombah capidan will catch up with you and bada bing!
cacio e pepe is just  
barens : 6/9/2019 11:30 am : link
the best.
RE: I don't need to come and get anything  
Klaatu : 6/9/2019 12:30 pm : link
In comment 14467297 gidiefor said:
Quote:
eventually a goombah capidan will catch up with you and bada bing!




On BBI, the Mods are more dangerous than shotguns.
RE: RE: RE: Lou - like you say  
BlueLou'sBack : 6/9/2019 3:15 pm : link
In comment 14467230 Jim in Fairfax said:
Quote:
In comment 14467174 BlueLou'sBack said:


Quote:



Love Genoa Salami - the one I used specified "uncured" which I gather means not smoked.


It’s not related to smoking (Genoa salami, whether “cured” or “uncured” is not smoked).

Cured meats contain nitrates, which preserve food. They also provide the pink hue you see in salamis, hot dogs etc. They have been linked to cancer, so you now see many “uncured” products on the market. Thing is, they’re not any healthier. They use a natural preservative, usually celery powder, which itself is high in nitrates.


Exactly! This Genoa Salami specifies both "celery powder" among the ingredients, and "Does Not Contain Nitrates".

Thanks for the clarification re smoked.
Nitrates/nitrites  
Bill in UT : 6/9/2019 3:49 pm : link
I found this information on several sites:

"Manufacturers using celery products can claim their meat has “no nitrates or nitrites added,” except for those naturally occurring. But celery is naturally high in nitrates, so adding celery powder to meat is simply another way of providing nitrates. In passing from mouth to stomach, nitrates get converted to nitrite."

Also found in the past couple of days that many vegetables are naturally high in nitrates
Link - ( New Window )
RE: Nitrates/nitrites  
Jim in Fairfax : 6/9/2019 4:42 pm : link
In comment 14467572 Bill in UT said:
Quote:
I found this information on several sites:

"Manufacturers using celery products can claim their Meath has “no nitrates or nitrites added,” except for those naturally occurring. But celery is naturally high in nitrates, so adding celery powder to meat is simply another way of providing nitrates. In passing from mouth to stomach, nitrates get converted to nitrite."

Also found in the past couple of days that many vegetables are naturally high in nitrates Link - ( New Window )

Yes, vegetables are high in nitrates. The average person consumes several times as much nitrates from vegetables than processed meat. But nitrates themselves are not known to be a health risk on their own. It’s when they are combined with meat protein and heat that causes cancer causing compounds to be created.
RE: RE: Nitrates/nitrites  
BlueLou'sBack : 6/9/2019 5:22 pm : link
In comment 14467604 Jim in Fairfax said:
Quote:
In comment 14467572 Bill in UT said:


Quote:


I found this information on several sites:

"Manufacturers using celery products can claim their Meath has “no nitrates or nitrites added,” except for those naturally occurring. But celery is naturally high in nitrates, so adding celery powder to meat is simply another way of providing nitrates. In passing from mouth to stomach, nitrates get converted to nitrite."

Also found in the past couple of days that many vegetables are naturally high in nitrates Link - ( New Window )


Yes, vegetables are high in nitrates. The average person consumes several times as much nitrates from vegetables than processed meat. But nitrates themselves are not known to be a health risk on their own. It’s when they are combined with meat protein and heat that causes cancer causing compounds to be created.


So - we should eat our Genoa Salami as purchased, and stay away from cooking it? Got it.
doesn't care for tomato sauce on their spaghetti?  
Torrag : 6/9/2019 6:26 pm : link
Basically commies and hippies. Normal people get it.
RE: doesn't care for tomato sauce on their spaghetti?  
Klaatu : 6/9/2019 6:29 pm : link
In comment 14467688 Torrag said:
Quote:
Basically commies and hippies. Normal people get it.


So, basically, you know as little about food as you do about football. Got that?
I've already forgotten more about both subjects...  
Torrag : 6/9/2019 7:42 pm : link
...than you ever knew.
RE: Get bent, food cops.  
Hsilwek92 : 6/9/2019 7:59 pm : link
In comment 14466792 Klaatu said:
Quote:
If it has tomatoes in it, it's a variation to me, and I'd just rather not eat it.


Goddamn fruitist.
RE: I've already forgotten more about both subjects...  
Klaatu : 6/10/2019 7:06 am : link
In comment 14467715 Torrag said:
Quote:
...than you ever knew.


In your dreams.
what's next?  
pjcas18 : 6/10/2019 8:05 am : link
I'm rubber you're glue?

great thread!
RE: what's next?  
Klaatu : 6/10/2019 8:16 am : link
In comment 14467866 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
I'm rubber you're glue?

great thread!


I know you are, but what am I?
Pages: 1 2 <<Prev | Show All |
Back to the Corner