Cook's Illustrated (May/June 2008)
On a recent weekday night, I was home alone -- a little tired and cranky from the day. The weather in our nation's capital was still cool.
And I was in the mood for only one thing: a big bowl of pasta.
It was the perfect time to make Cook's Creamy Tomato Sauce.
The recipe begins as many sauce recipes do, with an aromatic sauté of onions and, in this case, prosciutto. First sun-dried tomatoes are added, then wine and other flavors, and finally crushed canned tomatoes. Once the sauce has thickened, cream and fresh chopped basil finish the sauce.
When we tried to buy them, we were unable to find oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, which the recipe recommends. Instead, we used dry packed sun-dried tomatoes that seemed to work just fine (we added a little extra olive oil to make up for the lack of oil in the tomatoes).
The only other substitution we made was with the basil. At the end of last summer, we had an abundance of basil in our window boxes. With some of it, we made pesto (check out our Flickr set about this), but we also mixed some chopped basil with a bit of olive oil and then froze it in ice cube trays. These little bits of basil have proved extremely handy, and added a wonderful freshness to this pasta. Here it is, fresh out of the freezer.
This isn't a terribly quick dish. Start to finish takes at least an hour, and its multi-step processes require you to be in the kitchen or nearby for most of the cooking time.
But it's worth it.
This is the kind of pasta that makes you want to climb into the bowl.
Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Cook's Illustrated (May/June 2008)
This photo: Cook's Illustrated
3 tablespoons butter
1 ounce prosciutto, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 bay leaf
Salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 ounces oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, rinsed, patted dry and chopped (3 tablespoons)
1/4 plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons crushed tomatoes (from a 28-ounce can)
1 pound pasta of your choice
1/2 cup heavy cream
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add prosciutto, onion, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 12 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup wine and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add 2 cups crushed tomatoes and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. In a pot, bring 4 quarters water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot.
4. Remove bay leave from sauce and discard. Stir in cream, remaining 2 tablespoons crushed tomatoes, and remaining 2 tablespoons wine; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add sauce to cooked pasta. Adjust consistently with reserved pasta cooking water, to your preference. Stir in basil and serve immediately. Add fresh Parmesan, if desired.
