Tag: marinara

Pasta Puttanesca

Puttanesca (-esque) Sauce

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I learnt about this sauce from the Series of Unfortunate Events movie (IYKYK) and I’ve never looked back. Its a super salty, umami, rich tomatoey sauce – it really packs a punch without feeling too heavy. This is such a great go to weeknight dinner, sped up even more by using a frozen batch of my marinara. I always have a stock of this in my freezer as it can be adapted for so many dishes, and having the sauce ready knocks a good 20 mins off cooking times. This is another of my 15 minute pasta dishes where the sauce is prepped & cooked in the time it takes the pasta to cook. I’ve called this puttaensca-esque as I’ve included tuna which the original doesn’t – I love the addition of tuna for some extra fishiness and protein which keeps me fuller longer.

Putanesca (-esque) Sauce

Serves 1 | 15 mins prep + cook

Ingredients

100g fusilli or other short pasta (or 75g if you aren’t very hungry like me 95% of the time)

1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced

3 jarred/tinned anchovy fillets

1/2 tin tuna (drained)

1/4 batch of my marinara sauce

35g black olives roughly chopped

1tbsp capers

Sprinkle of chilli flakes, to taste

Handful parsley finely chopped

Squeeze of lemon to taste

Parmesan to serve

Method

  1. Cook the pasta in a heavily salted pan of water until al dente.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the anchovies and fry, stirring often, until they dissolve into the oil.
  3. Add the garlic and frying until golden. Keep a close eye on this as this will burn quickly. Add the tuna and stir until combined
  4. Reduce the heat to low and add the marinara, capers, olives and chilli flakes (if using). Stir until warmed through. If the sauce is too thick at this point, add some pasta water to reach the desired consistency.
  5. Take off the heat, add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Stir through the parsley (reserve some to serve) and set aside.
  6. Once the pasta is cooked, combine with the sauce and serve with the remaining parsley sprinkled on top and some grated parmesan.
Italian Sausage Detroit Pizza

Italian Sausage & Red Onion Detroit Pizza

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I’m not sure what inspired this but over Christmas I was just absolutely craving a Detroit pizza, having never had one before… For those of you who haven’t had the joy of trying a Detroit pizza, it’s a much breadier version of its Italian counterpart. Think along the lines of a focaccia with pizza toppings. The crust is thick & chewy with big air bubbles – it’s also rectangular. Basically all round delicious – a dream for bread lovers.

For this, I don’t have my own dough recipe as I’m not a bread-master but there’s lots of great options if you search for it. The toppings are a creation of my own though: my marinara, Italian seasoned sausage, red onions & a grating of pecorino once cooked. I’m getting hungry thinking about it…

Italian Sausage & Red Onion Detroit Pizza

Serves 4-6 (4 very hungry people) | 1 hour prep + proving time (depends on dough recipe used)

Ingredients

~700g dough of your choice (see notes)

1x my marinara sauce, cooked for pizza as per the instructions

1x my italian seasoned sausage

500g low moisture mozzarella grated (see notes)

1 red onion, thinly sliced

Grated pecorino to serve

Olive oil for greasing

Pan or pans totalling 1,500-,1600cm² – these need to be a baking tray about 2-3cm deep. I used 2 trays ~20cmx40cm each

Method

  1. Brush you pan(s) with olive oil. Split your dough in half and transfer to the pans. Rub more olive oil on top of the dough. Now leave to rest again covered loosely with cling film for ~1hour in a warm place.
  2. In the mean time, fry the sausage meat in a large pan with olive oil over a medium heat. Break into chunks, and cook until almost cooked through. You don’t want much too colour on the sausage as it will continue to cook in the oven. Set aside
  3. Preheat the oven to 230°C/210°C fan
  4. Push the dough to fill the pan & dimple with your fingertips.
  5. Sprinkle over the mozzarella then spoon over the, marinara in even strips. Next scatter over the sausage and sliced red onion.
  6. Bake until deeply golden (30-40 mins).
  7. Remove from the oven & leave to cool for 5 mins. Remove from the pan, sprinkle over the pecorino and serve!

Notes:

Dough – If you Google Detroit Pizza recipes there are lots of great options for doughs

Mozzarella – In the UK we can’t get blocks of low moisture mozz so we have to use the grated stuff. In this case you’ll need to wash the mozzarella to get rid of the starch (this is used to stop the cheese sticking to itself, but it’ll also stop you getting a nice melt). Put the cheese into a sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Spread the cheese in a thin layer onto paper towels and leave to dry.

Marinara

Basics By Meg: Marinara

bakesbymeguk2 Comments

I’m starting a basics recipe collection! In this collection I’ll be writing recipes for components that can be built up/used in full dishes. The first in this collection is my marinara sauce. A very tasty, but very simple tomato sauce that can be used in pizzas, pasta, sandwiches etc. etc. – anywhere your heart desires! This tomato sauce is rich in tomato-y flavour making it the perfect sauce to complement other flavours without overpowering them. It has a sweet, tanginess from the tomatoes, followed by a nice round, richness from the butter – the perfect balance (not to toot my own horn…).

Marinara

Makes 700g | 10 mins prep + 30-50 mins cooking

Ingredients

1tbsp oil

1tbsp butter

1 white onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp tomato puree

800g tinned whole tomatoes + their juice

1-2 tsp dried oregano

Method

  1. Heat the oil & butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions & a pinch of salt. Cook until translucent and starting to caramelise (~10mins)
  2. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or 2 until fragrant.
  3. Add the tomato paste and cook until the colour has deepened slightly – around 3-5 mins – stirring often.
  4. Next add the tinned tomatoes and about half a tin full of water. Crush the tomatoes with the back of your spoon.
  5. Simmer this with the lid on for around 30-40 mins until the flavours have intesified.
  6. If using the sauce for pizza or a sandwich (i.e. you want it a little thicker) simmer with the lid off for 5-10 mins to reach the desired consistency.
  7. Add the dried oregano & season with salt and pepper to taste.