A Good Basic Pasta Sauce

One recipe every home chef should have in their arsenal of recipes is a good  homemade tomato sauce. It should be robust  enough to support any pasta and delicate enough to let the various
ingredients shine through. It should be one that also can be altered to fit the home chef's whims. In other words - the perfect sauce.

The basic sauce recipe is usually made in a large sauce pan. This creates a quick cook which can be frenetic especially when you're cooking pasta at the same time. This is why I prefer my crock pot sauce  - my version of my Mom's. A sauce should start with a good glug of olive oil such as Bertoli's extra virgin. It gives the sauce body and silkiness.  You can start off with sauteing diced onions for it. This is one of the flavor support that give the pasta sauce sweetness. If the onions are too strong sub in a teaspoon of onion powder.Garlic is the second support thrown in. Usually two minced or crush cloves will do it. Again, if you're not big on it, add one minced small clove or sprinkle in garlic powder or garlic salt.Now it's time for the tomatoes. Many feel that crushed  tomatoes add more flavor and texture. I prefer a plain, organic base  such as Tuttorosso plain sauce and tomato paste.It creates a smooth, satiny textured sauce that works with every kind of pasta from spaghetti and angel hair to gemelli and penne.Salt and pepper are necessities for a good sauce. The controversy comes in the sweeteners. Many put in sugar or carrots. These can give the sauce a candlylike taste. Use a dark honey. I prefer Carmel Honey Company's California Wildflower. Just a dollop or two give balances out that tomato -y tang.You can add basil  - dried or fresh if you want.

The basic sauce can be varied. Melissa Clark had an interesting spin on it in last Wedneday's New York Times Food section. Her A Good Appetite column features a kind of lamb ragu. Her sauce has the usual ingredients : crushed tomatoes and paste, onions and olive oil. Then it veers off. She adds not only lamb but also anchovies.Both bring a sweetness to the sauce and balances out the sometimes metallic taste of the tomatoes. She suggests omitting the fish if you 're not a big anchovy fan but they do add to it. She also recommends varying the recipe with pork. This definitely will add flavor. Many Napolitano home chefs add a good amount of pork to their sauces. Another variation to Ms Clark's recipe is marjoram - which is stronger tasting herb than oregano. It's up to you if you want to add that..Beef or even beef strips are a great addition if you're going for a stick to your ribs sauce. Chicken can also be added. Many love a sauce rife with seafood. Use this basic one and then add whatever strikes your fancy - shrimp, clams , tuna.

Every home chef should have a good tomato sauce in their repertoire. It a kitchen basic that highlights any pasta. Best  of all it can be varied at the cook's whim.