Smoky Bacon Tomato Sauce

Add this sauce to your weeknight cooking repertoire-with bacon, it's a surefire heat!

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 20 minutes
Noodles to Match fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti

Ingredients

• 300 grams honeycured bacon strips or bacon chunks, chopped into ½-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• ½ cup finely chopped carrots
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 (800-gram) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• ½ tespoon chili flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1 Heat a large saucepan and fry bacon until lightly golden. Remove bacon but leave the rendered fat. Set bacon aside.

2 Heat oil in the same pan. Saute onions until translucent. Add carrots and garlic; cook until soft. Add the crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes.

3 Add bacon, thyme, and chili flakes and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Walnut and Mushroom Sauce

The flavor of this sauce is boosted by a combination of fresh and dried mushrooms, while chopped walnuts add texture and crunch.

Serves 2 to 3
Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 12 minutes
Noodles to Match bowtie, shell (conchiglie), spiral, penne

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 table spoon minced garlic
• 1¼ cups sliced fresh mushrooms (button, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms)
• ¼ cup dried mushrooms (shiitake or porcini), rehydrated in ¼ cup hot water and sliced
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup all-purpose cream
• 2 tablespoons mushroom water (liquid used to rehydrate dried mushrooms)
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh sage, chopped
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and white pepper to taste
• fresh sage leaves and basil leaves for garnish (optional)

Method

1 Melt butter in a medium saucepas. Saute garlic until fragrant. Add fresh mushrooms and cook over high heat until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add dried mushrooms and cook for another minute.

2 Add walnuts and mix well. Pour in cream and mushmoom water, and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the fresh basil, sage, and Parmesan cheese. Cook for another minute. Season to taste with salt and white pepper; cook for 1 more minute. Garnish with basil and sage leaves, if desired.

Malunggay Pesto

Increase your intake of this local super-food through this delicious, easy-to-make pesto. It's great for gift-giving, too!

Serves 3 to 4
Preparation Time 10 minutes
Noodles to Match angel hair, fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti

Ingredients

• ½ cup malunggay leaves, washed and dried
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped roasted cashew nuts or toasted pine nuts
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• malunggay leaves for garnish (optional)

Method

In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with malunggay leaves, if desired.

Chicken and Broccoli with Gorgonzola Sauce

Gorgonzola cheese adds a decadent twist to your ordinary cream sauce.

Serves 4
Preparation Time 5 minutes
Cooking Time 18 to 20 minutes
Noodles to Match bowtie, penne, rigatoni, shell (conchiglie), spiral

Ingredients

• 4 deboned and skinless chicken breast halves
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1½ tablespoons butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup diced Gorgonzola cheese
• ¾ cup broccoli, cut into florets and blached
• 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• sugar and white pepper to taste

Method

1 Lightly season chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a cast iron pan or griddle. Cooki chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until fully cooked. Slice into cubes and set aside.

2 In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add cream and Gorgonzola cheese. Stir until smooth and cheese has melted. Add the cooked broccoli florets and basil. Season with salt, sugar, and white pepper. Mix well.

Roasted Squash and Brown Butter Sauce

The nuttiness of brown butter is the highlight of this dish. It pairs well with the subtle sweetness of roasted squash.

Serves 2 to 3
Preparation Time 25 minutes
Cooking Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 500 grams squash, peeled, deseeded, and sliced into 1⁄2-inch cubes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons coarsely ground hazelnuts or walnuts
• 2 tablespoon heavy cream
• 4 sage or basil leaves, chopped into thin strips
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 150 grams angel hair spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Method

1 In a heatproof dish, drizzle olive oil over squash. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Roast until tender in a turbo broiler, set at 175°C for 40 minutes; stir halfway through cooking. Set aside.

2 In a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat. Add nuts and continue cooking until butter is golden brown. Add the heavy cream and sage and cook for a few seconds. Add the roasted squash and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3 Toss in noodles and transfer to a serving dish. Top with dried cranberries and grated Parmesan cheese.