Tomato Carbonara Sauce

Tags: Italian Cuisine, pasta, sauces, tomatoes

A Little Personal History:

I wanted to come up with a flavorful tomato based sauce for pasta that’s great on its own or with poultry or seafood added. Here’s what I came up with.

Description:

 

Categories:	Sauce
Servings:	4
Time:	– Preparation:   10 minutes – Cooking:         30 minutes
Equipment:	Cutting board and knifes, grater, measuring cups and spoons, 5 small bowls, large skillet, wooden spoon
Difficulty:	Easy

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 4 slices smoked bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• ½ Tbs crushed red pepper
• 2 cups Classic or Hybrid Tomato Sauce
• ½ cup freshly Parmesan cheese , grated
• 1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Procedure:

1. On cutting board, dice onions and bacon. Set aside in separate small bowls.
2. Chop parsley. Set aside in small bowl.
3. Grate cheese. Divide in half and set aside in separate bowls (¼ cup each).
4. Over medium heat, add oil to large skillet.
5. When oil is hot, but no smoking, sauté bacon until done but not crisp.
6. Add onion and sauté until soft.
7. Add crushed red pepper and an additional 3 minutes.
8. Add tomato sauce and heat through till it begins to bubble. Stirring occasionally with wooden spoon.
9. Remove from heat, fold in 1st bowl of Parmesan cheese, and serve immediately over spaghetti.
10. Garnish with parsley and serve with 2nd bowl Parmesan cheese to add as needed.

Advanced Preparation:

• Steps 1 – 3 can be done up to a couple hours in advance, covered and refrigerated.
• Steps 1 – 8 can be done in advance and refrigerated or frozen till needed. If frozen, return to room temperature, re-heat and continue with Steps 9-10.

Tips, Notes, and Variations:

• This sauce goes well with chicken or shrimp added.