Basic Alfredo

A simple sauce for pasta.

•Heavy cream
•Parmesan cheese
•Salt & pepper to taste

For the basic sauce, just bring cream to a slow simmer, and stir in your desired amount of parmesan. Continue stirring until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. My favorite ratio is about 4to 1, cream to parmesan. You can easily adjust this ration to suit your own taste. Keep in mind that the more cheese you use, the thicker the sauce will be. This sauce is so easy to elaborate on. You can saute garlic in olive oil prior to adding the cream, and/or add any combination to the final product. Some additions I like are capers, sun-dried tomatoes, tomatoes, pine nuts, lemon juice, fresh basil, red pepper flakes, etc...you can really use your imagination. To store the sauce, save in a container by itself, and reheat over low heat on the stove top.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce

Takes Spaghetti sauce to a whole new level.

•2 Bell peppers (red & yellow work best), cut into 1 inch pieces
•1 Small onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
•4 Ribs celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
•4 Carrots, cut into ½ slices
•4 Cloves garlic
•2 Tbsp. olive oil
•1 Tbsp. sea salt
•1 Tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
•¼ Tsp. onion powder
•¼ Tsp. paprika
•¼ Tsp. celery salt
•¼Tsp. garlic powder
•1 Can diced tomatoes (or you can roast 4-6 peeled tomatoes with the other veggies)
•2 Tbsp. tomato paste
•½ Cup grated parmesan cheese
•½ Cup heavy cream
•Salt & Pepper to taste

Toss the vegetables in the olive oil and spices until coated and roast on a baking sheet in a 400° oven for 35-45 minutes, or until very tender. Remove from the oven, and combine the veggies with the tomatoes in a saucepan. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the tomato paste, and heat over medium heat until hot, stirring often. Stir in the cheese until melted, then add the cream. Season with any additional salt and pepper to taste. Toss with your favorite pasta and garnish with extra parmesan.