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.

Creamiest Beef Stroganoff

Definitely worth the little bit of effort.


Total Time: 1 Hour

•½ Cup wine (white or red)
•4 Tbsp. butter
•½ Medium onion, diced
•2 Large cloves of garlic, diced
•1 Pound thinly shaved beef
•¼ Cup all-purpose flour
•2 Cups dark beef stock
•4 Ounces cream cheese
•1 Cup sour cream
•1 Tsp. yellow mustard
•8 Ounces extra wide egg noodles
•1 Tbsp. butter
•½ Pound freshly sliced mushrooms
•3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
•Salt & Pepper to taste

Marinate the beef in the wine until your ready to prepare the dish, and for at least an hour. In a large frying pan over high heat, combine the butter, onion, and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add your beef (not the wine) and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook thoroughly, until most of liquid is gone from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Sprinkle over the flour, and stir for about 2 minutes. Add the stock and stir until smooth. Stir in the cream cheese, sour cream, and mustard. Reduce the heat to low and let this continue cooking while you prepare the noodles according to the package directions. When the noodles are ready, add them and about ¼ cup of the cooking water to the meat and sauce mixture. Again, let this cook while you prepare the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms in 1 Tbsp. of butter and the Worcestershire sauce, only for about 2 minutes, then add to the stroganoff. Stir the mixture until there are no lumps, and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Top with some fresh parsley if you have it available.