Scott Conants Fresh Tomato Sauce Recipes

SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil with about 3 teaspoons of salt.
• Meanwhile, put the tomato sauce in a large saute pan and cook over medium heat to further concentrate the sauce's flavors.
• Cook the spaghetti until just shy of tender. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water and gently drain the spaghetti. Add the spaghetti and a little of the pasta cooking water to the pan with the sauce; the starch and salt in that water will help the sauce adhere to the pasta. Add the basil, give the pan a good shake, increase the heat to medium-high, and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce. The sauce should coat the pasta and look cohesive, and when you shake the pan, the sauce and pasta should move together.
• Take the pan off the heat and add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter. Using two wooden spoons (tongs can tear the fresh pasta), toss everything together well.
• Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and serve.
• To peel the tomatoes, use a paring knife to cut a small x on each tomato. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, and have ready a bowl of ice water. Boil the tomatoes for about 10 seconds, then plunge them into the ice bath. The shock of going from hot to cold should cause the skin to contract, making it easier to peel. Use your fingers or a small paring knife to pull the skin off. If the skin is stubborn, try boiling and shocking the tomato again.
• In a wide saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes; be careful, as the oil may spurt. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and, using a potato masher, smash the tomatoes, really working the masher to break them up. If the consistency is thick or if they get too dry, add the tomato boiling water or reserved tomato juice to the pan. Cook, occasionally mashing and stirring, for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the oil from the heat and let the ingredients steep for 5 minutes.
• Strain the oil into the cooked tomatoes. Stir to combine. Remove the sauce from the heat. Taste and add additional salt, if needed. The sauce may taste spicy on its own, but it gets balanced when used with other ingredients, especially the pasta, butter, and cheese. The sauce will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 2 days. Reheat gently before serving.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the "00" flour, semolina flour, and salt on low speed. Add the egg yolks, olive oil, and up to 1 1/3 cups water, adding the water a little at a time, and continue to mix on low speed. Once the flour is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-low and mix/knead the dough for 5 minutes.
• Lightly dust a work surface with a mix of "00" flour and semolina.
• Dump the dough out onto the work surface and knead by hand for a few minutes. Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest for 1 hour.
• To roll and shape the dough, set the pasta machine on its widest setting. Lightly flour a rimmed baking sheet. Cut the pasta dough into 4 pieces. Work with one piece at a time and wrap the others in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Very lightly flour the dough and stretch it by hand, then put it on the pasta roller. Run it through the pasta machine twice, starting at the longest setting. Fold it in half and run it through again, so the dough gets thinner each time and wipe the surface of the pasta for excess flour as you go. Run the dough through the machine a couple more times; this serves as a final kneading.
• Set the machine to the next level of thickness and run the piece of dough through again. Keep running the dough through the machine, adjusting the rollers to a thinner setting each time, until the sheet is 1/8-inch-thick; on most machines this means stopping at the 3.5 or 4 setting. Cut the sheet to lengths of about 12 inches. Then, using the linguine cutter, cut the sheet into strands. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
• Dust the strands with a little flour (preferably a mix of the "00" and the semolina), and gather the strands into nests by wrapping them around your hand. (At the restaurant, we portion the spaghetti into 4-ounce nests.) Dust the nests with a little more flour, place on the baking sheet, and freeze until hard. (Once the spaghetti is rock-hard, it can be transferred to a freezer bag or other airtight container and kept frozen for up to 1 month.)
• You can also layer the sheets of pasta with semolina flour and cover them with plastic wrap while you get set up to cook them.

SPAGHETTI WITH FRESH TOMATO AND BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Blanch the tomatoes and remove the skins. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut the tomatoes crosswise. Set aside in a bowl.
• Heat 3 ounces olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until it smokes slightly. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Since the tomatoes will reduce and the salt will be concentrated, it is better to season initially with a lighter hand.
• Chop the tomatoes with a potato masher until they are in fine chunks and all their liquid is released. Be sure they are chopped and crushed fine, for a semichunky sauce. Simmer for 25 minutes over medium heat.
• While the sauce simmers, heat the water for the pasta. Cook the spaghetti in salted water about half of the way cooked. Drain, reserving some of the water.
• Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the pasta to the sauce and cook over medium-high heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente. If the sauce is over-reduced, use the pasta cooking liquid to adjust it.
• At the last moment, remove the pan from the heat; add the extra-virgin olive oil, butter, basil and cheese. Mix thoroughly until the pasta is an orangy color. Taste again and adjust the salt if necessary. Remove to a platter. Serve.

CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH BURRATA AND MELTED BABY TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and a pinch of salt. In a second shallow bowl, beat the eggs with a splash of water and a pinch of salt. In a third shallow bowl, combine the panko, oregano, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. Lightly sprinkle salt over the chicken thighs, then dredge 1 seasoned chicken thigh in the flour, making sure to coat both sides evenly. Shake off the excess flour, then dip the thigh into the seasoned egg wash, making sure to coat both sides evenly. Let the excess egg mixture drip off, then dip the thigh into the panko mixture, pressing down to coat the chicken thoroughly with the breadcrumb mixture on both sides. Set aside and repeat with the rest of the chicken.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat and add the breaded chicken cutlets, working in batches if necessary. Cook until the breading is golden brown on the bottom, 7 to 9 minutes, then flip and add the butter and thyme to the pan. Cook the second side of the cutlets until golden brown, basting with the browning butter, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the cutlets to a paper towel-lined plate and lightly sprinkle salt over each one. Repeat until all the cutlets have been fried.
• Divide the cutlets among four dinner plates. Spoon melted baby tomato sauce over the top, then add a few spoonfuls of burrata on top of the tomatoes. Season with additional salt to taste and serve immediately.
• In a sauté pan, heat the oil slightly over low heat. Add the garlic slices, oregano and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds. Before the garlic has taken on any color, add the cherry tomatoes to the pan, turn the heat up to medium high, season with a pinch of salt and continue to sauté as the tomatoes release their juices. Once the juices and the pectin from the tomatoes have combined with the oil and have started to form a nice sauce (about 8 to 10 minutes), stir in the basil. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning with salt. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days until ready to use.

SCOTT CONANT'S FRESH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath. With a paring knife, score an X on the bottoms of tomatoes. Working in batches, carefully lower tomatoes into boiling water; when skins begin to split (30 to 60 seconds), use a slotted spoon to transfer tomatoes to ice-water bath. When tomatoes are cool, remove skins (use a paring knife, if necessary), and discard. Halve tomatoes and remove seeds.
• Heat olive oil in a large, wide saucepan. Add tomatoes and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper. Cook tomatoes until softened. Using a potato masher, crush tomatoes until they are very fine. Continue cooking until tomatoes are tender and sauce is thickened, 20 to 25 minutes more. Use immediately or let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 2 days, or frozen up to 2 months.