The Best of Fine Cooking — Real Italian 2017

fineCooking.CoM 21

fresh tomato

and basil sauce

A wide, shallow pan is essential to creat-

ing this fast sauce. Use a 10- or 11-inch

skillet whose wide surface area and lack

of depth allow the tomatoes to cook

down quickly. Top with ricotta salata, if

you like. serves 4 to 5

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, sliced as thinly
as possible

2 lb. cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved

1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
(from about one small bunch), very
thinly sliced

in a 10- or 11-inch sauté pan, heat the oil

and garlic over medium-low heat, stirring

occasionally, until the garlic is softened but

not browned, about 5 minutes. add the

tomatoes, salt, and pepper to taste. toss

gently to coat and then raise the heat to

medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally and

adjusting the heat to maintain a lively but not

too vigorous simmer, until the tomatoes have

been reduced to a thick, pulpy sauce, 15 to

20 minutes. remove from the heat. Sprinkle

on the basil and stir to combine thoroughly.

alfredo sauce

Just a few basic ingredients—butter, flour, milk, and nutmeg—

make up this rich, creamy sauce. Toss it with your favorite

pasta or try layering it in a lasagne. Yields about 11/2 cups

11/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) unsalted butter

3 Tbs. unbleached

all-purpose flour

13/4 cups whole milk, heated

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground

black pepper

small pinch of freshly

grated nutmeg

in a 2-quart saucepan, melt the

butter over medium-low heat.

add the flour and cook, whisk-

ing constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.

Do not let the mixture brown.

Slowly whisk in the hot milk and

bring just to a simmer, whisking

frequently. reduce the heat to

low and cook, whisking often,

until the sauce has thickened to

a creamy, gravy-like consistency

and no longer tastes of raw flour,

6 to 8 minutes for a single batch,

10 to 12 minutes for a double

batch. remove from the heat

and whisk in the salt, pepper, and

nutmeg. if not using right away,

transfer to a bowl and press a

piece of plastic wrap directly on

the surface of the sauce to keep

a skin from forming. Plan to use

the sauce within 30 minutes

because it thickens if it’s left to

sit for too long. if that should hap-

pen, add a little warm milk and

whisk well to thin it.