Creamy Marinara Pasta

Two Recipes for Italian Sauces from the North and South

© Kelly Whitt

Mar 12, 2008

Northern Italy is known for its creamy alfredo sauces. Southern Italy is known for its red tomato marinara sauces. Many people love both, so why not combine them for an orangy creamy tomato sauce? The two recipes below let you enjoy the best of both worlds.

Creamy Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 pound ground beef, turkey, sausage, or chicken
• 2 cans chicken broth, divided
• Half jar of spaghetti sauce
• 8 ounces of small shell pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 2 tablespoons parmesan

Procedure:

1. Cook the small shell pasta, drain, and place it in a large round baking dish.
2. In a pan, heat the oil with the garlic and onions approximately four minutes. Add the meat until it is cooked through, breaking it into small bits.
3. Next, add a half can of chicken broth and the spaghetti sauce. Simmer the sauce on low until it is thick, approximately 12 minutes.
4. Then pour the pasta sauce over the noodles in the dish.
5. Rinse your pan out and return it to the stovetop. Melt the butter and then add the flour, stirring it constantly for about one minute, trying to moisten all the flour. Then add the remaining chicken broth (1 1/2 cans) and the milk.
6. Simmer on medium and stir, breaking down the butter and flour into the mixture. (Rub it against the bottom and sides of the pan with a large spoon, if needed.)
7. Once it has thickened, after about five minutes, add the shredded cheddar and parmesan. Stir and remove from heat. Carefully pour the creamy sauce over the red sauce and pasta in the large baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until hot.

Peppery Bacon and Mascarpone Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 cup of diced onions
• 8 slices of peppered bacon, cut in 1-inch strips
• 14-ounce can of Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 8 ounces linguine

Procedure:

1. In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add garlic and onions, saute until tender, about five minutes.
2. Add in bacon. On medium-high heat, cook the bacon. Do not crisp the bacon but cook it until any fatty pieces are easy to chew.
3. Drain the bacon grease out of the pan during cooking. When the bacon is done, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salt.
4. Simmer the pasta sauce about 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken and reduce.
5. Turn off the heat and add the mascarpone cheese and basil. Stir in the cheese until it has melted and the pasta is a rich orange hue.
6. Serve the pasta sauce over the linguine.

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