Testing Pan Sauces

I recently subscribed to bon appetit through my sister's magazine drive - and absolutely love it. They just got a new editor that has completely changed the magazine. If you check out their facebook page, you'll notice a lot of anger from past readers "it's just not the same!" It never is. Move on.

Last month's magazine was all about Italy and had a section called Pasta Perfect. Now, I don't know about you, but I always get frustrated when trying to make a pan sauce. In fact - I don't typically bother making a pan sauce, I just buy the sauce in a jar. I'm assuming you do too.

Within the past few years, I've noticed that my digestive system doesn't take to red sauce very well and I decided to do something about it. Stop eating red sauce. That's easier said than done. I LOVE lasagna and spaghetti with meatballs. There are times that I take the pain and just eat it, because I can't resist. But what if I could create my own sauce - so I knew what was in it and it matched with the actual dish? This section of the magazine inspired me - and I immediately tested out one of their recipes.

bon appetit gives ten things to swear by when making pasta and pasta sauce. They're great to keep in mind and make a lot of sense:

1. Forget the pot. Use a pan.
2. Build the foundation.
3. You're not using nearly enough salt.
4. Don't dump the pasta water.
5. Trust the tongs.
6. Now work that pan. It's where the magic happens.
7. Everything's better with butter. {sure is!}
8. Cheese is not just a garnish. {that's right, it's essential}
9. It should look as good as it tastes.
10. Practice makes perfect pasta.

For the full descriptions of each rule, follow this link. 

I followed the basic white sauce recipe and got... decent results. Like number 10 says - practice makes perfect. I definitely need more practice. There just wasn't enough flavor - and I'm awful at taking pasta out of the hot water on time. It's always overcooked - that is, unless my husband is around to take a noodle and throw it at the wall. If it sticks - it's good! Yes... I let him do that.

So give it a try. Pasta is such a quick and versatile thing to make - why not explore it a little more? But do me a favor - let me know how it goes. As we all need practice and can learn from each others pains and successes.  Good luck!