Salsa all’Arrabiata (Enraged Sauce)

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This recipe is from Giuliano Bugialli as profiled by Nancy Gerlach, who 
met him in Rome. She commented: “This in an all-purpose sauce that can 
be used on a variety of pastas. To really 'enrage' the sauce, replace 
the crushed New Mexican chile with chiltepíns or piquin chiles.”

Ingredients

3 pounds fresh Roma or plum tomatoes, cut in half or substitute 1 
16-ounce can of peeled Italian tomatoes
2 teaspoons crushed red New Mexican chile
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or oregano

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the cut tomatoes side down on a cookie pan and bake in the oven 
for 10 minutes or until they are soft. Puree the tomatoes, place in a 
saucepan, and simmer.
In a large skillet, saute the chile and garlic in the oil until the 
garlic is soft.
Add the chile mixture and sugar to the tomatoes. Season with the black 
pepper and salt and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens.
Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh herbs.

Salsa Amatriciana (Spicy Amatrice Sauce)

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From the Sabine town of Amatrice comes this simple but great pasta 
sauce. Traditionally, it is served over bucatini, a spaghetti-like pasta 
that has a hole in it, like a straw. It is then sprinkled with grated 
pecorino romano cheese.

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound pancetta or smoked bacon, chopped
2 onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 small, hot red chiles, such as santaka, Thai, or piquin, crushed into 
a coarse powder
2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes, drained, 1 cup juice reserved
Cayenne powder to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add the pancetta and cook over medium 
heat until browned, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to brown the 
pancetta evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. 
Remove all but 1/2 cup of the remaining fat.
Add the onions and saute until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic 
and crushed chiles and saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mash 
them with a spoon. Increase the heat, add the reserved tomato juice and 
the pancetta, and boil until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Taste for heat and seasonings and adjust with cayenne, salt, and pepper.

Salsa Fra Diavolo (Running with the Devil Sauce)

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“Running with the devil” is my rough translation of salsa fra diavolo, a 
pasta sauce redolent with fresh herbs. It can be spread over crusty 
bread, sprinkled with cheese, and baked. If cooked until quite thick, it 
makes a great pizza sauce, too.

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon crushed red New Mexican chile
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over a medium heat. Saute the 
bell pepper, garlic, and onion until the onion becomes soft, about 5 to 
8 minutes. Lower the heat, stir in the parsley, and simmer for 1 minute. 
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over a very low heat for 
approximately 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

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The smoked red jalapeño, known as the chipotle chile, has gained such 
popularity that there's even a couple of cookbooks devoted to it! It 
particularly works well with barbecuing and grilling, both of which have 
considerable smoke associated with them.

Ingredients

3 dried chipotle chiles
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, quartered, seeds removed
2 onions, sliced thickly
3 tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the chipotle chiles with very hot water and soak for 
60 minutes or more to soften. Chop the chipotles finely. In a medium 
saucepan, heat the oil and saute the onion. After the onion is 
translucent, add the garlic and continue to saute for 2 minutes.
To roast the bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes, place them on the grill 
over a medium fire and grill until they are soft and slightly blackened. 
Remove, peel, and chop the vegetables.
In a large sauce pan, combine all the ingredients and bring the mixture 
to a low boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 
minutes. Let the mixture cool and puree in a blender or food processor 
until smooth. You can thin the mixture with water if you so desire.

Louisiana Barbecue Sauce

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This is my version of a recipe that originally appeared in Mary Land’s 
Louisiana Cookery (1954). I have spiced it up a bit. Okay, more than a 
bit, and added a few other spices. This sauce is served with grilled 
seafood and chicken, but if you wanted to sneak it onto some steamed 
shrimp or crawdads, I wouldn’t turn you in to the food police. It will 
keep in the refrigerator for a week and freezes nicely.

Ingredients

1/4 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons distilled vinegar
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce, or more to taste
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Instructions

Saute the onion in the oil in a skillet until soft, add the garlic and 
saute for two minutes more. Transfer the onion and garlic mixture to a 
saucepan, add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the 
heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remove the bay leaves, 
place the mixture in a blender or food processor and process until just 
blended.