Sauce

This is part of the recipe Chicken Wings Five Ways.

This is part of the recipe Chicken Wings Five Ways.

Don’t limit yourself to basil in pesto. You can use just about any tender green herb—even baby arugula or spinach, or a combination of herbs. It’s a great way to use up whatever lingers in the bottom of your fridge. This flavorful sauce is perfect for a simple pasta dish. The nuts are optional, but they add a nice viscosity and flavor. Without them, you get a cleaner flavor and more of the true essence of the herbs. On the other hand, a nut-free version is looser and the oils don’t incorporate quite as well. Pesto definitely tastes best as soon as it’s made, but it also freezes incredibly well. Freeze in an ice cube tray and then transfer to a zip-top bag. The cubes are the perfect size for a single portion of pasta, veggies, or a sandwich.

This incredible sauce is particularly versatile and serves as the backbone for the Romesco Chicken Salad on page 187. It’s important to avoid overprocessing the sauce; not only does heat cause the mixture to become gelatinous, but the sauce simply tastes better when left a little chunky. If you can’t find piquillo peppers, roasted red bell peppers would work, too. Roasting and peeling them yourself is the ideal, because it gives you more of that nice smoky flavor.

With real vanilla bean and honey, homemade caramel sauce will have a much more expressive flavor than anything store bought. This recipe is a great use for leftover caramel—if you have any scraps after cutting Chewy Caramel Candies or if you make more than you need (see Fashion Emergency below). Drizzling the sauce over ice cream is the obvious use, but the sauce can also add an extra element of flavor when served as a topping on cupcakes or a cake.

A cold mayonnaise-based sauce that originated in France, rémoulade is a traditional condiment for crab cakes in New Orleans. You can assemble this version, a quick blend of pantry items, at the last minute or a few hours ahead. Its vivid color and zesty flavor make it the best choice for accompanying delicate chilled foods such as poached chicken, white fish, and, of course, crab cakes.

THIS RECIPE WAS CREATED TO GO WITH the Red, White, and Green Vegetable “Lasagne” (page 163), but it can be used just as you would any pesto—in omelets, tossed with pasta, or as a savory dip.

NO THANKSGIVING TURKEY IS COMPLETE WITHOUT a richly flavored gravy, but this is so good you’ll be using it year-round. Unlike most gravies, it can be made ahead to cut down on cooking stress.

THIS IS OUR BASIC RED SAUCE and a recipe you will turn to again and again. It’s one of the most versatile marinara sauces around, topping pasta, homemade pizza, or fresh seafood.

EVERYONE HAS A FAVORITE cranberry sauce recipe, made once a year for Thanksgiving, but cranberry sauce is so versatile it really should be a year-round condiment. This is a longtime Pasta & Co favorite, where dried sour cherries add sweetness and depth to the tart cranberries. You can find sour cherries at specialty stores, often in the bulk food section.

THE SWEET, SMOKY FLAVORS of red peppers are accented with briny olives and feta for a savory spread. We prefer piquillo peppers, which aren’t nearly as spicy as jalapeños but have a bit more heat than red bell peppers, but any jarred red pepper will do. Piquillo peppers are sold in jars and are available at most specialty stores. A perfect spread for artisanal breads and vegetables, it can also be served over grilled meats such as lamb or steak, added to The Big Omelet (page 210), or spooned over a green salad.

Wasabi mayonnaise adds a kick to any sandwich. It tastes great with seafood, especially when it’s mixed in a shrimp salad.

Instead of pouring syrup and butter over a stack of pancakes, we put the butter in the syrup. This sweet and creamy syrup is also great on Cinnamon Buns (page 225).