Economy of Style

The basis for the sauce for tonight’s dinner were pan drippings from last night’s broiled sausage.

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Tagliatelle con sugo di carne e cippoline

3-4 reserved T. pan drippings
extra-virgin olive oil
red cippolini onions, thinly sliced
pinch of salt
1 T. unsalted butter, cut into bits
cracked black pepper
chopped tarragon
chopped Italian parsley
grated Parmaggiano-Reggiano cheese
tagliatelle

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add reserved pan drippings. Mix well.

Add onions and saute over medium-low heat or until onions are caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. A pinch of salt will do wonders. Fold in unsalted butter; stir. Check seasoning and remove from heat. Stir in herbs.

Meanwhile, prepare pasta. Drain. Add cooked tagliatelle to saute pan along with 1 T. pasta cooking water. Toss. Serve immediately, passing grated cheese at the table.

8 thoughts

i’m always making “gravy” with pan drippings. i learned that from my cuban grandmother yolanda and her famous black iron skillets.

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What? No tomato sauce?

*legs it*

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CH — it’s a typical Italian treatment. get a cheap cut of meat, cook it, reserve the pan juices and use the drippings for risotto or pasta sauce.

SK — tomatoes aren’t in season yet. 😉

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That remark about them not being “in season” makes me worry about the things you do to vegetables (or fruits – oooh! ;))

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SK — I can spend $1 to $2 for a couple of pounds of tasteless Roma plum tomatoes at the local supermarket or I can wait until late summer/early autumn when tomatoes are in full swing at the farmer’s markets.

Guess which option I’ll choose.

Cooking seasonally demands that you match your ingredients and dishes to the time of year. And if you should have a craving for out-of-season food, that’s where preserving and canning comes into play.

Come September, I plan on buying tomatoes by the bushel. Some I’ll use straight away; the rest I’ll can and freeze for the winter months.

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