Restaurants Wilmington NC | Food news & stories, regional recipes, chef interviews
Osteria Cicchetti is the go-to Italian restaurant for lots of foodies in the Cape Fear area, with big-time favorites like their flatbread pizzas, clams with white sauce, and creative seasonal specials. Join Kirk Pugh and his family for dinner out at the O.C.
Five Minutes with Susan Jalbert | Chow Bella Cooks: “Food is about what works best for you, whether that’s vegetarian, or pescatarian, or something else. You need balance. If it’s not something you are going to stick to and enjoy… life is too short. I …
Susan Jalbert, owner of Chow Bella Cooks, was gracious in sharing her signature Suga di Compagna, a red sauce – or gravy – to be served over pasta. Susan learned the base recipe in Italy, and tweaked it to perfection.
Simple to prepare, it will become your go-to pasta sauce recipe, a thousand times more appealing than anything out of a jar.
Suga di Compagna – Chow Bella Cooks Signature Red Sauce
1.5 Pound can (whole tomatoes)Tomatoes
¼ Cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Pepperoncini (dried hot peppers)
3 Garlic cloves,minced
1 Small bunch parsley
1 Small bunch basil
1 Ounce Parmesan cheese freshly grated
* Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons of cream (can use ½ & ½ or milk) optional*
In a saucepan, sauté the tomatoes in the oil for 30 minutes on low heat, season with the salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for another 20 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little boiling water or vegetable stock.
Add the pepperocini, sugar and cream and cook another 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Sauté the pasta in a clean sauté pan, with just a little of the pasta water added to it. (about 1 minute). Add the sauce directly into the pan and coat the pasta evenly for about 2 minutes.
Right before serving, add chop the parsley and tear the basil and add to the sauce. Top with freshly grated
Parmesan cheese.
*If you are not going to use the Suga di Compagna right away, do not add the cheese or cream. Add it when you heat up the sauce and are ready to eat.
To store the sauce, place in a jar and top with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil.