Love My Viante Electric Pasta Maker!!!!

Today I finally had the opportunity to use my Viante Electric Pasta Maker for the first time.  It comes with nine interchangeable discs, and is very simple to use.  You just put the ingredients in the top and the machine does 99% of the work.   A plus is, it's not hard to clean afterwards. 

I chose to make spaghetti. 

I made the sauce (or gravy) ahead of time using my canned tomatoes, which are delish, and a marinara sauce recipe from a cookbook entitled 'Carmine's Family-Style Cookbook' by Michael Ronis with Mary Goodbody (Amazon $19.99).  *I can make this sauce with my eyes closed...Yummm!  

Carmines happens to be my favorite Italian restaurant in New York City.  If you happen to visit the city or live there and haven't been to Carmines, make a point to do so.  They have two locations, one on 42nd Street, and my personal favorite, located on 90th and Broadway.    The food, ambiance and service is wonderful!!!   I was overjoyed to find that they had a cookbook.  I wasted no time acquiring one.

Getting back to my family's dinner.  Overall the meal was a success.  Everyone cleaned their plates!!  Yay! 

I will say, however, that the next time (which will be soon) I will experiment and let the pasta dry out.  I do love my pasta al'dente (which is a little firm) as opposed to the 'more done' feel of the freshley made (which went right to the pot).  But I will say it was quite delicious!!

Carmine's Marinara Sauce

(Makes about 5 cups)

Three 26-28 oz cans Italian plum tomatoes (Carmines uses San Marzano, I used my own canned)

1/4 c Olive Oil

1/4 c coarsely chopped garlic (about 12 cloves)

12 fresh basic leaves sliced

2 tsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1.  Drain Tomatoes in a colander set in a large bowl for 5 minutes.  Reserve the tomato liquid.

2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook it, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until it is golden brown.  If the garlic starts to cool too quickly, reduce heat

3. Add the basil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.  Cook the mixture for 30 seconds.  Add tomatoes, increase the heat to high, and cook them for about 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon or long-handled fork to break them up, or until the tomatoes boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes or until tomatoes break down

4. Add the reserved tomato liquid.  Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil.  Boil it for about 12 minutes or until it starts to thicken.  Stir it occasionally and scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent the sauce from burning.

*Here's where we just eat it!  However ...

5.  Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside for 1 hour or until it cools to room temperature.  Transfer it to a tightly covered storage container and refrigerate it for up to 1 week or freeze it for up to 1 month.

**Note, if you love Italian food, this is a wonderful book.  I highly recommend it!!!