The Biochemistry of Food and Cooking: Gettin' Saucy

Alright, alright, calm down. Gettin' Saucy doesn't mean anything except for some downright delicious sauces! I chose to make a basil pesto (no cooking involved), a sun-dried tomato cream sauce (I love sun-dried tomatoes), and a traditional Italian sausage meat sauce. I tested each with fresh, homemade pasta, and did a sensory evaluation of each sauce individually to determine the main differences.

BASIL PESTO

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth.
Season with salt and pepper.
If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth.
Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

[RESULTS]

ODOR

basil is fresh, reminds me of summer
heavy on the oil
strong, pungent parmesan
strong garlic, paired with the cheese is mind-blowing

TEXTURE

grainy
soft and easy
partially slippery and partially chewable

TOUCH

light
oily residue (not too oily though)
grainy and breakable

TASTE

salty
slightly savory
layers of each flavor are distinct
neutral tones at first, then a wave of strong flavor from the basil, garlic, and cheese hits you all at once. The aftertaste is smooth and slightly sweet
refreshing in light doses, heavy and too much in large doses
SUPER RICH

SUN-DRIED TOMATO CREAM SAUCE

1 cup heavy cream

3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 tbsp pine nuts

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling, but do not boil.
Add mozzarella and parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and serve over pasta with a sprinkling of pine nuts

[RESULTS]

ODOR

sweet and rich
very buttery

TEXTURE

slightly grainy
smooth with heat
chewy sun-dried tomatoes, feels like chewing on a very flavorful deflated balloon

TOUCH

very light
moist
buttery feel

TASTE

smooth
sweet
heavy
filling
pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes pair beautifully, the tang of the tomato and the earthy smokiness of the pine nuts suit each other
sweetness in the cream
rich mixture of cheese
too rich to eat a large amount

ITALIAN SAUSAGE MEAT SAUCE

1 lb italian sausage, casings removed (mild or hot)

*broken into pieces

1/2 a small onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

14 ounces diced tomatoes

6 ounces tomato paste

15 ounces tomato sauce

1 cup water (for a long period of simmering for flavors to meld. If you don't want to simmer it as long, add less)

1.5 tsp basil

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

1/2 + 1/4 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

a pinch of ground black pepper

1/8 cup red wine (cabernet sauvignon)

parmigiano reggiano cheese on top!

In a large, heavy stockpot, brown Italian sausage, breaking up as you stir.
Add onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onions are softened.
Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water.
Add basil, parsley, brown sugar, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.
Stir well and barely bring to a boil.
Stir in the red wine.
Simmer on low, stirring frequently for at least an hour. A longer simmer makes for a better sauce. Just be careful not to let it burn!
Spoon sauce over drained spaghetti noodles and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

[RESULTS]