Grandpa Joe's Italian Kitchen
  • Home
  • Blogs
  • Recipes
  • Vegetarian Recipes
  • Blog History
  • About

La Salsa è Tutto

1/15/2015

4 Comments

 
La salsa è tutto, or “the sauce is everything”.  That is, the sauce is the most important component.  It sounds much more lyrical in French, of course:  la sauce est tout; but then, so many things seem to sound better in French!  This blog is about sauces – specifically, Italian pasta sauces (salsi in Italian).  My primary intent is to introduce two new sauces, but to do so in the context of what I have written previously on this subject.
 
I’ve mentioned before my longtime interest in cooking.  I’ve only been blogging for a year, but I have been experimenting with and collecting recipes for many years.  Over those many years I’ve “discovered” and come to enjoy and appreciate the rich variety of Italian cooking styles and approaches embedded in these recipes.  This web site and these blogs are my opportunity to share these recipes with you.
 
As I’ve also stated before, there are almost as many variation of Italian sauces as there are Italians – and I’ve typically “blamed” Italian grandmothers for this.  Consequently, in my childhood home, there was only one meat-based tomato sauce for pasta, regardless of the pasta type – and another meatless version that was served with fish.  They were two of the first recipes I posted on this site:  Italian Tomato Sauce and Tuna Fish and Anchovy Sauce.  I wrote about them last April, recommended them countless times, and will continue to do so.

During 2014, I added four other Italian tomato sauce recipes to this online collection that deserve mentioning again:  Florentine Tomato Sauce, Spicy Marinara Sauce, Boar Ragu, and Ragu Bolognese.  I wrote about the sauce from Florence, also in April.  It is prepared primarily with caramelized onions and no meat.  The Spicy Marinara Sauce (April) is ideal for serving with fish and seafood; the Boar Ragu (September) is extraordinarily delicious – perfect for very special occasions; and the two blogs I’ve devoted to Bolognese sauce (March and September) should suffice to prove how much I enjoy preparing and serving that one!

The recipe for Sugo all’Amatriciana is a new post.  This sauce originated in the town of Amatrice, located in the Provence of Rieti in the Lazio region about 90 miles northeast of Rome.  As we should expect by now, there is no single recipe for Amatriciana sauce, but it is classically prepared with crushed tomatoes, onion, red pepper, and guanciale (cured pork jowl) or pancetta.  This recipe calls for both meats. 
Since this sauce was not part of my heritage, I cannot make any claim of authenticity.  I can state confidently, however, that this recipe is one of my favorites for good reason.
ITALIAN PASTA SAUCES

Basil Pesto
Boar Ragu
Cacio e Pepe
Florentine Tomato Sauce
Italian Tomato Sauce
Italian Cheese Sauce - NEW!
Pasta Carbonara
Ragu Bolognese
Spicy Marinara Sauce
Sugo all'Amatriciana - NEW!
Tuna Fish with Anchovy Sauce

Picture
Sugo all'Amatriciana served over bucatini.

Picture
Grandpa Joe's Italian Cheese Sauce served over fettuccine.  Fettuccine Giuseppe, maybe?  Great idea, but probably not!

Of course, not all Italian pasta sauces use tomatoes.  My personal favorites of these are Cacio e Pepe, made simply with pecorino Romano cheese and freshly ground black pepper; Pasta with Basil Pesto, especially when the pesto is made with fresh basil; and Pasta Carbonara, with pancetta, egg yolks, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  I described the first two in more detail last September, and introduced Pasta Carbonara in March.
 
Alfredo Sauce is another of my favorites.  I think it is fair to assume that everyone has heard of Fettuccine Alfredo.  Since its most important ingredient is Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, I always assumed Alfredo Sauce originated somewhere near Parma.  In fact, it was created by Chef Alfredo Di Lelio I at his restaurant, Alfredo, in Rome.  As one story goes, Chef Di Lelio added Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to a classic Roman dish called Fettuccine al Burro (Fettuccine with Butter) and served it to newlyweds Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in 1920.  They returned to the U.S., boasted publicly about their “extraordinary” Italian dining experience, and soon Fettuccine Alfredo was being served everywhere in America.  It is still virtually unknown by that name in Italy.
 
I call my version of Alfredo Sauce simply Italian Cheese Sauce (Salsa di Formaggio Italiano).  It is the second newly posted recipe.  Italian Cheese Sauce is only marginally similar to the original Alfredo Sauce, but (I will submit) equally delicious.  My sauce is roux-thickened, and contains sautéed onion, white wine, and Caciocavallo cheese (a sheep or cow's milk cheese produced in southern Italy) in addition to the vitally important Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  It has become one of my house specialties.
 
In fact, we serve all the sauces I’ve mentioned here multiple times each year in our household.  I hope one or more of them make it to your dining table, too.
 
Buon appetito.
 
4 Comments
Ines Di Lelio link
1/18/2015 06:14:50 pm

HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), NOW SERVED BY HIS NEPHEW INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” – “ALFREDO DI ROMA” IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30

With reference of your article (for which I thank you), I have the pleasure to tell you the history of my grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of “Fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”) in 1908 in the “trattoria” run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). This “trattoria” of Piazza Rosa has become the “birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
More specifically, as is well known to many people who love the “fettuccine all’Alfredo", this famous dish in the world was invented by Alfredo Di Lelio concerned about the lack of appetite of his wife Ines, who was pregnant with my father Armando (born February 26, 1908).
Alfredo di Lelio opened his restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in Rome and in 1943, during the war, he sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1950 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 "Il Vero Alfredo" (“Alfredo di Roma”), whose fame in the world has been strengthened by his nephew Alfredo and that now managed by me, with the famous “gold cutlery” (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See also the website of “Il Vero Alfredo”.(with news also about franchising).

I must clarify that other restaurants "Alfredo" in Rome do not belong to the family tradition of "Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma".
I inform you that the restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo –Alfredo di Roma” is in the registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence” of the City of Rome Capitale.
Best regards Ines Di Lelio

Reply
Grandpa Joe
1/19/2015 10:37:50 pm

Dear Ines,

Mille grazie for your gracious note and for describing the origin of your grandfather’s iconic Fettuccine all’Alfredo recipe for me and my readers. Knowing his story makes enjoying his delicious creation even more special.

As you suggested, I visited your web site for Il Vero Alfredo. I thoroughly enjoyed the virtual tour, reading the history of your restaurant, and perusing your incredible menu. I especially enjoyed watching the video of your chef preparing Fettuccine all’Alfredo. I will urge my readers to visit your site in a future blog, if you have no objections.

My wife and I have visited Rome, but we did not have the opportunity to visit your restaurant. At least one of my readers has, however, as you can see in the second Comment posted here. She and her family not only enjoyed the extraordinary experience of dining there, her mother was invited to use the gold cutlery.

Mr. Di Lileo, as you may have learned already from my web site, I am a hobby chef whose four grandparents were native Italians. My objective for this site is simply to share my collection of recipes – many from family tradition – with family, old friends, and the many new friends that I have met electronically. I hope you will have an opportunity to review more of my recipes and I invite you to offer candid suggestions and criticisms as you deem appropriate. Your insight will provide invaluable guidance to those of us attempting to preserve authentic Italian recipes.

Ciao e buon appetitio.

Reply
Mary Ann Fitch
1/19/2015 02:55:46 am

Dear Grandpa Joe,
So exciting reading the E-mail on Alfredo, many many years ago the entire family went to Alfredo di Roma for Mom and Dad's 50 th. anniversary dinner and Mom was given the golden cultery, it made their day special in Rome.
Thank you for such a wonderful memory.

Reply
Grandpa Joe
1/19/2015 10:39:23 pm

Mary Ann,

You are most welcome. What an extraordinary event that must have been!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Looking for something?

    Enter any word or phrase (in quotes) to locate all references to that item.

    Why subscribe?

      Subscribers to this site are notified whenever a new blog is posted.  The subscriber list is an indicator of how many readers know of new postings. Subscribing is easy.  Just enter your name and Email address below and hit Subscribe.  Be assured that your Email address is safe, and will never be shared with anyone. 
    Subscribe

    Author

    Hobby Chef Grandpa Joe has been practicing Italian-style cooking for over 60 years.  He enjoys cooking, entertaining, and then sharing his culinary experiences with family and friends.

    Archives

    November 2024
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All