Tag: sauce

Sauce? Yes, but in the right quantities – Italian Cuisine

How much tomato, ragù or pesto sauce to use on pasta? Here are the right doses and expert advice to season spaghetti & Co. in a healthy way without sacrificing taste

The pasta seasoned with the sauce is better than the plain one and not just for the sake of taste. From a nutritional point of view, a plate of spaghetti or penne without seasoning makes the blood sugar level rise, the sugar levels present in the blood faster. As a result, it makes the carbohydrates present in the pasta absorb faster. "The result is that after consuming it you will feel tired, sleepy and above all hungry in a short time", explains the doctor Emanuela Russo, dietician. A pasta dish seasoned with gravy has a totally different impact on blood sugar. «The addition of the sauce prepared with extra virgin olive oil, rich in essential fatty acids, with meat or cheese that contain proteins or simple tomato, rich in fiber, slows down the absorption of carbohydrates and ensures a sense of satiety that will last longer. By choosing a whole wheat pasta and cooking it al dente, these effects will be even more evident ", says the expert.

Tomato sauce: quantity and benefits

"On a 80 gram pasta dish you can use 3-4 tablespoons of tomato sauce and a couple of teaspoons of grated cheese, equal to 10 g as recommended by the quantitative standards of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition", says dietician Emanuela Russian. «Tomato sauce is very rich in antioxidants. In particular, it ensures lycopene, a polyphenol which thanks to cooking is more absorbed by the body. Lycopene counteracts the formation of free radicals, preventing cellular aging ". "If the tomato sauce is prepared with extra virgin olive oil, its benefits are greater. The "good" fats of the oil increase the bioavailability of its compounds, "says the expert.

Pesto sauce: quantity and benefits

"On 80 grams of pasta two tablespoons of pesto sauce may be fine, but without adding more cheese since it is already present in the seasoning. Even if the pesto sauce is not very light due to the presence of a good dose of oil, cheese and pine nuts, following a few small tricks it can be consumed without compromising the line and health ", says dietician Emanuela Russo. The advice to reduce the amount of fat in the dish, the expert suggests, "is not to add more oil or cheese to season and to combine it in the same meal with a portion of vegetables, rich in fiber that slows down their absorption".

Sauce with meat sauce: quantity and benefits

«On a 80 gram pasta dish you can add 3 tablespoons of ragu sauce accompanied by a couple of teaspoons of grated cheese. A dish of pasta with meat sauce combined with a portion of seasonal vegetables can represent a healthy and complete meal. «Pasta provides carbohydrates. The ragù ensures proteins and fats. Vegetables, on the other hand, bring a lot of fiber , says dietician Emanuela Russo.

In the gallery you will find tips on how to season pasta in a healthy way

How to replace soy sauce in the kitchen – Italian Cuisine

This oriental dressing can be prepared at home, but you can also try to recreate its texture and color with other ingredients

There soy sauce is obtained from soy, wheat, water and salt fermentation and is used to flavor many dishes, especially in oriental cuisine.
It may happen not to find it in the supermarket, especially in this period, but the good news is that we can try prepare it at home or replace it with other ingredients.

Homemade soy sauce

Ingredients

450 g of cooked soy beans
350 g of wheat flour
200 g of salt
3.7 l water

Method

First, whisk the cooked soy beans.
Then add the flour and mix everything.
Give the dough an elongated shape and then cut it into slices until you get many discs about half a centimeter thick.
Stack the discs alternating them with moistened napkins and then wrap everything with plastic wrap.
Leave to rest in the pantry in the dark for a week.
After 7 days, place the discs on a baking tray and let them dry until they change color and turn brown.
At this point put them in a pot with water and salt and cover everything with plastic wrap.
Stir the mixture once a day until all the disks have melted.
After a few days, strain with a thin gauze and bottle your soy sauce.

Quick recipes of homemade soy sauce

There's a faster method, are you wondering? Yes here it is!

Ingredients

110 g dried soy beans
15 g wheat flour
65 ml mushroom broth
50 g butter
salt

Method

Cook the soy beans in boiling water until they soften.
Drain and blend them finely adding gradually broth, flour, butter and salt.
Cook the sauce until it boils and then let it cool and use it to flavor your recipes.

replace-sauce-di-soy

How to replace soy sauce

If you don't have time to make soy sauce at home or need it with some urgency, try to replace it with something else.
Here are some suggestions.
The ingredients and mixes we offer you they recall the color, the consistency, but not exactly the taste of soy sauce, but you can use them in all the recipes where it is mentioned among the ingredients, therefore in the almond chicken, in Cantonese rice and in all meat and fish stews to be skipped in wok with vegetables and sprouts.
You can also try replacing soy sauce with other ingredients in hot soups like ramen, although in this case it is better to use more seaweed and mushrooms to give flavor, rather than other different sauces.

Honey and lemon

This combination is certainly less savory than soy sauce, but for example it is an excellent alternative for glazing and flavoring and Oriental meat or fish morsels.
As for the variety of honey you can really play with the one you prefer even if we recommend a strong honey like chestnut if you want to recreate a hint of soy sauce.

Balsamic vinegar

Therebalsamic class it does not have exactly the same taste as soy sauce, but we are very close in color and texture.
You can try it on Cantonese rice, maybe mixed with a little honey if you want a bittersweet effect or with a beef broth if you want a savory aftertaste.

Vinegar and brown sugar

As already mentioned, vinegar and sugar or honey they go very well together.
If you don't like the strong taste of balsamic vinegar, use someWhite wine vinegar in combination with one brown cane sugar which has a stronger flavor.

Spring crudity recipe with basil sauce – Italian Cuisine

Ingredients

80 g soncino (lamb's lettuce)
80 g curly salad
50 g carrot
30 g radishes
30 g spring onions
20 g black olives
basil
parmesan
extra virgin olive oil
salt
white peppercorns

Duration: 20 min

Level: Easy

Dose: 4 people

To prepare the spring crudité with basil sauce, wash the soncino and the curly salad several times; drain everything well and collect it in a large serving dish. Add the thinly sliced radishes, the carrot with equally thin strips, the julienne onions and the chopped black olives. Prepare the sauce by blending at low speed, for about a minute, 50 g of basil leaves, a spoonful of Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt and ground pepper. Season the salad when you bring it to the table and mix it in the presence of the guests.