Hearty sauce doesn't need long simmer
PASTA | Prosciutto, Parmesan, garlic and herbs are mega flavor boosters
There is nothing subtle about this meat sauce.
It is jammed with flavorful ingredients, starting with a healthy four cloves of garlic (double it if you dare) and finishing with tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese.
Along the way it also takes on serious seasonings and -- for good measure -- a half pound of prosciutto.
It might seem like overkill, and that's the point. From-scratch pasta sauces generally develop their deep, rich flavors from a long simmer on the stove. But weeknight cooking usually doesn't involve that luxury.
To compensate for the faster pace, ingredients with serious oomph are employed. They also are ingredients that need little time to disperse throughout the sauce, such as the vinegar and Parmesan.
One warning -- salt only at the very end. Many people will find the saltiness contributed by the prosciutto and Parmesan to be more than enough.
If you want to give this already thick sauce a chunkier texture, add a 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers (drained and chopped). For a bit of heat, try diced pickled jalapeno peppers.
If you find prosciutto a bit pricey, substitute an equal amount of lean bacon or deli-sliced ham. The flavors will be different -- but still delicious.
AP