Ngapi Ye (Hot Burmese Anchovy Sauce)

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This highly aromatic Burmese sauce is commonly used to heat up Southeast
Asian curries. Shrimp or prawn paste may be substituted for the
fermented dried fish if you can’t find it at the Asian market. In a
pinch, use canned anchovy fillets.

Ingredients

2 cups fermented dried fish or anchovies
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup shrimp powder (available in Asian markets)
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons lime juice
6 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

In a saucepan, bring the fish and water to a boil, then reduce the heat,
simmer for five minutes, and mash the fish. Remove from the heat and
when the mixture cools, add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Salsa all’Arrabiata (Enraged Sauce)

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This recipe is from Giuliano Bugialli as profiled by Nancy Gerlach, who 
met him in Rome. She commented: “This in an all-purpose sauce that can 
be used on a variety of pastas. To really 'enrage' the sauce, replace 
the crushed New Mexican chile with chiltepíns or piquin chiles.”

Ingredients

3 pounds fresh Roma or plum tomatoes, cut in half or substitute 1 
16-ounce can of peeled Italian tomatoes
2 teaspoons crushed red New Mexican chile
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or oregano

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the cut tomatoes side down on a cookie pan and bake in the oven 
for 10 minutes or until they are soft. Puree the tomatoes, place in a 
saucepan, and simmer.
In a large skillet, saute the chile and garlic in the oil until the 
garlic is soft.
Add the chile mixture and sugar to the tomatoes. Season with the black 
pepper and salt and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens.
Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh herbs.

Salsa Amatriciana (Spicy Amatrice Sauce)

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From the Sabine town of Amatrice comes this simple but great pasta 
sauce. Traditionally, it is served over bucatini, a spaghetti-like pasta 
that has a hole in it, like a straw. It is then sprinkled with grated 
pecorino romano cheese.

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound pancetta or smoked bacon, chopped
2 onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 small, hot red chiles, such as santaka, Thai, or piquin, crushed into 
a coarse powder
2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes, drained, 1 cup juice reserved
Cayenne powder to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add the pancetta and cook over medium 
heat until browned, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to brown the 
pancetta evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. 
Remove all but 1/2 cup of the remaining fat.
Add the onions and saute until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic 
and crushed chiles and saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mash 
them with a spoon. Increase the heat, add the reserved tomato juice and 
the pancetta, and boil until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Taste for heat and seasonings and adjust with cayenne, salt, and pepper.

Salsa Fra Diavolo (Running with the Devil Sauce)

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“Running with the devil” is my rough translation of salsa fra diavolo, a 
pasta sauce redolent with fresh herbs. It can be spread over crusty 
bread, sprinkled with cheese, and baked. If cooked until quite thick, it 
makes a great pizza sauce, too.

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon crushed red New Mexican chile
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over a medium heat. Saute the 
bell pepper, garlic, and onion until the onion becomes soft, about 5 to 
8 minutes. Lower the heat, stir in the parsley, and simmer for 1 minute. 
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over a very low heat for 
approximately 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Hungarian Hot Paprika Sauce

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Although paprika is more often used in stews than sauces, this sauce was 
designed as a condiment for fish. Traditionally, it is served over fried 
fillets of river fish.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon minced onion
2 to 3 teaspoons hot paprika
Hint of nutmeg

Instructions

Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, salt, and pepper and stir 
constantly until it starts to bubble. Gradually add the milk, stirring 
constantly until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and 
continue to stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion, nutmeg, and paprika 
to the mixture, stir well for 30 seconds, and serve.