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.

Zhug (Yemenite Hot Sauce)

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Popular with the Yemenite Jews in Israel and in the Middle East, this 
hot sauce starts with a paste of garlic and peppers plus whatever spices 
the individual cook chooses, along with cilantro and/or parsley. There 
are two versions, this green one and a red one that uses red sweet and 
hot peppers. Tomatoes are sometimes added to tone down the sauce, which 
can be quite spicy. This quick and easy sauce serves as a table 
condiment, as a sauce for grilled fish or meat or for eggs, or can be 
added to soups and stews just before serving. It goes especially well 
with lamb kabobs.

Ingredients

8 serrano chiles, stems removed (or substitute jalapeño chiles)
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon lemon juice, preferably fresh
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
Salt to taste

Instructions

Place the chiles, garlic, caraway, cumin, cardamom, pepper, cloves, and 
lemon juice in a blender or food processor and puree to a smooth paste, 
adding some of the oil if necessary.
Add the cilantro and parsley, and while the machine is running slowly, 
add the oil until a “soupy” sauce is formed. Season with salt.

West African Pili Pili Sauce

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Pili pili, often called piri piri, is served as a table condiment in
West Africa, where it heats up grilled meat, poultry, shrimp, and fish.
Nearly any green chile can be used to make this sauce. Some recipes call
for tomatoes or tomato sauce to be added.

Ingredients

1 pound serrano or jalapeño chiles, seeds and stems removed, coarsely
chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
Juice of one lemon
Water to thin

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients, except the water, in a food processor and
blend them into a paste, adding water until the desired consistency is
achieved. Store in a jar in the refrigerator, where it will keep for
many weeks.