Mike Isabella's Pepperoni Sauce (For Pasta) Recipe - Food.com (2024)

2

Submitted by alligirl

"If you watch Top Chef, you know who Mike Isabella is. He almost won Top Chef All-Stars recently, and he featured this recipe. The judges were over the top about it, and apparently he got a lot of requests for it. This was from Twitter, with no measurements specified. Then, I found the recipe posted at allthosethingsiloveblogspot and was ecstatic! According to Ron this was published in the "Newark Star-Ledger:This is it: The sauce chef Mike Isabella made for his “Top Chef All-Stars” main-course finale. It was praised to the skies by judge Gail Simmons. It will be on the menu at Isabella’s new restaurant, Graffiato.Because it is boldly flavored, a little sauce goes a long way. The chef recommends serving it alongside roasted or grilled chicken." He served it on a braised pork shoulder.MAKE AHEAD: The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months."

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Mike Isabella's Pepperoni Sauce (For Pasta) Recipe - Food.com (2) Mike Isabella's Pepperoni Sauce (For Pasta) Recipe - Food.com (3)

photo by Barenakedchef Mike Isabella's Pepperoni Sauce (For Pasta) Recipe - Food.com (4)

Ready In:
1hr 10mins

Ingredients:
9
Yields:

4 1/2 cups

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ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, cut into small dice
  • 5 medium garlic cloves, cut into very thin slices
  • 1 lb pepperoni, cut into thin slices
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted (see NOTE)
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 8 -12 ounces canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices
  • 1 12 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 fresh bay leaf

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directions

  • Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, until the oil shimmers.
  • Add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until they are golden and fragrant.
  • Stir in the pepperoni; cook for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and evenly coated, then add the toasted fennel seed and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
  • Add the tomatoes and their juices (to taste), the broth and the bay leaf; stir to incorporate.
  • Once the mixture starts to bubble at the edges, cover and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • The pepperoni slices will be soft, with a deeper color.
  • Remove from the heat.
  • Working in batches as needed, transfer to a food processor or a high-powered blender (including the bay leaf); puree until smooth.
  • The sauce is ready to use. Or cool, cover and refrigerate or freeze.
  • NOTE: Toast the fennel seed in a small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the skillet often to keep the seeds from burning. They will become fragrant and slightly darker in color. This only takes a couple of minutes.
  • He also recomends using San Marzano tomatoes for this recipe.

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Reviews

  1. I have been obsessing about this sauce since that Top Chef episode. I made it for my family, used 2 15 oz. cans of tomatoes and an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce and it was STILL very concentranted and meaty. Next time I might add even more tomatoes or even add this "concentrate" to my marinara. It is amazing. The details make this sauce, and the fennel mocks the pizza flavor even more. Thank you so much for sharing this!

    Barenakedchef

  2. This is an amazing sauce. I too searched and searched for it. It has become a family favorite. We make it with a roast chicken as recommended but we use the extra the next day as sauce for a "cheese" pizza. It makes the most incredible pizza sauce!

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Tweaks

  1. I wanted to make this lower fat and lower calorie. You can substitute 4 ounces turkey pepperoni for the 1 lb. of pepperoni and increase the amount of tomatoes to 1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes. The flavor is outstanding and the sauce is not greasy.

    kathy.mckenzie

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

alligirl

  • 49 Followers
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Mike Isabella's Pepperoni Sauce (For Pasta) Recipe  - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What is pepperoni sauce made of? ›

Pepperoni is essentially an American version of salami, something close to what Italians might call salame piccante, a generic term that means “spicy salami.” It's made from beef and cured pork mixed together and then seasoned with a blend that usually includes paprika, garlic, black pepper, crushed red pepper, cayenne ...

How to cook pasta with pre made sauce? ›

Simply pour the sauce into a small saucepan while you're going about boiling your pasta. Let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the sauce gently bubbles. Keep the simmer going for about 10 minutes or so, until you've noticed that the sauce has reduced and thickened a little, but is still saucy.

What is pizza and pasta sauce? ›

Pizza sauce is prepared with uncooked pureed tomatoes while pasta sauce is made with cooked blended tomatoes and flavorful garlic, herbs, and spices. Whether you're looking to open a pizza shop or just making personal pizzas, most chefs will agree that the secret is in the sauce.

Do Italians put pepperoni in their sauce? ›

In America “pepperoni” is cured meat, basically a type of sausage. In Italy there are pizzas with cured meat such as pizza al prosciutto or with salame piccante = spicy salami, which may resemble the American ”pepperoni”. So no, “pizza with pepperoni” is Italy not only is not a thing it doesn't exist.

What spice tastes like pepperoni? ›

🌱Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard.
  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper.
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (lightly crushed)
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika.
  • 1.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
  • 2 teaspoon garlic.
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder.

Can I turn a jar of pizza sauce into spaghetti sauce? ›

First things first, gather all the ingredients you'll need to make your spaghetti sauce. These typically include pizza sauce, olive oil, garlic, onion, herbs (such as basil, oregano, and thyme), salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the sauce.

Is it OK to use pizza sauce for spaghetti? ›

Pizza sauce is usually uncooked canned tomato, with a touch of basil oregano salt and sometimes garlic. These are the same ingredients used to prepare the spaghetti sauce: so, yes you can.

What makes pasta sauce thicker? ›

Cornstarch: Make a slurry of half water, half cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Cornstarch is a powerful thickener, so start by whisking in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce; stir and simmer for 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more slurry as needed.

Should you rinse pasta before adding sauce? ›

Do Not Rinse. Pasta should never, ever be rinsed for a warm dish. The starch in the water is what helps the sauce adhere to your pasta. The only time you should ever rinse your pasta is when you are going to use it in a cold dish like a pasta salad or when you are not going to use it immediately.

Can you put pasta straight into the sauce? ›

Cooking pasta in the sauce instead of in boiling water will increase the amount of time it takes to cook through. It's a good technique to use if you want to delay serving your pasta for a few minutes. Make sure to keep the sauce thinned out with pasta water as the pasta finishes cooking if you use this method.

Can I substitute pizza sauce for pasta sauce? ›

But there IS a key difference between the two, and once you taste it, you'll likely prefer pizza sauce for your pizza and pasta sauce for your pasta. Quite simply, pizza sauce has a lot fresher, more raw taste than pasta sauce.

Does pizza sauce taste different than pasta sauce? ›

The Difference Between Pizza and Pasta Sauce

It usually has a few more herbs involved, like basil or even a bay leaf. Cooked sauce will have a sweeter, richer, deeper flavor. Since the noodles are already cooked when they're tossed in the sauce, it's nice to already have the flavor developed in the sauce.

What is the difference between marinara and pasta sauce? ›

One of the key differences is that pasta sauce is more robust and complex, with a longer ingredient list and rich flavor. Marinara does not typically contain meat (while spaghetti sauce does), giving it a thinner texture. Marinara is traditionally used as a dipping sauce, while pasta sauce is not.

What sauces go with pepperoni? ›

Ranch. Tangy, creamy, and delicious, ranch is the perfect addition to just about any pizza. Whether you pair it with zesty pepperoni or crunchy vegetable pizza, it just tastes good, and that's all that really matters when it comes to pizza dipping sauces.

What makes pepperoni red? ›

Why is pepperoni red? Pepperoni is red because the main spice in it is paprika, which is a very mildly-spiced bright red ground pepper. It tends to color any food it is added to as an ingredient - see Hungarian cuisine for more examples!

Is pepperoni just spicy salami? ›

Differences Between Pepperoni and Salami

Pepperoni is a type of salami, but salami is not a type of pepperoni. Salami is served cold as a salad spread or used in sandwiches. Pepperoni is used as a pizza topping. Salami has a spicy flavour, while pepperoni has a peppery and smoky taste.

Is pepperoni made of pork or not? ›

Pepperoni is typically made of pork and beef, according to The Spruce Eats. Home Kitchen Talk says while pepperoni is often made of “both ground pork and ground beef,” customers are able to purchase substitutes like turkey pepperoni or beef pepperoni which do not contain pork.

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