Layering Sauces Adds New Flavors (NAPSA)—Learning traditional cooking techniques, such aslayer- ing sauce, is a great way to infuse your weekday menu with mouthwatering flavor combinations. The technique of layering ingredients is just one of the genuine Italian cooking methods used in Olive Garden kitchens, where over 24 different sauces are prepared from scratch every day. The culinary team travels to Italy once a year for inspiration and to refine culinary skills. The team offers these tips on developing your sauce-layering skills in three easy steps: Battuto—Preheatolive oil and add base ingredients like chopped celery, onions and carrots. If desired, a small amount of meat such as pancetta can be added for seasoning. If meatis used,little or no oil is needed. Saut until steam dissipates. Soffritto—When the onions become translucent and the garlic golden, the sauce has entered the soffritto stage. At this point, add additional meat if desired, such as ground beef or sausage, and cook until steam dissipates. Next, add wine to balance the flavors. Briefly cook the wine on medium heat to evaporate the alcohol. Insaporire—Meaning “to give flavor,” this is the final layer. Now it is time to add pured tomatoes or paste, herbs (except delicate basil) and vegetables, such as mushrooms, bell peppers and olives. Additional seasonings such as salt, pepper and garlic can be addedto taste. Tomato sauce should simmer Simple, garden-fresh ingredients are layered to build flavor and create delicious pasta sauces. for 30 minutes to one hour. A sauce with meat should simmer for two to four hours. To complete your sauce, add basil during the last 20 minutes of cooking. The traditional technique of layering can be enjoyed in two dishes being served at Olive Garden, Tuscan Garlic Chicken and Tuscan Garlic Shrimp. The dishes feature herb-seasoned chicken or shrimp sauted with oven-roasted garlic, sweet roasted red peppers and spinach served in a white wine and garlic cream sauce tossed with curly fettuccine. What makes the dishes so special is that they are made with simple fresh ingredients layered to build flavor. For a chance to experience Italy’s culinary experiencefirsthand, guests can enter a sweepstakes at parenting blog 5 Min- utes for Mom, www.5minutes formom.com/olivegarden. There, you can discover insider culinary tips, fun wine-pairing suggestions and recipes from Olive Garden executive chefs. For more information, visit www.olivegarden.com.
