I’ve taken to keeping a batch of Marcella’s famous sauce around for nights when I just can’t seem to get my act together, dinner-wise. If we happen to have gnocchi or ravioli in the freezer, served up with Marcella’s sauce you have a perfectly decent meal. If all we’ve got is penne (which we buy by the case at Costco), then it’s nice to have a little ad-hoc pesto on hand too.
Pesto is a great way to use up any fresh herbs in your fridge that might otherwise go bad. I blend said leaves up with whatever nuts we have on hand (almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews all work well) a good amount of olive oil and some parmesan or pecorino cheese. You can throw in a clove or two of garlic if you want too. You really can’t go wrong, especially if you taste along the way. It’ll keep in the fridge for a week or so, and even longer if you freeze in little portions.
Do you do anything with the onion that gets cooked in the sauce or do you just discard it? BTW–I am making a double batch tonight–thanks to you it has become a standard in the house :)
I chuck the onion. My dad likes to eat it. So, whatever you want!
I did a combo, chucked most of it but I left smaller bits in the sauce. I brought some for lunch and coworkers were positively salivating from the aroma of the reheated sauce.