Non-Cheese / Pesto Pasta Sauces?

[voda]

Since I've been making a lot of my own home made pasta and plan on giving it as gifts to relatives during the holiday season... I've been on the look out for pasta sauces that don't use cheese or tons of butter. I have several typical red sauce / red gravy type recipes, hoping to stumble on a few different recipes.

The reason for non-cheese oriented sauces is that I'm unable to digest diary products.

Any suggestions?

[spqr]

These won't work for homemade egg pasta, but how about the olive oil based linguine (or spaghetti) with clams (clam sauce), or spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and hot pepper flakes? Olive oil, garlic and sauteed vegetables and/or with mushrooms?

[SobaAddict70]

I'm sure if you do a basic search, you'll be able to come up with a lot of interesting results re non-dairy based pasta sauces.

For instance, click here and here.

SA

[aliwaks]

how about gnocci witha pureed butternut squash and/or pumpkin cooked witha bit of stock & some sage with a drizzle of truffle oil & some fluer du sel & black pepper. It will certainly give you a rich sauce with the same umami sense as cheese + its very pretty

Also you can make a fair approximation of pesto by pureeing the basil with stock & cashews

oh and how about roasted fennel. tomato, garlic orange zest & saffron..excellent with fish sort of faux bouliabasse

[polly]

One of my favourite ever pasta dishes is orecchiette with cauliflower and anchovies.

Blanch cauli and sautee with garlic in olive oil, add some roughly chopped anchovies and stir them around until they dissolve into the oil. Season, add chopped parsley and/or crisped breadcrumbs et voila! The sweet creaminess of the cauli is gorgeous with the salt of the anchovies...

[stellabella]

a friend of mind made an incredible vegan pesto:

EVOO

fresh basil

walnuts

almonds

pumpkin seeds

sea salt

smash together, in blender or mortar/pestle

so simple, but the flavor was so complex. pumpkin seeds are pretty amazing.

[chefb]

sundied pesto or olive tapenade can be found prepared in most markets

[roryrabbitfield]

I've been wanting to try a classic Sicilian dish called paste con le sarde (pasta with sardines). Instead, tonight I made this variation. (Funny making a variation on a classic that I've never even tasted! The traditional dish has fennel, which I omitted and used onions instead.) It's really good. If anyone makes it, let me know what you think. Suggestions for improvement welcome!

Pasta with sardines, onions, anchovies, rasins & pine nuts

For 1 serving

In large pot, boil plenty of water with enough salt so you can taste it in the water.

In a medium sized frying pan, heat 1-2 tbsps olive oil. Add 2 cloves sliced garlic. Add 1 onion (cut into thin rings) and saute well. Add pine nuts.

Throw 4 ounces of pasta in the boiling water. Put some of the boiling water in a small bowl with the raisins to soften them.

Break up half a can of sardines. Remove as much of the bony spines and the tails as you can. Chop up 1-2 anchovy filets. Throw them in the pan with the rest of the stuff. Add the softened raisins (drained). Add leaves (chopped) of 1 sprig fresh oregano. Add a little more oil if needed.

When pasta is cooked, remove about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and save. Drain the pasta and throw it into the pan with some of its water still clinging to it. On medium heat, stir the pasta and the sauce around for 2 minutes. Add a little of the cooking water if it's dry. Add salt/pepper as needed. The fish should be all broken up, and you want some moisture in the pan so that you get all the brown stuff off the bottom of it. The pasta will be coated with a brownish sauce. (Optional: add some bread crumbs.)

Put the pasta in a shallow bowl. Grate plenty of good fresh parmesan or romano cheese over it. (Yes, I know Italians don't use cheese with fish.)

[roryrabbitfield]

Doh. Of course the whole point was that you wanted a cheese-less pasta sauce. Just omit the cheese and it will be fine. Really.