Did Italians ever use grapes to make pasta sauce?!
Answers: I know that there are many types of pasta sauces that don't have tomatoes. However, someone once told me that grapes were used to make pasta sauce before tomatoes were brought to Europe from the Americas. Is this really true? I've tried checking into it on the Internet, but I haven't found anything online that answers my question.
Yes, it is used, although not much.
For instance, Spaghetti caprino e uva:
salt, black olives, onion, garlic, olive oil, white grapes, Caprino cheese
More used is actually "uva passa" (raisins), not only for pasta but in different dishes, including fish.
Interesting, it would be very sweet, you can experiment and come out with a new recipe and i will patent it
Raisins and pine nuts I have seen. Olive Oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, pine nuts, raisins, salt and pepper.....Toss with penne or preferred pasta, enjoy (cut garlic into thick slices so it will brown outside but melt inside.
Basically, spaghetti sauce is any sauce that you put on your spaghetti (even chocolate syrup.) Marinara sauce on the other hand is an Italian tomato sauce flavored with onion, garlic and oregano. It can, however, be used as Spaghetti sauce
Try this recipe for a tasty treat:
Easy Pork and Pasta with Grape Sauce
Mix flour and seasonings; coat pork with mixture. Brown pork in oil in nonstick skillet; remove from skillet. Saute mushrooms and onions in same skillet. Add water and wine; bring to a boil. Return pork to the sauce; add grapes and heat thoroughly. Combine parsley and lemon peel; mix well. Sprinkle over pork slices. Serve with or over pasta. Makes 4 servings. Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: 240 Cal., 20 g pro., 10 g fat (36% Cal. from fat), 16 g Carb., 51 mg Chol., 1.5 g fiber and 303 mg sodium. California Table Grape Commission's Healthy Kitchen www.tablegrape.com (c) 1996, 1997 Fresno, CA USA. Pamphlet. Notes: An elegant, yet hearty meal you can make in 30 minutes or less. >From Pat Hanneman (Kitpath) with McBuster 98 Mar Recipe by: California Grapes 1997 : Fast Lowfat Fresh Posted to MC-Recipe Digest by KitPATh on Mar 07, 1998
I'm Italian but I've never heard of that, doesn't sound really tasty
Maybe in specialty dishes but it's certainly not common usage. BUT, if you consider wine... Red wine is often added to tomato sauces.