Simple Pasta Sauces

The simplest way to make a sauce for freshly cooked pasta is to stir in uncooked ingredients, such as extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, chopped olives, tomatoes and anchovies, crumbled or diced cheese and shredded fresh herbs. The heat of the pasta is sufficient to melt the cheese and heat through the other ingredients. Good combinations are extra virgin olive oil with crushed garlic, shredded basil leaves and chopped olives or tomatoes; olive oil, garlic, chopped anchovies and shredded chillies or sun-dried tomatoes; crumbled Gorgonzola and ricotta with diced mozzarella and grated Parmesan (a near classic quattro formaggi); shredded rocket leaves with olive oil, toasted pinenuts and shredded prosciutto; cream, petit pois and shredded prosciutto or smoked salmon; and, grandest of all, soured cream, vodka and caviar, with perhaps a little finely chopped tomato.