The Two Sauces Bobby Flay Always Needs On Hand

Bobby Flay gained notoriety as a celebrity chef highlighting the flavors of Southwestern cuisine. After his famed Vegas restaurant Mesa Grill closed in 2020, Flay opened his restaurant Amalfi in the same space, opting to focus on serving up a menu of Italian food. Amalfi particularly focuses on the Mediterranean flavors of the Amalfi coast. With all of his restaurants, TV shows, and recipes, it's clear that Flay focuses on flavor above all.

On his competition shows like "Beat Bobby Flay," the chef shines brightest when he sticks true to what he knows. Flay loves to utilize certain pantry ingredients like pomegranate, Brussels sprouts, and of course, chilies. In an Instagram video, Flay walked through his pantry and listed out his five essential ingredients, which unsurprisingly included dried chilies like Spanish paprika. Flay also had whole peeled tomatoes as one of his essentials, in what he dubbed the "Italian" area of the pantry. It's not shocking then, that Flay would draw from both Italian and Southwestern flavors to create the sauces that he always likes to have around.

During an interview with Rachael Ray this week, chef and Food Network staple Bobby Flay disclosed the two sauces he always has on hand. The first one is an Italian red tomato sauce and the other is a sauce made with spicy red chile. Both sauces have the same base of tomatoes, with the spicy sauce getting an addition of pasilla chile powder and canned chipotles in adobo. Flay uses his red chile sauce in his recipe for chicken, mushroom, and kale enchilada casserole. Flay published his recipes for both his Italian tomato sauce and his spicy red sauce on Food Network. In his interview with Ray, Flay calls for using Pasilla chile powder, but if you can't find that at your local grocery store, he says ancho chile powder or another high-quality chile powder can be used.

In addition to enchilada casserole, a modified version of Flay's spicy red sauce pairs beautifully with eggs for a bold breakfast. His red chile sauce serves as the base for his take on a chorizo huevos rancheros (per Cooking Channel). Not a big fan of spice? On Flay's website, he lists 5 essential dishes that everyone should master. His simple pasta dish calls only for his Italian red sauce and parmesan cheese.