Sauce

[Jgrden]

Nothing to do with pens, except to keep me fit, does anyone have a good simple spaghetti sauce.

 

[Glass Scratcher]

Ragu??

or if you want a very simple rustic sauce, take 3 little plastic baskets of grape tomatoes, a tablespoon of olive oil, put the olive oil in a hot pan, add some italian bread dipping spices to taste. Toss in your tomatoes, and let them start to pop, and just start to caramalize, after the tomaoes have split their skins, reduce the heat, add about a cup of water, cover and turn to a low simmer. After about 10 minutes you can fish out all the rolled up and detached skins. Add aldente pasta to finish. This is a THIN flavorful sauce unlike commercial sauces.

This is also very good served over steak, porkshops and meatloaf and to make a simple bruscetta.

 

[USAFVET98]

Can crushed tomato's, tomato paste small can.
Chop a couple of cloves of garlic and through them into a hot pot. Follow that with a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Dont do oil then galic because olive oil tends to get hotter than other oils, so you will deep fry and burn the garlic. Use as many cans of crushed tomatos you need for as many people your feeding. Spoon in paste to thicken to your desired thickness.
Then season to taste. I will use a little basil, some garlic powder, salt, pepper and oregano. Or just the italian seaasoing from the store and salt and pepper. Nice and easy. Now if you want to add meatballs, I will give you my moms family recipe.

You want the mixed chopped meat, it comes mixed with beef, and pork, and sometimes, one other type (your choice). Chop garlic, and mix (by hand) into the meat along with salt, pepper, oregano, and add an egg to make it all stick. Ball them up and through them in the pot. If you want them to taste great, fry them in a little olive oil first, then through them in the pot.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Nothing to do with pens, except to keep me fit, does anyone have a good simple spaghetti sauce.

 

[wudnhed]

Get the Chunky Ragu sauce, any flavor you like. Add a can of Italian stewed tomatoes while simmering. Fry up some hamburger with chopped bell pepper, onion and celery (you can add any veggie you like but these are my faves). Add to Ragu mixture and let simmer then do your noodles.

 

[pipecrafter]

My version is to simmer ground beef with diced onions and green bell peppers until brown, add a can of crushed and skinless plum tomatoes (or my own from the garden), chopped garlic, a dash of crushed red pepper, fresh grated parmesan cheese, a splash of lemon juice, salt, freshly ground black pepper, basil, and oregano. Simmer over low heat until the flavors marry.

Goes well with any pasta, and total hands-on time is less than 10 minutes. Just be sure to stir once in a while as it's simmering.

 

[wolftat]

In the corps I think it was also known as ketchup.

 

[NewLondon88]

LOL .. what a diversion from the normal pen related posts.

I start my sauce with the oil/fat that broils out of my meatballs and add
more oil if I need it. I sautee the onions, celery and peppers in that. You're
pretty much guaranteed that the sauce and meatballs will compliment each
other perfectly. Add ground beef, pork, turkey ..whatever you like.. and
brown.

Then I add crushed tomatoes (you could blanche and peel your own to be
more authentic, but it's impossible to find tomatoes at the supermarket that
don't taste like cellulose with a touch of 'red' ) some tomato paste and
puree ..some water. I can't think of amounts, I usually make it in a huge
pot, so my amounts are in 'fistfuls'. Add some basil, oregano .. whatever
suits your taste. Simmer for about three weeks. Or several hours.

But DO NOT add garlic till the end! It will burn and taste bitter. but .. at
the end, add lots of it. There's no such thing as too much garlic. And at
the very end, I add grated parmesan into the sauce.. stir it in and let it
blend into the sauce.

But .. would you take Italian cooking advice from an Irish kid?

 

[dogcatcher]

One jar of any store brand sauce and a jar of Pace picante sauce of equal size. Mix equal parts and add other stuff as desired. Can of Wolfe brand chili too spread on top and add sliced jalapeños as garnishment.

 

[ldb2000]

One jar of any store brand sauce and a jar of Pace picante sauce of equal size. Mix equal parts and add other stuff as desired. Can of Wolfe brand chili too spread on top and add sliced jalapeños as garnishment.

I'll bet there's allot of Italian Chefs turning over in their graves over that recipe :biggrin:

 

[nava1uni]

Start with a little EVO in a pan on medium heat, add chopped onions, 3 gloves of garlic. Stir while this is cooking until onions are translucent, add your spices-oregano, rosemary, thyme, and 2-3 bay leaves, and allow to saute lightly for a few minute. Then add 1 large can of plum tomatoes, 1 can of tomato paste with an equal amount of water. Stir this gently, then add 1 tbl sugar( this will reduce the acidity of the tomatoes. Allow to cook until this just begins to bubble and reduce to simmer. Let it cook for 4-6 hours stirring frequently to prevent burning. If you want meat, you can add it about an hour before you wish to serve it. If you don't want meat you can add vegetables about an hour before you want to eat. This will make enough sauce so you have some extra to freeze for another time.

 

[Longfellow]

There is no such thing-- I love tomatos until you cook them, then I'd rather eat %$#&*@@

 

[jleiwig]

There's no such thing as too much garlic.

I used to agree with you, but now my derriere would tend to disagree with you. Damn this aging thing!

If you want some flavors that just pop in your mouth look for fire roasted tomatoes. I don't remember the brand I generally use in my sauce, but they definitely make it pop a bit more than just regular tomatoes. I also use a mix of ground beef and sausage. Regular sausage, not italian though because I dislike caraway immensely.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I can't help... I quit cooking in 1984.. just about the time my son learned to punch buttons on a micro-wave.... he could feed himself by then.... I married in '92 (second time) and LOML does ALL of the cooking.. but she doesn't do much Italian... maybe 'cause the first wife was Italian?? :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: We do lots of Mexican style though... love Chorizo and eggs for breakfast.:laugh:

 

[Rick_G]

If it's just for the wife and I, I start with 1/2 pound of extra lean ground beef, 1 med. to large onion chopped and brown in a pan. Next 5 cloves of garlic either crushed or chopped depending on the mood I am in. A pint of crushed tomatoes (we make our own every year without salt as I am on a salt restricted diet) Then out to the garden get a handful of sage, basil and oregano leaves. Chop them and toss in with tomatoes and meat simmer for about 5 minutes and taste, add additional spices if needed to your taste. Different every time but it always seems to come out great.

 

[DCBluesman]

If you are concerned about your health, skip the meat in any of the suggestions.

 

[GoodTurns]

ok...maybe not so simple...but really good

render the fat out of 2-3 slices of proscuitto (or cubes, whichever you have in your fridge!), if you used slices, remove them, dice and return to pot, add a drizzle of olive oil, add anchovy paste and onions, simmer until paste is gone and onions are soft, add capers and diced bell peppers (whatever your favorite color). let simmer for a few minutes, add some of the crushed tomatoes that you prepared when the tomato crop came in (or that canned **** you get in the stores), black olives and add italian spice mix to your taste, simmer and enjoy.

this is a variation on a putanesca sauce I found years ago and absolutely love! Penne Putanesca (Whore's Pasta, literally) was reportedly created when the ladies of the evening would combine whatever ingredients they might have on hand to make a dinner that could sit on a stove for hours and not lose it's flavor or consistency....

 

[wolftat]

There is no such thing-- I love tomatos until you cook them, then I'd rather eat %$#&*@@

I could probably get people to pay to watch you do that.

 

[pentex]

I like the dogcatcher suggestion.

 

[creativewriting]

I have to chime in on this since it is my profession. Good italian sauce has very simple ingredients. Start with olive oil and finely diced onions. Don't be shy with the olive oil. If I am cooking for my wife and daughter I use about a cup of each. Simmer in a sauce pan until onions are tender but not browned. Get yourself a large can (20-32oz) of good whole peeled plum tomatoes. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and crush them with your hand (sounds weird, but this is where you get the best texture). Add the tomatoes, a half cup of water, a couple tablespoons of garlic, about a teaspoon of dried oregeno, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Finish with some fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and wha la! Cook your meat seperate. The whole process from start to finish should only take 30 minutes or so.

Bon appetite!

 

[rlofton]

The little lady is a great cook and she says there is no quick and easy homemade sauce. Her suggestion is to brown equal parts of lean ground round and ground turkey. Pour Bertolli's Marinara sauce and heat thoroughly. Serve over pasta of your choice. It's delicious . . . I had two servings last night.

 

[striperskin]

i usually just order a pizza..way easier!

 

[NewLondon88]

i usually just order a pizza..way easier!

.. and??? what? you pull off the cheese and scrape the sauce onto the pasta? :tongue: