How to make spaghetti special
Number One Rule: Don't open up a jar.
You can make delicious spaghetti all by your lonesome, darlin', and it will taste wonderfully fresh and delicious.
In a large pot combine plenty of tomato sauce, chopped fresh tomatoes, minced onions, chopped mushrooms or bell peppers, a small can or two of tomato paste, and maybe some cooked, crumbled sausage or ground beef (or Ikea meatballs are pretty good in a pinch, too!). Add fresh minced garlic (of course) and some fresh oregano and basil, chopped small.
Simmer until combined and serve over your favorite pasta, and make sure to add a basket of bread to sop (that's an entirely appropriate word here, folks!) up the remainder of the sauce.
Fresco e bello: for a special meal, or when company's over, sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese on top and tuck a basil leaf off to the side of each serving...it's pretty and delicious.
You can make delicious spaghetti all by your lonesome, darlin', and it will taste wonderfully fresh and delicious.
In a large pot combine plenty of tomato sauce, chopped fresh tomatoes, minced onions, chopped mushrooms or bell peppers, a small can or two of tomato paste, and maybe some cooked, crumbled sausage or ground beef (or Ikea meatballs are pretty good in a pinch, too!). Add fresh minced garlic (of course) and some fresh oregano and basil, chopped small.
Simmer until combined and serve over your favorite pasta, and make sure to add a basket of bread to sop (that's an entirely appropriate word here, folks!) up the remainder of the sauce.
Fresco e bello: for a special meal, or when company's over, sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese on top and tuck a basil leaf off to the side of each serving...it's pretty and delicious.
posted by Karen | 10:27 PM
6 Comments:
But... spaghetti sauce from the jar is so GOOD... and tomatoes are so expensive.
I know I tried making spaghetti sauce myself ONCE (Admittedly, from Fix It & forget it) we couldn't even finish it, it turned out so bad.
And I did just get *6* red peppers from the Costco that I need to use up. Hrms...
Ew. Crock-pot spaghetti sauce IS bad. Big no-no! My husband has BANNED crock-pot spaghetti sauce (as well as canned sauce)! You are so right. Yuck. (Now, stay tuned for crock-pot ribs...THOSE are good!)
Okay, I'll allow you to use canned chopped tomatoes in place of fresh. But just so that you'll try it out! Chop up one or two of those Costco red peppers in there, girl, and you'll have a great sauce.
And, YES, it's fantastic to freeze! I combine all of my spaghetti leftovers (sauce and pasta) into either a large ziplock or a foil pan (cheap, cheap, cheap at Costco or Sam's Club in the catering section), cover with plastic and then a double layer of foil, and freeze. Instant 2nd meal, and you barely had to work for it. Just remember to thaw, take off the plastic, top with some cheddar or mozz cheese, and pop in the oven for a spaghetti casserole in a jiffy.
:-D
My son requested Spaghetti and meatballs for his birthday meal and my mom went on and on about my sauce. (now I'm ducking in case you decide to throw whole tomatoes at me. Remember as Sarah pointed out "They're spendy"!!! ;)) I simmered canned sauce, (yes the cheap stuff) with the cooked meatballs, for hours in the crockpot. It thickened up and was really flavorful.
Is yours more like a chunky Marinara? Okay, that's weird...IKEA, the place I may someday buy my cabinets from also sells meatballs??? Odd, that is!!!
Roberta :)
So--what are the ratios here. What is plenty of tomato sauce. 3 cans? 5? How many tomatoes? 1 tomato for every can of sauce?
For two people, I would use 2 cans of sauce, and one tomato.
We buy the #10 can from Costco of tomato sauce and it feeds our family with leftovers for the freezer. (And I'll cut up 4 tomatoes for that size, or add 3 cans of chopped tomatoes.)
I don't understand the comments about crock pot sauce. I use exactly the same ingredients you suggested, only I simmer in a crockpot and it turns out great every time! In my opinion, not all crockpot sauce is bad - it just depends on what you put in it!
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