Thank God that Marco Polo had the foresight to bring some noodles back to Europe when he travelled the Silk Road. The Italians took those noodles and have done some wonderful things with them. Not that Asian noodles aren’t great. They are.
But, pasta.
Doesn’t that sound lovely?
I really can’t go wrong cooking pasta around here. The Best Lasagna Ever. Macaroni and Cheese that will “transform your life” — and your waistline. Chicken and Bowties. We’ve been blessed to have found some killer pasta recipes over the years.
One recipe that we love is this red sauce. It is simple and delicious. It freezes well and complements meat dishes beautifully. A friend shared it with me years ago, and I’ve tweaked it to fit our family, namely making a ginormous pot of it.
One of the secrets to its rich flavor is cooking the sausages in the sauce for several hours. But, Rachael Ray taught me a great shortcut: stir in beef broth if you don’t have the time for that. Works in a pinch.
Red Sauce with Meats
This makes a huge pot of sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cans (28 oz each) Tomato Puree
2 cans (28 oz each) Crushed Tomatoes
6 cans water (fill your emptied tomato cans with water)
2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
2 Tablespoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds Italian sausage
In large pot, heat olive oil and cook onion and garlic until softened. Add tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, and water. Stir to mix thoroughly, then add spices. Cover and simmer 2 hours, stirring ocassionally. Add sausages and cook another 2 hours. Serve over your favorite noodles or use in lasagna.
What’s a favorite pasta dish in your family? Share it with us so it can become our favorite, too.
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Hee..hee…I use the same Rachel Ray tip…the beef broth. Works every time…tastes like it’s been simmering all day!! (I of course say, Oh, sure it has!!)
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I love this recipe for Alfredo Sauce because it is so silky smooth. I use half and half for lower fat, but still fabuslous taste.
http://good-life-eats.blogspot.com/2009/02/perfect-alfredo.html
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your chicken and bowties looks excellent!
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I don’t know if it’s my computer or what, but I can’t find Mr. Linky on your post. Here is a link to one of the best pasta dishes I have made in a long time:
http://wiseanticsoflife.blogspot.com/2009/01/meals-from-freezer-week-smoked-sausage.html
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Thanks for offering the Ultimate Recipe Swap!
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Got in this late this week — I think my recipe is a lot like yours. Received my coupons in the mail today — thank you! Have a great weekend — it is 60 degrees and sunny here — yeah — we can play outside!
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OK. I’m going to try to do this from memory (scary). And I’m one of those cooks who rarely measures. Just put however much you like! This is Lemon Tuna Pasta. YUM!!!!! Cook angel hair pasta. While it cooks make your “salsa cruda”: olive oil, tuna, capers, fresh parsley, kalamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts,lemon zest and lemon juice (1 lemon).For extra lemony flavor, use the lemon flavored tuna pouches. This is perfect for summer, because you can make it in the morning and not have to heat up the kitchen in the afternoon.
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Thanks for all your great recipes!
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Your pasta recipe sounds delicious, I was just looking for a pasta sauce recipe.
One of my family favorite recipes is Vegetable Casserole and it is so versatile. You can easily adjust the amounts according to your pan size or how much you want to make. This is just a basic idea
Brown 1 lb hamburger with 1/2 onion and a pinch of salt and pepper
Peel and cut 6 large potatoes
3 Family Size cans of Campbells Vegetable Soup
1/2 pound American Cheese – Shredded (or the cheese of your choice)
Spray 13×9 inch pan with cooking spray
Put the potatoes on the bottom, add hamburger, add 1/3 cheese and enough soup to cover that layer
Make additional 1 or 2 layers and cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours until the potatoes are tender. If you want you can sprinkle some additional cheese on the top right before taking this out of the oven
This recipe was passed on to me from a friend of my mom’s. She was a wife of farmer and made all kinds of wonderful recipes but never had exact measurements.
She also said if you want more vegetables you can add what you have. In the summer she would make this and add fresh veges from her garden – like green beans or zuchini
She said you can also omit the hamburger if you don’t eat it
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FishMama ~ How do you store 5 dinners worth of pasta sauce when this is done? Freezer?
Thanks, Jen
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Jessica Fisher Reply:
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:33 pm
I divide the sauce into 2-cup portions in plastic containers, cool, and freeze.
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I just would like to verify that you add 6 – 28oz cans of water
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Jessica Fisher Reply:
February 4th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Yes, this is a huge pot of sauce, of a thinner consistency. You may want to divide it into two pots.
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Hi! I just found your blog recently and have been enjoying reading it. Thanks for all the tips! I made your red sauce with meat, and was wondering how you freeze it or store it? Obviously, it makes ALOT, so I want a good way to preserve it. Thanks for your help!
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Jessica Fisher Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
I just put it in plastic containers with lids.
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Do you crumble, brown and drain the Italian sausage before adding it to the sauce?
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Jessica Fisher Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 10:10 am
No, I leave the sausage whole in the links that they come in. Just drop them in the sauce and let it cook for several hours. It makes the sauce taste amazing.
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