Hey guys. I must admit, I've been using spaghetti sauce in the can w/ HFCS I did dabble with making my own using crushed tomatoes but each time it was too zesty and almost no flavor. Does anyone have a recipe for thick and tasty spaghetti sauce?

My husband and I lived off our homemade sauce for many months. We made one giant batch once a week and ate it on a little whole wheat pasta or rice or it's just good on its own, almost like chili. I'll try to remember what we did, because I don't usually measure!

Saute 2 onions in a small amount of canola or olive oil, add 2 chopped peppers, sliced mushrooms and chopped garlic. When veggies are soft add 2 large cans Unico (this is a brand we liked) crushed tomatoes. The only flavours we added were lots of oregano and maybe 1/4 cup Splenda (my husband likes it a bit sweet). You can let this cook for 15 minutes or 2 hours, it doesn't matter but a bit longer is better. Then we add Yves Just Like Ground for low fat protein. If you were adding beef, I would do it early on so it cooks through. Without the meat/protein is still good too.

Sounds simple but we found it to be a thick rich delicious sauce. Really healthy and filling. I added a bit of hot sauce on mine and maybe a tiny amount of light parmesean.

Hope this helps!

Sometimes I make mine using the stuff in the jars, but I use Francesco Rinaldi's no-salt-added sauce--these are the ingredients:
Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Soybean Oil, Dried Onions, Imported Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Imported Pecorino Romano Cheese (Pasteurized Sheep's Milk, Rennet, Salt), Spices, Garlic

so no HFCS hiding in there! I use 2 jars of that and add a package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and pureed (not sure the weight--the little square cardboard packages, not a bag). I am not a veggie eater, so this helps me to hide some greens To add some heartiness, I also add a can of petite diced tomatoes (rinsed to remove sodium from canning--can't always find the no-salt-added version of that).

For meat, I like to add sausage instead of beef (I'm not a big beef eater). I buy packages of Italian-style turkey sausage links in the refrigerated meat section of the store. I then remove the casings and cook it up just as you would ground beef, then rinse with water in a strainer to get any excess fat off before mixing it into my sauce.

I also add some frozen chopped onion and some spices (Italian seasoning, oregano, crushed garlic, Mrs. Dash, a dab of crushed red pepper). I used to add some brown sugar or Splenda, but I like it just fine without that now.

Mama’s Spaghetti Sauce


1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon dry onion flakes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1&1/2 tablespoon sugar or (2 packet splenda)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup red wine (optional) or (1 cup chicken broth)


Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the ground beef brown. While browning add wine remove pan from stove when adding wine. After meat is brown add the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and water. Then add season. Let simmer for 30 minutes no longer. Serves 4

Here's what I do to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce. I freeze it in portions. It does take awhile to make but I usually get 4 dinners for our family of four from one batch.

Heat some olive oil in a stockpot over low heat. Add two finely chopped onions and two finely chopped cloves of garlic. Sweat for ~10 minutes, until soft.

Add 2 finely diced celery stalks and two finely diced carrots. Saute over low heat for another ~10 minutes.

Add two 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (I like the San Marzano type), one big can tomato sauce, and 2 small cans of tomato paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir together well, then cover and cook over low heat for an hour.

I then freeze it portions, and when I use it I add some dried Italian seasoning, or chop up some fresh Italian parsley, oregano, and/or basil and toss it in while cooking. You can fiddle around with the tomato sauce/paste to your liking, my husband likes the richness that the tomato paste especially adds to the sauce and I find this proportion sticks well to the pasta.

Tanya

We're an Italian family and the closest recipe to what we make is elisa's. The only variation I have is that there is NO sweetener...just the sweet from the tomatoes. Also, putting about 7-10 Romas in a food processor makes a MUCH better sauce than the canned. Use only olive oil...no vegetable oil. Basically, here is what I do:

Process 7-10 Roma's...until you have about 6 cups of processed tomatoes. Saute 1/2 onion and 4 cloves of garlic in olive oil. If you like other veggies this would be the time to use them. I like red or orange peppers rather than green for ours. Mushrooms are good, too. Also, sometimes if I need to use up a zucchini before it goes bad...in it goes! Dump your tomatoes in on top of the sauteed veggies. Add water until a little (just a little) thinner than you want your final sauce. If you want meat...cook it IN THE SAUCE. Meatballs simmer nicely...or Italian sausage cut into 1.5 inch pieces. I use my kitchen scissors and do this right over the pot. If you cook your meat first and then add to the sauce you lose HUGE depths of flavor!!! However, this sauce is really good meatless. For seasonings...really simple. 3 Tbsp oregano, 1 Tbsp basil, and 1 Tbsp dry Italian seasoning, 2 bay leaves, and some Parmesan cheese if you like that flavor...it's much better cooked in than added on top. Simmer for a couple of hours. Now if you have all day and really want to bring on the Italian....throw in a beef neck bone to simmer with it for the entire day...and remove before serving.

Meatballs are so simple: 1 lb ground beef or turkey (lean), 1 egg, equal parts Italian bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. If you can't find Italian bread crumbs, add Italian seasonings. I can't give you amounts because it varies based on the meat....but until it's "sticky". Roll into 1.5 inch balls and drop into simmering sauce. When cooking sausage or meatballs in your sauce you have to make sure it stays simmering for about 2 hours or longer. If you don't have that long...skip the meat and just cook up a great marinara.

One last thing.....if you're using canned products...use 1 29-oz can crushed tomatoes or tomoto puree and 1 12-oz can of paste. Then add equal amounts of water (fill each can, once). Everything else stays the same.

Anyway, that's OUR Sunday gravy!

I love a simple dish of pasta with crushed tomatoes. I prefer Muir Glen brand fire roasted crushed tomatoes. They are so full of flavor. I like to saute thin slices of zucchini and onions and portobella mushrooms with a touch of garlic and fresh herbs, and add the crushed tomatoes. Sometimes I add strips of roasted red peppers, too.

If I'm buying, I only buy Lucini brand sauce. They make a tomato and artichoke sauce that is sooooo good, and the ingredient list is very short and clean. Since I found Lucini, I've not been able to eat another brand of sauce.

Mmm now I have a hankerin'!

Spaghetti Sauce


2 lg cans plum tomato puree
12 oz tomato paste
12 oz water
2 lb ground chuck( or can use 1/2 ground chuck and 1/2 ground turkey)
1 lb. Italian Sausage - the link kind( 1/2 lb hot, 1/2 sweet)- sliced in good sized pieces ( I mix pork sausage and chicken sausage)
1 onion- diced
3 cloves garlic - diced
parmesan cheese
sweet basil, salt, pepper,parsely, oregano (these are to taste)

In one large pot, place both cans tomato puree
In fry pan, brown beef (and ground turkey if you use it) and sausage
Season w salt, and pepper and add this to puree
Brown onion in the frying pan and add to puree
Add water and tomato paste to frying pan and simmer 15 minutes. Add to puree
Sprinkle puree mixture with cheese and the rest of the spices and garlic.

Let simmer 3 hours. - Yes really, 3 hours and oh wow does it smell divine

My Mom got this from our neighbor down the street, who got it from her Italian MIL. This makes a tremendous amount. I haven't made this in years, but I think if I made this now I would cut back on the amount of the meats in this.

Delmonte, I believe, has "pasta-style" diced tomatoes that make a fantastic pasta sauce. I think there might be a recipe on the back of the can, that I thought was great. If I remember it was just the tomatoes and a very small amount of butter. It was really very good, but I usually use olive oil instead. The fat is needed to tame the acid in the tomato (basically jarred sauces usually use fat and/or sweetener to reduce the acid, but simmering for a longer period of time also helps)

Here's my favorite recipe:

Sautee chopped onion, 1 1/2t kosher salt, 1 1/2t dry basil, 1t dry oregano, & 1/2t dry thyme in olive oil until onion is translucent. If you want to add other veggies do it while you are sautee-ing (peppers, eggplant, mushroom, & summer squash are good.) Then add one large can of whole peeled tomatoes (you could substitute diced) and one can of tomato paste. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Then add lots of freshly ground black pepper and if you like a sweet sauce add 1T honey. Stir and simmer partially covered 20 minutes. Then add 4-6 chopped cloves of garlic and simmer another 10 minutes. Thurn off the heat and add a handful of fresh chopped parsley. Yum!

I have made this multiple times over the years. It makes enough sauce for a batch of lasangna and would probably be enough for two pounds of pasta (unless you like a lot of sauce.)

I like to do a variation of Giada DiLaurentiis' "all'Amatriciana"....the original features diced pancetta (which is also delicious - just more an *occasional* treat! ), but the sauce is also delicious without. I really like this one because I like my sauces simple, without a lot of extra "stuff" (though you could certainly add whatever you like), and it has a good kick from the chili flakes.

Basically, you just heat about 1 Tbs. of olive oil in a pan, then add a diced onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves and a healthy shake of crushed pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add in a 28oz. can of diced tomatoes (that you have pureed in a food processor until smooth), a pinch of sea salt and a grinding of fresh black pepper. Let it cook and bubble over a medium heat for a good 15-20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced.

For the original version with pancetta, simply saute about 6oz. of diced pancetta in the olive oil for about 8 minutes before adding the onion and proceeding as written above.

This is a great sauce over penne - I really like it with Barilla Plus. Enjoy!

For a really low-cal sauce, I do the following:

Using olive oil, sautee onions, red peppers (or green would work too), and very finely chopped zucchini. When they are pretty soft, add a can of Italian seasoned chopped tomatos and simmer until it's as thick as you like. You can add more seasoning if you like, but basically you can have A LOT of this for very few calories.

If you can find it, Mid's Homemade Pasta Sauce (the meatless kind) is wonderful. http://www.mids.cc/aboutus.htm The ingredients are:
Water, tomato paste, sugar, olive oil, salt, onions, Romano Cheese (made from 100% pasteurized sheep's milk, bacterial culture, salt, Rennet), garlic, spices, citric acid, Paprika. Comes in a quart sized jar, so there is plenty. This is the only brand of pasta sauce I buy. You can jazz it up by adding whatever you like to the meatless variety--I like to add chopped, fresh spinach and just cook it up as I heat the sauce. Very kid friendly.

How about a puttenesca sauce?

1 Tbs pureed garlic
1 chopped onion
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 can tomato paste
1/4 cup ? capers
1/4 cup ? kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley (sometimes I add fresh basil, too, and when I'm trying to use up our lemon supply I add lemon zest).

saute first 6 ingredients together, then add remaining ingredients and warm through.

Puttanesca is my favorite.....I hope it is not true that you are what you eat

A trick I learned from my nonna is how to combine the sauce and the pasta. While cooking the pasta, heat desired amount of sauce in a good sized skillet. Transfer cooked pasta to the skillet( over low heat) and quickly combine to coat pasta. It is amazing how much less sauce is used and it sticks to the pasta.

Hi healtyeater.
I used to live in Ohio and am familiar with Mid's. Have you ever tried Bocca Grande Sauce? It is hand made in small batches and all natural. It is only available in a small area (Canton/Akron). When I go back to visit I load my luggage with bubble wrapped sauce.