This works for me: If it sits in th epot unstirred, I may have some liquid on top, but after a stir, it is nice and thick. This is my first attempt at documenting some of what I cook. DW has decreed tht I need to do this. If I am vague or silly, I am sorry. I make good food, usually by feel and taste.
Spagetti Sauce
Pot #1 - Frying pan.
Take the casing off 8 nice plump sweet italian sausages. This will be about 1 1/2 tl 1 3/4 #. Put this in the frying pan, start cooking. Chop it up with a spatula or whatever works for you. Once you have tried out a bit of fat add 1/2 to 3/4 # if 90% or better ground beef. What the objective here is to brown the meat and chop it up as amall as posssible. When the meat is browned, dump it in a strainer and let the water and grease drain.
Pot #2 - Sauce pot
Peel and crush 4 to 6 cloves of garlic. More or less to your taste. Chop the garlic and dump it in the pot. Chop an onion finely and pitch ti in as well. Add olive oil to just cover the bottom. Turn on the heat mediumish. Cook the onions and garlic till trabsclucent. Watch the heat, don't brown or burn the mixture.
When you arrive at transclucent, add a can (big) of tomato sauce, a big can of crushed tomatoes and a can of diced tomatoes (mediumish). At this point, I usually take the crushed tomatoe can, fill it with water and add that and 12 oz of tomatoe paste. Look at the concistency. You know how thick or thin you want it. Use tomatoe paste and water to get where you want it.
Now for the fun parts, the spices.
2 Tbsp - Basil
1 1/2 Tbsp - Fennel
1 1/2 Tsp - Marjoram
1 Tbsp - Oregano
1 tsp - Thyme
1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp - Adobo
1 1/2 - Tsp salt
5 to 10 turns of black pepper.
2 to 3 Tbsp of shredded parm.
1 bell pepper finely diced
1 # chopped mushrooms. Not too fine
Dump in the drained meat.
Peal and add a whole potatoe, a nice big one.
Bring up the heat watch closely, Just before it comes to a boil, reduce heat and cover. We are looking for the gentlest of simmers. We want the sauce to simmer, but, not so much heat that the bottom gets burned.
I simmer about 3 hours or so, while simmering, I come by every half hour or so to stir it. I find that after you initially cover it and set the heat that an adjustment or two will be needed.
My wife is the doneness tester, when she tells me that I am no longer allowed near the pot, we are good to go. Remove the potatoe, eat it if you like. I have always put one in and I believe that it takes the sharpness out of the sauce.
A note about spices and other addatives. I remember some sauce with bacon bits in it as well. Other spices cam be used to taste. Rosemary, Thyme and crushed red pepper come to mind. Your spices are your signature, experament. I like a chunkey, meaty sauce, hence the crushed and diced tomatoes. For this reason, as well, I do not chop the pepper and mushrooms too finely. As you taste your way to your favorite sauce, keep notes. My daughter tells me that if you experament with a meal and it is really great, Enjoy it to the fullest, he next one probably will taste different.
I usually serve it over fresh pasta the first night, then I put 3 sauce ladels (for 2 people) in 1 quart ziplocks and freeze it in one meal portions. We find it very convenient for quick tasty meals.
). What starts off as thick sauce is thinned by the still cooking meats, but I always thought you added flavor to the sauce by cooking the meat in it........
