Spaghetti sauce

[cookies140]

Does anyone have a good spaghetti sauce recipe that isn't sweet and is fairly dark? I am collecting them as I like to try different ones from time to time.

Thank you.
Cookies

 

[kitchenelf]

My favorite spaghetti sauce

I know this is un-Italian but this is what I like to do. I really like Hunts Traditional Sauce (in the can). Sooooo, I start with that, add a small can of tomato paste (1 can per 1 can) and 1 cup (yes 1 cup) of Burgundy wine. Cook on low for awhile - at least an hour and maybe longer. The wine gives it a great flavor and the Hunts is already seasoned perfectly. Sometimes I will saute mushrooms, onions, and Italian sausage and add these to the sauce too.

 

[cookies140]

spaghetti sauce

NOW THIS ONE WILL BE RIGHT UP MY ALLEY...I LOVE BURGUNDY WINE AND CAN ALWAYS USE IT IN MY COOKING! I USE TOMATO PASTE IN MY SAUCES TOO SO IT SHOULD BE GOOD (AND I DON'T THINK IT'S UN-ITALIAN .

 

[Forney]

GourmetGal’s Italian Marinara Sauce

Here's a very very good sauce that I just love. GourmetGal used to post on the now defunct Top Secret Recipes' Dead Food Board.

GourmetGal’s Italian Marinara Sauce
Olive oil
Medium yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 (20 ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes
2 (20 ounce) cans of tomato puree
1 (12ounce) can of tomato paste
2 cups of water, more or less to taste, optional
1-teaspoon oregano, more or less to taste
1-teaspoon basil, more or less to taste
1-teaspoon parsley, more or less to taste
1 whole peeled carrot
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ wine, whatever is on hand?
Brown the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the cans of crushed tomatoes, tomato puree and tomato paste. If desired add water to thin sauce to whatever thickness you like.
Add oregano, basil and parsley. Start with a teaspoon of each and adjust
according to your personal tastes. If you have fresh basil, that is much better! Add a whole carrot to the sauce for flavor. Be sure to remove it and discard when ready to serve.
Here is where my recipe may differ from others:
Add a pinch (1/4 teaspoon) of baking soda. You will see the sauce bubble. This is added to take the acid out of the tomatoes! It really works.
Also, I add sugar to my sauce. Some like sauce a little sweeter – try starting out with a teaspoon and adjust accordingly. Many Italian cooks add as much as a 1/4-cup, depending on the amount of sauce you are making. I would use about 2 Tablespoons for this amount.
Next step is to add about a 1/4 cup of wine (red, white, whatever you have on hand is fine!). Then simmer all the ingredients for a few hours. This is just a tomato (marinara) sauce. If you want to add meat to it, you can do so. I usually make meatballs in advance – 5 pounds at a time, bake them and freeze them on cookie sheets and store in Zip Lock bags and use as many as needed. The longer your sauce cooks, the more time the meat will have to absorb the flavor of the sauce and will taste better! Keep in mind that each meat you add will make the taste of the sauce a little different.

 

[cookies140]

spaghetti sauce

Such a good idea to add the pinch of baking soda; I won't add the sugar though because I don't like anything sweet. Thanks for the nice recipe; I just printed it.

 

[Anonymous]

That last recipe sounds a lot like what I make...I usually do not use a recipe, but I use about the same ingredients as the rest of you. I do always use chopped bell pepper. Instead of white sugar, I sometimes use brown sugar. It gives a darker red color. An Italian lady once told me to use only Contadina tomato canned goods for Italian sauces. It does make a difference, but I use it only when it is on sale because it is usually higher here. I am new here, but you all seem to be such nice people...think I will be back. Gloria

 

[cookies140]

spaghetti sauce

Hi again Gloria

Good idea with the Contadina...I also like to use the stuff right from Italy if I can find it too. I saw a recipe in a book too that said to brown pork ribs and add them to the sauce while cooking.

 

[kitchenelf]

Hi Gloria,

I sure hope you'll be back. We do have fun here - everyone is light-hearted and we're only a little bit "peeved" at geraldine but that's 'cause we all want to live with her and she said NO!!!

So, though we'll be pouting for awhile, we'll look for you again!!!

The best spaghetti I ever made had chicken, Italian sausage, and cut-up country-style ribs, peppers, onions, celery, etc.. I went through my spice/herb cabinet and if it mentioned any of these ingredients "in" went the spice or herb. Lots, and lots of red wine too. It's one of those things that can never, ever be replecated again!

 

[cookies140]

spaghetti sauce

Geraldine said we can't live with her???? Jeez!

Sometimes I put parmesan cheese in my sauce too and am dying to try the red wine also (any excuse for burgundy in my house I guess).

 

[kitchenelf]

Well cookie, I can only take her silence, i.e., LACK OF AN INVITATION to mean nope, no way, never, not in this lifetime, are you people crazy!!!!!!

 

[Forney]

GourmetGal’s Vodka Sauce

For something different (that's not sweet), here's another great recipe that was posted by GourmetGal:

GourmetGal’s Vodka Sauce
My daughter's Tried and True Vodka Sauce:
1 medium or large onion
1 - 3 cloves garlic, depending on preference for garlic!
2 - 4 tablespoons butter, or olive oil
20 ounces can Red Pack crushed tomatoes (or YOUR favorite brand)
1 pint heavy cream
1 teaspoon oregano
1-teaspoon basil
1-teaspoon parsley
1/3-cup vodka
1/2-cup Parmegiana cheese
Sauté garlic and onion in butter or olive oil. Add tomato and cream and spices. Simmer 5 minutes or so. Add vodka and bring to a boil. Simmer until ready to serve over pasta. Add Parmegiana cheese to the sauce right before serving.
This is great served over cheese or meat tortellini or other stuffed pasta.
Note
--If you want another meat served with your meal, it is highly recommended NOT to add it to the vodka sauce. It will completely change the flavor of this sauce!

 

[kitchenelf]

I'll have to give this a try with some homemade cheese ravioli!

 

[cookies140]

spaghetti sauce

I tried to reply to this before and it didn't take

I just copied Forney's recipe which sounds great (I'll drink to that)

 

[matias]

My wife has one

Cookies140, my wife has a great recipe and it fits your description. Will ask tonite and will post it for you.

It is very good because it is light and fresh and she uses lots of Basil and Oregano.

We use it with everything, all the way from Caneloni to Huevos Rancheros. And a friend of mine likes it so much that she takes it by the spoon full.

 

[cookies140]

spaghetti sauce

Hi Matias

I would really love the spaghetti sauce recipe. That is the one food I could eat three times a day. Did you get my pumpkin pie recipe? You can always substitute sweet potatoes for the pumpkin, as you indicated you couldn't get pumpkin in Costa Rica.

Thanks so much Matias.

 

[kitchenelf]

I'm waiting too!!!!! I love a good "gravy" recipe!

 

[Regina]

Spaghetti Sauce

Hi guys,

Although the recipe from Gourmet Gal is similar to mine I can't help putting in my two cents worth. Like you guys I create my sauce recipe as I go along. I like to let my sauce cook in a crock pot over night or while I'm away at work. It's a great recipe for cleaning out the refregerator. Here it is.

2 ribs celery chopped

4 or more onions chopped

4 or more cloves chopped or whole

2 or more handfuls of dried ****take mushrooms or fresh mushrooms sliced or chopped(see note)

2 28 oz. cans chopped or crushed tomatoes

1 16oz. can tomato sauce

5 or more whole pepper corns

2 whole bay leaves

1/2 to 1 tablespoon oregano

1 to 2 tablespoons dried parsley or 3 tablespoons fresh (see note)

Put all these ingredients in a five quart crock pot in the order listed and cover with the lid. Now here's the easy part. Plug in the crock pot turn the knob to high and let it cook over night. Or assemble the ingredients in the morning and let them cook while you are away at work. There's nothing nicer to come home to, except maybe the smell of hot fresh apple sauce.

Note: I live near the Chinatown in Oakland so I always have a source of dried mushrooms. I like using them in my sauce and occasionally in soups and other things. They add a nice earthy flavor to whatever I put them in. If you use them snap off the stems and soak them in hot water before slicing or chopping. If you use fresh mushrooms slice and saute them and add them to the sauce about a half an hour before serving, otherwise they will become to soft and flabby.
Note: Always add fresh parsley about a half an hour before serving. It tends to wilt and fade with long cooking.

I occasionally add other ingredients to my sauce. Such as meatballs, ground beef or turkey, or other vegetables like potatoes, and sliced carrots. They all add flavor and texture to the sauce. I also occasionally add whatever wine I have left over from a previous dinner. If I don't drink it first!

By the way Cookies what knitting project are you working on? I love to knit too!

 

[Norma]

Kitchenelf:
I think your BOLD NON-SUBTLE hint for a dinner invitation from Gerri , with NO invitation from her was not only "not now, not ever" ....I think it scared her away from the entire site!!!!!

 

[BlueAmiah3]

What can you put in a marinara sauce?

I'm a huge fan of marinara sauce. For my college speech class I am doing a speech on how to make the cheepest, fastest, tastest sauce. I would like to include items (mushrooms, meats, veggies, ect.) that I can tell them are optional. I would love to just take peoples word for things (which I plan to do for my own personal use so please do ) but I was wondering if any of you knew a few good reputable sites that I can use as references?

 

[kitchenelf]

Hi BlueAmiah3

When you say you want a few reputable sites I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean for recipes? Put marinar recipe into a search engine and lots of sites will come up. I guess a reputable one would be one that had a good recipe!! LOL

For a simple, cheap marinar (may be cheap but it's still the best)

1 large can of whole tomatoes
1 box of fresh basil
3 large cloves garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper

Pour can of tomatoes with juice into a bowl and squish with your hands - leave the tomatoes a nice chunky size.

Heat about 3 TBS of olive oil in a skillet and add chopped garlic. Stir for about 30 seconds or so, just enough to bring out the flavor but you don't want the garlic to brown.

Add the tomatoes and cook on medium high until most of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat, place in bowl, and add your fresh basil (cut chiffonade). This will keep for several days in the fridge.

When you are ready to use place one serving into a skillet and heat, reducing somewhat, add your angel hair to coat and then mound in the middle of a plate with some tongs. Top with some grated Parmesan.

Optional ingredients -

Pitted kalamata olives added when you add the tomatoes.
About 1/4 cup Burgundy wine added with the tomatoes.

Sometimes I will grill zucchini, summer squash, and asparagus and place around the mound of pasta on the plate.

But if you add meat to it it's no longer marinara. If the chunky tomatoes are not appealing to some people you can puree in a blender.

But the key to this marinara is to cook it until it's fairly dry and you want a strong basil/garlic flavor.

Does this help you?