Pasta sauce three ways

I am a big believer in homemade sauce. I will make HUGE batches of it and freeze it in gallon Ziploc bag with the air pushed out. Lay them flat and freeze them. Perfect! In a pinch I do love Costco’s marinara. White label, green lettering, totally yummy. 

There are so many variations of tomato pasta sauce and I love them all. But I have a big three that I make over and over.  It is just so nice to have something that is super good and super easy (boil noodles, thaw sauce, mix & done!).

The key to a good sauce is cooking time. It needs to just sit and stew (pun sorta intended). It is the perfect project for a Sunday. Make it in the morning, let it sit all day, turn it off and pack it up at night.

Here are my favorite recipes. The recipes are for a single batch of sauce.  I will make 4-5 times the amounts when I do it, except the meat sauce. That one is already big.

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Roasted vegetable and sausage

My sister actually made this for the Hubster and I when our second babe was born. Even after freezing and thawing, it still tastes fresh!

Ingredients:

1 large onion diced

2 bell peppers (I love yellow for this) chopped

2 zucchini chopped

1 summer squash chopped

Olive oil

2-3 Tbs Italian Seasoning.

1 16 oz can fire roasted tomatoes

2 16 oz cans petite diced or crushed tomatoes

6 links of chicken sausage- medium spicy

3 cloves garlic

 Fresh snipped basil

Directions:

1. Toss the vegetables with olive oil, Italian seasoning, and a little salt. Grill or broil until nearly slightly underdone. Remove the sausage from the casings.
2. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and sauté until turning lightly golden crushing with wooden spoon to break it apart. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and add basil al the very end.

This sauce is one where you can serve it right away or simmer for hours. It really makes very little difference in taste.

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Marinara

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil

1 onion diced

2 carrots diced finely

1 rib celery diced finely

3 cloves garlic

2-16 oz cans crushed tomatoes

1-16 oz can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs thyme

2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and sauté until turning lightly golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
2. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper and add vinegar.
3. Cook, uncovered, 20 minutes until thickened. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for up to 2 hours. Stir at least every 15 minutes.

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Meat Sauce

This one comes courtesy of my friend Nikki. Love ya’ Girlie!!

Ingredients:

3 sausage links

1 pound lean ground beef

1 tsp Garlic powder

1 Tbs Italian seasoning

2 onions (diced)

1 pound sliced mushrooms

3- 27 oz can crushed tomatoes

22 oz tomato sauce

16 oz tomato paste

1 bell pepper diced

2 bay leaves

2 fresh thyme sprigs

Handful fresh snipped basil

Handful fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

½ package pepperoni

2 Tbs sugar

Grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add mushrooms and sauté until slightly soft.
2. In separate pan Cook ground beef with garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Add cooked beef to onion mixture.
3. Slice sausage, or remove from casing and crumble. Cook in beef pan. Once done add to onion and beef pot.
4. Add remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for 10- 12 hours. Stir at least every 25 minutes.

This one is better the longer it simmers!