Today I make my pasta sauce...The adventure begins

[bicentennial_baby]

Olive oil: Check
Garlic: Check
Onion: Check
Pepper: Check
2 cans San Marzano tomatoes: Check
Pork chops, defrosted: Check
Hot and Sweet Italian sausages: Check

On edit: also, Fresh Basil, Oregano, and bay leaf

Into the breach (sp?) I go!! If you don't hear from me by evening, call the Coast Guard, hehe

[Gormy Cuss]

1. Basil! you need basil!

You live in the land of good Italian sausage. For being such a great foodie area it's somewhat difficult to find good hot Italian sausage around here without going to North Beach or an Italian deli.

*on basil, if your tomatoes were packed with a sprig you'll be all set (discard the sprig, the flavor is in the tomatoes already.)

[bicentennial_baby]

2. Check my edit

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Phew! n/t

[datasuspect]

4. pork and beef neckbones?

a pinch of sugar?

red wine?

[_testify_]

5. You need a little sugar!

Kills the acidity of the tomatoes, which will keep your loved ones (read: guinea pigs) from needing the plop-plop-fizz-fizz.

Otherwise, you look like you have everything under control. Don't forget to remove the bay leaf when its done! And let it simmer for a minimum of 3 hours.

[bicentennial_baby]

7. Yes, a bit of sugar as well

And I won't forget about the bay leaf...promise.

Thanks for the tips!

[_testify_]

9. No problem.

I spent a year making red sauce for a gourmet Italian deli, 50 gallons at a time!

[Sugar Smack]

23. *KISS KISS* you...you foodie!

I can smell it simmering from here I would love to go take a nap in the afternoon on the couch and wake up to that smell!

[bicentennial_baby]

26. Awww, thank you love

I'll let you know how it turns out...hehe

[LaraMN]

6. Oh YUM!

I love pasta with spicy sausage! Based on the ingredients I have on hand, I think I'm making blt's for dinner.

[bicentennial_baby]

8. Oh, BLTs are yummy

Hi you!

[LaraMN]

10. Hi Sweetcheeks!

How are things in the world of BB & the Sniffas? (Sounds like a band name.)

[bicentennial_baby]

11. Things are good!

Skool starts in 2 weeks...nervous, but excited.

We've been having a good ol time this summer, socializing and having fun at the beach, playing frisbee, cooking up a storm...Good things

How are you and yours?

[LaraMN]

12. Sounds like a fabulous use of your summer!

We're good. I go back to school in about two weeks, too. I'm looking forward to it; I'm about due for some mental exercise.

[Phillycat]

13. You need a can of tomato paste to thicken it up.

And don't put sugar in!

Regards,

A Sicilian.

[bicentennial_baby]

14. Sugar, no sugar...

Well, which is it people?!

[LeftyMom]

19. no sugar

There's planty if you cook it slow (which is of course the only right way to do it) from the breakdown of the tomatoes.

[alcibiades_mystery]

20. Don't put any sugar in the sauce

It's a terrible practice for mass consumption sauces, no good for home-size batches.

You'd never catch this Italian dead putting sugar into a tomato sauce. Ugh.

[_testify_]

15. Feh.

No sugar? Feh.



Regards,

An Itrani.

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. No tomato paste

It'll thicken through reduction.

[Phillycat]

22. LOL

This poor girl is going to be so confused...well, my grandmother always made it with the tomato paste even though she cooked it all day. And she was born and raised in Palermo.

We are in full agreement on the NO SUGAR thing though.

[bicentennial_baby]

25. That would be me....confused

Now, I'm scared

[alcibiades_mystery]

28. Don't put both basil and oregano

Use one or the other. Generally, oregano should be used primarily for sauces that will be put on a pizza, or chicken, etc. A good pasta sauce will skip oregano for basil. But the flavors work against each other, or at least the oregano will overpower the basil completely, so using both is a bit silly.

[alcibiades_mystery]

27. Sicily

I thought you were talking about Italian sauce.

Sorry, snobby Northern Italian here. You klnow we don't consider Sicily part of the country, right?

[Phillycat]

38. Ha!

Watch your kneecaps...

[ScreamingMeemie]

30. Brown Sugar...

So says Grandma Rosa. Aged 96.

[JitterbugPerfume]

16. NO SUGAR !!

[Phillycat]

17. Thank you!

[bicentennial_baby]

18. I give up!

Y'all say different things...I'll wing it, and we'll see how it goes...

[MissMillie]

24. red wine and mushrooms

and I use a little oregano too

[ScreamingMeemie]

29. brown sugar baby. Just a t. of it.

yummy!

[Magrittes Pipe]

31. The answer to the sugar question:

TASTE THE FUCKING SAUCE!!!!

Some batches of tomatoes are sweeter than others, and good canned tomatoes will reflect the variety in the crops. TASTE the sauce, then if it needs suger, add a bit (I prefer honey). If it doesn't need sugar, don't add any.

Recipes are the bane of many a great cook. Taste your food. You'll know what it needs.

BTW: I prefer marjoram to oregano in my sauce, but maybe that's just me....

[bicentennial_baby]

32. Thank You

Good advice

[bicentennial_baby]

33. Ok folks...I'm off.

We shall see what transpires...I'm a lil nervous now, after this wacky thread...

But thank you all for your help...I think

[ScreamingMeemie]

34. Don't forget!!! Brown Sugar!! If you don't use it I'm never talking to

you again! Have fun!

[alcibiades_mystery]

35. Ugh...awful

Tomato sauces do not need sugar, much less brown sugar. Yuck.

[ScreamingMeemie]

36. Italian grandma makes the best! More for me.

Old recipe.

[alcibiades_mystery]

37. Old don't make it good

Probably some Sicilian concoction or other.

[Phillycat]

39. Hey, whoa!

I ALREADY SAID NO SUGAR!

[ScreamingMeemie]

41. 1 t. of brown sugar.

SO SAYS GRANDMA ROSA...AND EVERYBODY MINDS GRANDMA ROSA OR SHE'LL BEAT YOUR ASS! :p

[ScreamingMeemie]

40. Sure as shit does!

[noonwitch]

42. Sounds about right

I always add a couple of drops of hot sauce (Crystal, when I can find it) into the mix to spice it up a bit. I hope you bought the kind of tomatoes that are packed in puree, as opposed to juice. The puree makes for a thicker sauce.

In the summer, I use fresh tomatoes, though, and make it with canned tomatoes when it's winter and fresh tomatoes cost too much.

It takes longer with fresh tomatoes, and you have to peel them first, but either way, your house smells wonderful while you are making it.

Making tomato sauce is one of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday afternoon.

[Katina]

43. I also add parmesaen cheese to the sauce

about 45 minutes before it's done to give it a rich buttery flavor.
Tomato sauce is a very personal thing, and it all depends on your personal taste. Sugar or not, basil AND oregano...or only one? I add parsley to my sauce in lieu of oregano. Just have fun with it...and enjoy.
BTW, I always think the sauce tastes better the second day.

[Beer Snob-50]

44. a little red wine or sugar

cuts down on the acidity. also gives it a nice flavor. oh and remember, you can never have enough garlic.

[bicentennial_baby]

45. Sauce is on!

I'm doing my thang, regardless of what the wacky Italianos say....smells like f'n heaven

We shall see