Reply #18: Ok, move over...

[Interrobang]

I make wicked red sauce to die for -- I have to, because to me, an Alfredo sauce is to die *from*. My other alternative is pesto, which I also do a really good job at. My ancestry is all Ukranian and British Isles, so no excuses!

Assemble:

1 can Hunt's Thick and Rich sauce (you're CDN so I know you can get this), the kind in the blue label
1 small can tomato paste (go for Mr. Goudas!) NB: These are for texture and cohesion so the resulting sauce isn't too runny.

(hush, you heretics; by the time I'm done you can't tell they're there)

as much hamburger as you can scrape up, lean or extra-lean
2-3 large onions
AT LEAST 1/2 head fresh garlic (do NOT roast the garlic; it makes it too sweet!), chopped into tiny pieces (smash the cloves first for extra pungency)
2-3+ large fresh tomatoes
1 medium-sized zucchini
1 large courgette (yellow zucchini)
1 red bell pepper, cut into sauce-sized pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into sauce-sized pieces
Portobello or cremini mushrooms (these brown kinds make ALL the difference!), in sauce-sized pieces
1 cup or so of GOOD red wine, or to taste (I like Valpolicella)
Olive oil, preferably decanted into a jar containing garlic pieces!

Options:

1/2 can sliced black olives
1 diced Italian eggplant
Parmesan cheese

Spices:

2 dashes Mr. Goudas hot sauce
Fresh parsley
Fresh/dried basil (2 tbsp.)
LOTS of oregano!!
2 tsp. crushed black peppercorns
salt (added last, or to taste)

In a large pot:

Brown the hamburger, adding some basil, oregano, and garlic halfway. Drain the fat off in a colander; return hamburg to pot. Brown onions with hamburger. When browned, add the tomatoes and some olive oil (this is to release the heart-healthy stuff that you get when you cook tomatoes in olive oil). When the tomatoes are looking cooked, add the tomato sauce/paste. Stir and bring to a boil. Add some more spices and garlic. Simmer for a while, then add the vegetables and/or options. Add more spices and garlic. Simmer on low heat until veggies are almost done and sauce is thickened, then add the wine and then salt, plus more spices and garlic to taste. Add the fresh parsley about now if you haven't added it already. Simmer for a few more minutes, then serve over pasta.

Also makes delicious minestrone soup when combined with beans, pasta, and water!

Serves: Many, or four extremely hungry stoners with a bad case of the munchies...