I'm a cooking newbie: got a good basic pasta sauce?

[Lavender Brown]

I'm trying to start off with the basics... I tried to replicate my mom's marinara sauce but it didn't seem to work. What's your secret? :hi:

[helnwhls]

1. Ragu regular with browned meat

I've tried all sorts of experiments, but I always end up liking this best.

[Beware the Beast Man]

4. I like to add a can of diced tomatoes to jarred sauce

To thicken it up, as well as adding ground meat and mushrooms.

[Tweed]

2. Here's what I do

Here's a basic way to make a great pasta sauce

Start with a sauce pan and some olive oil
Next throw some onion in the sauce pan
Stir for 3-5 minutes
Throw some mushrooms, black olives or spinach in there for 1-2 minutes
Then after everything seems to be sizzling, pour a can of diced tomatoes into the sauce pan. There is no need to drain the can.
However, you do want to stir the vegetables with the tomatoes.
After that, you want to get all of the more watery part evaporated
So you move all the veggies to the side and let the other end be full of the watery tomato.
The reason you don't drain the tomato is so that the flavor can soak into the vegetables.
When to take the sauce off is your call.
Also, all the ingredients are your call too.

There are only two basics:
Onions and a can of diced tomatoes

Anything in between you can add. You don't need to serve a salad if you put many vegetables in. Your sauce is a wonderful salad in itself. My girlfriend loves it. Be sure to give me feedback. If it doesn't work, I might be able to help you. Plus I want to know how it goes!

[wryter2000]

3. Tomato pasta sauce tastes best with pork in it

Either Italian pork sausage or just a hunk of pork.

For a simple sauce, chop an onion and a couple of cloves of garlic. Sautee them until translucent in some extra virgin olive oil. Add a couple of cans of tomatoes and some thyme or oregano. Put in some browned Italian sausage and cook, cook, cook. It the liquid wants to evaporate, add some water. The longer you cook it (for a couple of hours), the richer the flavor will be. However, it's fine as soon as it's the consitency you like.

[fudge stripe cookays]

5. My mom learned hers from her Italian maid years ago...

and I still use the secrets.

Saute' some onion and garlic in olive oil, add some chopped carrot (circular rounds). Add a pound of ground beef and brown.

Add a jar of Classico (whatever type you like best, I'm an Arrabiata gal). Then let this all cook up for awhile.

To this, add dried oregano, dried basil, a little bit more garlic (salt), and cinnamon. It's heavenly. Anyone I've ever made it for wants to know how to make it.

FSC

[patricia92243]

15. What is Classico?

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. It's a commercial "spaghetti sauce", like Ragu or Prego, except it's good

:-)

Actually, it's quite good. For a commercial sauce.

[The empressof all]

6. Best Sauce in a Jar

If you don't have time, energy of inclination to make Sauce (ie-gravy) from scratch---The absolutely best sauce in a jar is Barilla. I'm a hard core Italian cook and I rely on this product several times a week. Their Puttanesca sauce just needs a touch of red pepper and it's as good as home-made. Their Marinara is perfect.

Now I'm not saying it has all the love of home-made --but it sure comes close to what my Grandma made.

[Beaverhausen]

8. I really like Classico sauces, too. All natural ingredients

but I have learned to make my own sauce.

Someone above gave a good recipe but I have to add that you MUST add wine to your sauce...early and often.

[NashVegas]

7. Set Aside Some Time, Newbie

If you wish to make a good red sauce, from scratch, you'll need to leave it on the stove for half a day or more.

In the main pot you'll cook the sauce in, start with a chopped onion and a few chopped cloves of garlic, saute them in olive oil until they're translucent.

While that's going on, use another pan to heat up a can or two of tomato paste until it's soft and hot. Don't burn it.

Transfer the paste to the pot with the onion & garlic and stir it up. Now, add a can or two of crushed or pureed plum tomatos (depends on how much you're making; I usually go 2 paste: 3 crushed. Then, fill up one of the empty crushed tomato cans with water, once or twice, again depending on how much you're making, and dump that in.

Add your herbs and let it stew on simmer all day. At the halfway point, add some braised italian hot and sweet sausage for flavoring (and eating if you're into them). Maybe an hour or two before it's done, add maybe a braised pork chop or two, and maybe some beef spare ribs. The point of the meat is to add flavor.

If you find you need to thin it down, add water or tomato juice. Be creative. Try a little wine. Whatever.

[lpbk2713]

9. Good advice. Low, slow heat is the most important consideration.

Stir frequently. Don't ever let it burn to the bottom of the pan. That burn taste will ruin everything. Another thing, I usually add a little bit of cayenne pepper. It gives it a little extra kick. My favorite prepared sauce is Classico but I always doctor it up with hamburger, onion, bell pepper, mushroom, minced garlic, oregano and/or tomato paste. I've tried chopped jalapeño before and it wasn't too bad.

[Ramsey]

10. Easy sauce from scratch

This is all on medium high heat until you simmer, then turn down heat to medium low.

Start with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and thin sliced garlic, sautee garlic for 2-3 minutes (don't burn it!). Add any other crunchy vegetables you like (I often use chopped green peppers and onion) and let them sautee 4-5 minutes. Then add a 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, a tablespoon of tomato paste, and 1/2 cup red wine. Simmer this for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Season as desired with salt, pepper, oregano and basil. For dried herbs you should let them simmer a while in the sauce so they blend in. But fresh herbs are even better. I highly recommend adding a big handful of fresh shredded basil and oregano leaves at the very end, nothing is tastier!

If you want to add ground meat (and I recommend ground pork over beef, it's lighter and tastier), brown it for 6-7 minutes separately then add it during the simmer. Diced chicken is great in this too, chop and brown it separately as well.

If you want to add mushrooms, chop or slice them, sautee them separately until they are slightly browned, then add them to the sauce at the end.

Pour over pasta, top with grated Parm. Yummy!

This whole dish should take 30 minutes or less, Make sure to boil your water (with some salt and olive oil in the water) and cook the pasta while making the sauce to save time.

[Robb]

11. My bolognese...

...also known as "the closer." :evilgrin:

Brown the leanest ground beef you can find, and don't, DON'T drain the fat. I mean it.

Pop in one or two diced (DICED, mind you) garlic cloves, count to twenty. Pour in a single can of tomato sauce, stir. Secret ingredient next: soy sauce, instead of salt. Dash, maybe two dashes. Aw, hell, three. Slow simmer until you like the thickness, pour over penne pasta.

Top with chopped FRESH basil (leaves into teacup, scissors in vertically, presto, chopped herbs) and a good-sized clunk of shredded FRESH reggiano parmesan cheese. It's more expensive, but absolutely essential.

Sometimes for variation I'll use a can of chopped tomatoes, or put the basil into the sauce moments before pouring it onto the penne.

Sit back and enjoy the undying love for you the dish creates in whoever is lucky enough to eat it. :)

[Rabrrrrrr]

18. OMG! ROBB!!! I haven't seen you in ages!

I'm glad to see you are still around and kicking.

I was wondering about you the other day, thinking, "Man, I haven't Robb in ages. Where'd he go to?"

Good to see you! In fact, my toes curled! :hi:

[davsand]

12. If you REFUSE to use a jar of sauce...

This is one EASY and quick sauce I learned to make years ago:

One can of Tomato Sauce
one can of Tomatoes Diced
one small can of tomato paste
Onion
Fresh garlic
One lb Pork sausage or ground beef
Palm full of Oregano
Palm full of basil
Palm full of sugar

Saute onion and garlic for just a bit in the bottom of your pan in a bit of olive oil. Add in the pork and cook till done. DRAIN!!

Add all your other ingredients EXCEPT the paste. Rinse cans out with about half a can of water and add that too. Low simmer covered for about 30 minutes (till the tomatoes break down a bit.) Add paste and be sure to keep the pan stirred or it will burn in the bottom of the pan. Re adjust spices.

Add ins:

JUST before serving you can stir in grated Parmesan cheese for additional flavor.

Mushrooms and/or green peppers work well cooked in this.

Grated zucchini, diced spinach and/or grated carrots to sneak them past picky kids who hate veggies

Happy eating!

Laura

[hyphenate]

13. This is mine:

Before I stopped eating beef and pork and other such meats (for ethical reasons, mainly), I used to make a helluva great spaghetti sauce. I still make this, only with ground turkey instead, but for the meat eaters among you, you will find beef works very well.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground meat (your choice)
1 onion, chopped and diced
paprika
oregano
basil
salt
pepper
1 can (the big one) of canned diced tomatoes in tomato puree
1 large can tomato sauce
1 large can tomato paste
1 jar, bottle or can of your favorite pre-made pasta sauce (I usually use something like regular Prego or Ragu) This is for the base
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped red pepper
about 1/4 cup of oil to cook in--I usually use canola oil, but olive oil is fine, as is safflower oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of sugar

Heat a skillet and pour in enough oil to cook in. Break up the meat in such a fashion that it's in little tiny pieces, and toss into skillet. Throw in about 1/2 of your chopped onion as well. Put in the spices. Once the meat turns brown, drain the oil. Pour in the spaghetti sauce first and stir well. This is your "starter" for your sauce. Let it simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, and then add the sauce, the rest of the onion, the tomatoes in puree, the vinegar, the sugar, and the chopped green and red peppers. Hold out the paste until last.

Simmer about 1/2 hour. It'll thin out a little--when it does, add the tomato paste and stir well. Simmer another 15 minutes or so. Taste. If it still tastes a little pasty, simmer another 15 minutes. Serve on top of your choice of pasta.

[burned]

14. ten minutes

three cloves of garlic sauteed in olive oil (use less if you want)
one bunch of fresh basil leaves, whole or in pieces
one can of italian plum tomatoes, broken into bits
salt and pepper to taste

do the garlic, throw in the broken up tomatoes, throw in the basil and
heat through. salt and pepper if you want.

if you want meat in it, start with some sliced mild italian sausage, cook thoroughly in olive oil, drain the fat if you want, add garlic, then tomtoes, then basil. heat on low until basil goes limp.

takes no time tastes great.

[Kipepeo]

16. This is my favorite pasta...from Food magazine of all places

1 pound penne (or other short pasta)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced (I use a LOT more, love garlic)
2/3 pound cherry tomatoes (about 2 -3 cups) halved or quartered
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 - 1/2 cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

* I use a lot more tomatoes, garlic and olives than they suggest :) YUM

Cook & drain the pasta according to package directions

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the oil over med. heat. Add the garlic & cook for about a minute until golden, then add the tomatoes, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt & pepper to taste. reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes until tomato juices start running

Add the olives, parsley & Parmesan cheese to the skillet & toss to combine.

Add to Penne & serve! It's a really quick recipe. Pitting the olives is the only thing that takes a little while and even that is not so long.

YUM!

[doni_georgia]

19. Lite tomato sauce for pasta

1 can diced tomatoes, drained reserve liquid
1 can tomato paste
1 small onion diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup white wine
2 tomato paste cans of water
olive oil - extra virgin
oregano
basil
parsley
salt
pepper
pinch of sugar

saute onion in olice oil until transparent, add garlic, add diced tomatoes. Saute until tomatoes are soft. Add tomato paste, wine, and liquid from canned tomatoes, and water. Add oregano, basil, parsley, (I add a lot of herbs - this is really to taste). Add a pinch (literal pinch) of sugar (cuts the acidity of the tomatoes). You may need to add a little water as it cooks to get the consistency you like. Simmer on low heat for at least 45 minutes (I cook it usually about an hour), stirring frequently, adjusting liquid as needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

[opiate69]

20. Not tomato-based, but easy as hell, and outrageously delicious..

"Spaghetti con aglio e olio"

1 lb spaghetti
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano
1. Drop he spaghetti into a large pan of rapidly boiling water
2. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and gently sautee the garlic until it is barely golden. Do not let it brown or it will become bitter. Stir in the parsley (or, we sometimes use dried Italian seasoning mixture, and occasionally a few crushed red pepper flakes if we want it to have a little "zing"). Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat until pasta is ready.
3. Drain pasta, then tip into the frying pan and cook together for 2-3 minutes, stirring well to coat the spaghetti with the sauce. Serve with the Parmesan.

If you frying pan isnt big enough (like ours isnt..) you can just pour the sauce over the pasta and serve as is... we've also been known to put mushrooms, black olives, kalamata olives or pancetta/proscuitto into the sauce... have fun, get creative, and enjoy.

[Lavender Brown]

21. Mmmm.. aglio e olio

This one I've done a lot (almost every Sunday). I just suck at making tomato sauce from scratch. I think it's payback for not helping my mom with dinner when I was young. :)