So I combined a lot of fabulous ideas and came up with this. I have to warn you, this sauce did not turn out "pretty", it was not "to die for" or "the best sauce I've ever had" but it was passable. There are a lot of things you could do to change it to your own fancy.
Ingredients
20 Roma tomatoes, 1/2 onion, 1 head of garlic, various spices (rosemary, basil and oregano were my choices), red pepper flakes, Kosher salt, pepper, and sugar
All amounts are at your discretion. Only you know what you like. Start by adding a little and taste, taste, taste until it's how you want it.
I also wanted to use red wine, but since I can't seem to keep a bottle around I used cooking sherry
(not a great substitute)
Italian sausage
( I prefer the mild variety but when your making your own you can do what you want)
Method to the Madness
1. You have to peel the tomatoes.
I read many an article on it, got frustrated, and did my own thing. It worked out great. I'll tell you how at the end of the post.
2. Chop onion and peel garlic.
(I left my cloves whole, but that's mainly because I don't like crunchy spaghetti - I pick the cloves out at the end).
3. Chop up herbs if you are using fresh ones.
4. Add a little olive oil to a skillet and heat.
5. Dump veggies in the skillet cook until they are tender and brown.
6. Put tomatoes into large stock pot and add liquid (wine, cooking sherry, tequila- whatever you have lying around). Use very little. The tomatoes are very juicy.
7. Add skillet contents and herbs to the pot.
8. Cook on medium heat.
9. Bring to a boil and let some of the liquid "cook out".
10. Add salt and pepper. Taste. Add more salt and pepper. Taste. (you get the idea)
11. If it tastes too tomato-y add a smidgen of sugar, that will cut the tomato taste a little.
12. Continue to simmer while you cook the sausage.
And, as a friend of mine's mom in law likes to point out, be sure and cook the pork all the way through.
Really?
Who likes pork medium well?
13. Add sausage to the pot. Continue to cook on low until desired consistency.
And while you are doing all that... you need to cook some spaghetti. We used whole wheat linguine noodles, but this sauce would work well with pretty much any noodle.
"You're a noodle". "That's what she said said"
I digress, anyway...
Peeling Tomatoes for Dummies
(present company included)
- Boil water
- put tomatoes in boiling water
- boil for around 30 seconds (you can see the peel beginning to come of)
- place tomatoes into ice bath (bowl of water with ice)
- wait until cool and skins will slip right of
- cut tomatoes in half, squeeze out the juicy insides (to discard) and throw into pot
Easy, cheesy.
As I said, there are many ways to make this your own. Add mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, the list is endless. It also freezes very well (I've heard) so you can make a big batch and have some for later.
BTW: This recipe made just barely enough for seven. It would generously feed 4-5.
20 Roma tomatoes, 1/2 onion, 1 head of garlic, various spices (rosemary, basil and oregano were my choices), red pepper flakes, Kosher salt, pepper, and sugar
All amounts are at your discretion. Only you know what you like. Start by adding a little and taste, taste, taste until it's how you want it.I also wanted to use red wine, but since I can't seem to keep a bottle around I used cooking sherry
(not a great substitute)
Italian sausage
( I prefer the mild variety but when your making your own you can do what you want)
Method to the Madness
1. You have to peel the tomatoes.
I read many an article on it, got frustrated, and did my own thing. It worked out great. I'll tell you how at the end of the post.
2. Chop onion and peel garlic.
(I left my cloves whole, but that's mainly because I don't like crunchy spaghetti - I pick the cloves out at the end).
3. Chop up herbs if you are using fresh ones.
4. Add a little olive oil to a skillet and heat.
5. Dump veggies in the skillet cook until they are tender and brown.
6. Put tomatoes into large stock pot and add liquid (wine, cooking sherry, tequila- whatever you have lying around). Use very little. The tomatoes are very juicy.
7. Add skillet contents and herbs to the pot.8. Cook on medium heat.
9. Bring to a boil and let some of the liquid "cook out".
10. Add salt and pepper. Taste. Add more salt and pepper. Taste. (you get the idea)
11. If it tastes too tomato-y add a smidgen of sugar, that will cut the tomato taste a little.
12. Continue to simmer while you cook the sausage.
And, as a friend of mine's mom in law likes to point out, be sure and cook the pork all the way through.
Really?
Who likes pork medium well?
13. Add sausage to the pot. Continue to cook on low until desired consistency.
And while you are doing all that... you need to cook some spaghetti. We used whole wheat linguine noodles, but this sauce would work well with pretty much any noodle.
"You're a noodle". "That's what she said said"
I digress, anyway...
Peeling Tomatoes for Dummies
(present company included)
- Boil water
- put tomatoes in boiling water
- boil for around 30 seconds (you can see the peel beginning to come of)
- place tomatoes into ice bath (bowl of water with ice)
- wait until cool and skins will slip right of
- cut tomatoes in half, squeeze out the juicy insides (to discard) and throw into pot
Easy, cheesy.
As I said, there are many ways to make this your own. Add mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, the list is endless. It also freezes very well (I've heard) so you can make a big batch and have some for later.
BTW: This recipe made just barely enough for seven. It would generously feed 4-5.
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