I may not have spent a summer eating my way across the French countryside, but I do have some European roots. I have a bit of Italian ancestry, and somewhere in my body instead of blood—flows a little tomato sauce.
My mom taught me how to cook pasta sauce. I learned by the way it smelled, simmering in the big pan on the stove. Yes, pan. Allow me to explain.
A pan is great for making sauce because of its short sides. The majority of the surface area is on the bottom—that’s good for browning ingredients. But a pot has taller sides, dispersing heat up the pan—not as good for browning.
So here’s the recipe. It’s simple, yummy and unpretentious. You can omit any ingredient you don’t like, but it won’t be as good! Change the amounts or add any other ingredients you want- just improvise!
One Really Great Tomato Sauce
One big pan with a lid
One pound of ground beef
One red onion, chopped
One tsp fresh ground black pepper
One tsp kosher salt
One package of white mushrooms, sliced
One clove of garlic, minced
One 28 ounce can of tomato sauce (cheapest in the store)
One 6 ounce can of tomato paste
One tsp of red pepper flakes
One tsp ground cumin
One bunch of fresh herbs (oregano, basil or thyme), stems removed
One 8 oz cup of water
Brown the meat and the onion over medium high heat until onions are translucent. Add salt, pepper, mushrooms and garlic (and any other vegetables you want). Sauté for 5 minutes. Do NOT let the garlic burn or it will taste bitter. Add everything but the fresh herbs, put the lid on and let it simmer on low for 30 minutes. Add herbs 5 minutes before serving. They will turn bitter if left to sit in the sauce for a long time. Now taste it and add salt or pepper if needed. Always taste before you serve it to anyone! Pour over your favorite pasta and serve. There will be plenty left over.
This recipe brings me to my next topic: How to Love Your Leftovers.
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