I decided my first food blog post would be the recipe for my mom’s pasta sauce (or rather my variation of it) because it is one of the first things of hers I remember making on my own.

Making your own pasta sauce is so easy and a great way to get rid of all those unnecessary preservatives and calories that you find in the jar stuff. Don’t get me wrong, for a quick dinner, grabbing a jar of sauce isn’t bad, but for a fraction of the cost, you can make a big batch of homemade sauce at home and put some in the freezer for later. And that is exactly what I do! The recipe I most often use makes a four dinner batch of sauce (and by dinner I mean enough sauce to cover a pound of pasta – and we like a LOT of sauce at our house!)  I also will post a one pot sauce recipe that is enough for two dinners – one tonight and one for the freezer!

Notes about this recipe: For the meat, I like to use lean ground beef, my mom uses a mix of beef and Italian sausage, or you could also use ground turkey to cut out some fat and calories. Instead of chopping up fresh garlic, I like to use the fresh already minced garlic found in the tubes in the produce section of your grocery store. I like to use various canned tomato products to add different textures to the sauce. Also, whenever you are cooking with canned tomato products, its always a good idea to add a pinch or two of sugar (or low-calorie sweetener) to offset the acidity of the canned tomatoes. I do not measure any of my seasonings, so what’s listed in the recipe is just an estimate. Its best to start with the smallest amount listed and add more to taste. Just note that the spices intensify the longer the sauce cooks. Whenever possible use fresh herbs as opposed to the dry stuff; You will just have to use more of the fresh herbs as dry herbs have stronger flavors. A good mix of fresh basil, thyme, and oregano would be perfect!

Great Big Pot of Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of ground meat
• 2 medium to large onions, chopped
• 8 cloves of garlic or 4 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes
• 1 large can of petite diced tomatoes
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 large can of tomato puree
• 2 small cans of tomato paste
• 1 large can of sliced mushrooms (or two regular cans), drained
• Italian seasoning (~3-4 tablespoons dried or 4-6 tablespoons of fresh)
• garlic salt (~1-3 teaspoons)
• sugar (~1-2 teaspoons)
• 1-2 regular cans of tomato sauce (if necessary)

Directions:

In a LARGE pot over medium to medium high eat, brown your meat. Once the meat is starting to cook, add the onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and meat is no longer pink. Drain of as much of the fat as possible. One by one, add each of the 4 large cans of tomatoes and the 2 cans of tomato paste to the meat, onion, and garlic mixture and stir until combined. Once mixed, add the mushrooms and seasonings and stir again to combine. If you like you sauce thinner, feel free to add a can or two of tomato sauce. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook for several hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

Serve hot over your favorite pasta!

One Pot Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground meat
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic or 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of petite diced tomatoes
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 can of tomato puree
• 1 small cans of tomato paste
• 1 can of sliced mushrooms, drained
• Italian seasoning (~1-2 tablespoons)
• garlic salt (~1-2 teaspoons)
• sugar (~1 teaspoons)
• 1 can of tomato sauce (if necessary)

Directions:

In a large pot over medium to medium high eat, brown your meat. Once the meat is starting to cook, add the onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and meat is no longer pink. Drain of as much of the fat as possible. One by one, add each of the  cans of tomatoes and the can of tomato paste to the meat, onion, and garlic mixture and stir until combined. Once mixed, add the mushrooms and seasonings and stir again to combine. If you like you sauce thinner, feel free to add a can of tomato sauce. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook for several hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

Enjoy!

To freeze sauce, let cool to room temperature and pour into freezer-safe containers. When you want to use the frozen sauce, just sit the container out on the counter for the day to thaw for dinner. Pour the cold sauce into a sauce pan, cover, and cook on medium heat until hot.

Much Love,

M