back to top html arrow button

Share a Spoon Warm the Heart Debut

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Think Tank Momma











Welcome Smackers!  I am thrilled to present and host Share a Spoon, Warm the Heart with you!  There really isn't any better way for you to show someone you care about them then sharing a meal.  It's personal, it's intimate.
First I am going to share my two must have tools in the kitchen.  I could not live without a food processor.  Seriously.  It saves so much time intensive labor.  Everyone needs to get one if they don't have one already!  It will make your experience in the kitchen a breeze.  The second must have is a good set of knives.  SHARP knives.

We had rigatoni last night so I am going to share my red sauce with you.  This is a family favorite.  I use this sauce as the base for most of my Italian dishes.  You can freeze this.  I don't ever buy jarred or canned spaghetti sauce.  Ever.  I control the salt, the preservatives, everything.

What you will need:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 medium onions chopped
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 cloves of garlic grated
2 cans of tomato paste
2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
Italian flat leaf parsley
Fresh Basil
Kosher salt
1-2 teaspoons Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Quick note about the tomato paste and the crushed tomatoes.  When shopping for these items pay attention to the labels.  I usually pay a little more for both to make sure the only thing in the can is TOMATO.  It's usually 15-20 cents more a can.  But I pay the premium to not have citric acid, "natural flavors", high fructose corn syrup, etc.  What the hell is natural flavors anyway?  That's just me though.

Directions:
In a large sauce pan over medium/high heat coat the entire bottom of the pan with olive oil.  It's a lot of olive oil.  Probably 1/2 cup, give or take.  Add the two medium chopped onions(roughly 1 1/2 cups).  Sweat the onions for 2-3 minutes.  Add the salt(to taste it's about a tablespoon for me) and 2 teaspoons of oregano.  Stir well.  Add the grated carrots. (I grate my carrots in the food processor, if you don't have a food processor grate them on the small side of the cheese grater.) Let this cook, and stir often until the carrots have softened completely.  About 5-7 minutes.  Turn the heat down to medium.  Add the red pepper(optional) and grate the garlic into the pan.  Stir well.  Add the two small cans of tomato paste.  Fill those cans with water and add to the mixture.  Add the two large cans of crushed tomatoes.  Stir well and reduce the heat.  Let cook for 15 minutes.  Add the chopped flat leaf parsley and basil.  I add a full bunch of flat leaf parsley and basil.  Turn the pot off and let the sauce rest.  Do not keep the pot on anything higher than warm, the basil will turn black if you do.
Last night I made the above a meat sauce by adding a package of fresh turkey Italian  sausage.  There were 5 links in the package about 1.3 pounds.  I added the sausage before the tomato paste and tomatoes and just cooked it until browned.  Then completed the red sauce as described above.  We used half of the sauce last night for a family of seven.  I froze the other half in a rubber maid container. 

The last picture of the sauce in the pot I took didn't turn out.  But here is what the finished plate looks like.  I served the sauce over rigatoni.  You can use any pasta you want.  I wouldn't suggest angel hair as this is a hearty red sauce.

I served a side salad.  My boys eat all those carrots, tomatoes, onions and fresh spices and they have no idea that is all in there.  AND it's good for them.  I also use whole grain pasta.  I clip coupons for the pasta and always buy it Buy One Get One Free.  (That makes the pasta literally pennies per serving!)

You can keep this sauce in the freezer for up to 2 months.  Thaw it out in a sauce pan.  Just add a bit of olive oil to the bottom of the pan and defrost over medium heat.

Please email me any questions!  I am here to help!

Thanks for sharing a meal with me Smackers!  Now it's your turn.  Link with me next week won't you!

Bon Appetito!






33 comments:

Anonymous said...

*slurp*

Sounds and looks heavenly. You don't add any sugar? I guess the carrots sweeten the sauce.

I'm going to have try this recipe.

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to try it! Yummers!

KristinFilut said...

I'm so gonna whip summa this up next week!!! WOOT! So excited to not buy spaghetti sauce anymore! Move over Classico! Zgirl is in the hiz-ouse!

Angelia said...

Holy crap, this sounds awesome! Way to sneak in the carrots! I started putting shredded carrots in EVERYTHING a while back. My kids bitch like there's no tomorrow.

Mae Rae said...

this sounds to die for. I have been in a slump lately with the pasta sauce. another share for the dinner table cooks.

Salt said...

Yes the first recipe! This looks divine, my dear! You are quite the chef. :)

Ian said...

Fucking drooling all over myself here

Momma Fargo said...

Yummy! Thanks for sharing that. And great button on Daffy's blog BTW!

Ed said...

When's it ready? I can be there tomorrow by 5pm if I leave now.

Macey said...

I don't know where you live, but I'm thinking I could be there by nightfall.

Tgoette said...

Yum! That does sound really great! And healthy too! I'll have to give it a whirl. Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

I have only recently begin trying my hand at homemade red sauce and I love it. I'm going to have to try out your recipe! Thanks for sharing!

Tracie said...

Here I am in a cooking mode again and you've started this meme. Awesome! Recipe sounds great. I made chicken fried rice today and totally impressed myself.

ScoMan said...

Looks yum.. A slight variation on something I cook already, which is a good place to start if I'm going to be adding to my kitchen skills.

I don't want to go all brand new.. baby steps.

Holly Lefevre said...

I like your tomato sauce recipe...I have one but no one likes it but me...I am all over trying yours (and I have been too busy and lazy to tweak my own). I like this new party!

Iva Messy said...

sounds and looks like a delicious recipe!! yum yum yummy!! :)

SurferWife said...

This sounds fabulous and I would hop on it in a hot minute but my dear son LOATHES onions. Do you think I could omit those?

SurferWife said...

This sounds fabulous and I would hop on it in a hot minute but my dear son LOATHES onions. Do you think I could omit those?

Dual Mom said...

Fuck Zgirl...it's 8am and I want pasta!

For the first time ever, I'm going to try making my own sauce. My kids are HUGE pasta fans but I always do bottled sauce. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Carol said...

I bet your house smells amazing when you make this. I've got to try it!

Nancy C said...

Wow. That looks amazing. Sorry. Too busy drooling to write something witty.

Aunt Juicebox said...

I like this new recipe thing. My mom used to make her own pasta sauce too, and it was unbeatable.

Attilio said...

i came to you thru 504main and i like...
gee this recipe is very similar to mine. i have never bought canned/jarred or ready make pasta sauce.i've always made my own. another tip is to add a big spoonful of lentils (i like the orange ones - same colour!). i soak them for about 10min before i put them in along with onions and carrots, sometimes i also chop up into teeny cubes peeled aubergine. it melts into nothing, so the kids are eating loads of good stuff.
great blog
thanks becky
bpbajona(at)maltanet(dot)net

drollgirl said...

nom nom nom!!! i am going to print this out!!! i don't normally make my own pasta sauce, but i sure could.

one thing i like to make is super easy and really good as pizza sauce or dipping sauce: put 1 large can roma tomatoes and 1 large jar of roasted red peppers in blender. add a little brown sugar and a little olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste. blend on high. it is scrumptious and easy! and it is so good as pizza sauce!

Liz Mays said...

I had no idea there were differences in the canned tomato products. Thank you SO much for saying that!

Lourie said...

YUH-UM! Looks super tasty. Found you from Holly at 504 Main.

gayle said...

I am going to try this .....usually by the canned. Didn't know about tomatos and tomato products. Thanks for the info!!

Big Mama Cass said...

What an awesome idea! I shall try to participate next week :)

Heather said...

I'm already a follower of your awesome blog! So exciting that you were "Tickled Pink" over at 504 Main!

Claudya Martinez said...

I think adding the carrots is brilliant! Will steal this idea. Do you know that tomatoes originally came from the Americas and in Italy before they were ever introduced to tomatoes they were using carrot sauce on their pasta?

June said...

I would never have thought to add carrots into the sauce. Great idea.

gayle said...

omg that looks so good!! I am starving!!!!

Lothiriel said...

Oh man! Looks easy enough for an idiot like me and reallly good!!!