Italian Red Sauce Recipes

HOMEMADE ITALIAN SAUCE

Steps:

• In a blender chop the whole tomatoes with juice and garlic until chunky. In a medium size pot, heat oil on medium high heat. Put onion and mushroom in and saute for about 5 minutes.
• Place in pot the blended tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped green peppers, oregano and basil. Bring to boil, then lower to medium low, cover and stir periodically. Cook and reduce about 1 to 2 hours or to your liking.

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.
• Empty plum tomatoes into large bowl and squash with your hands.
• Add all ingredients (including any meatballs or sausage you want to add) to pot and simmer for 3 hours.

CLASSIC RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Puree the tomatoes to a smooth, creamy consistency in a food processor or with an immersion blender. (If you like a more country feel, you can wait and break them up in the pan later with a wooden spoon.)
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. When hot, add the onion and saute 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until you see the color start changing. If you'd like to make the sauce spicy, add the red pepper flakes.
• Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer about 30 minutes. (If you did not puree the tomatoes, use a wooden spoon to break them into pieces while they cook.) Strive for balance in the consistency of the sauce: It has to be fluid, but it should not look overly wet. Add the basil and remove from the heat. Toss with just-cooked pasta.

HOMEMADE ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a 5+ qt. pot over medium heat, and add the onion.
• Saute for 10 minutes or so, stirring often and being careful not to burn it.
• Add the chopped or pressed garlic.
• Heat for another one to two minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic, then add all the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, basil, and sugar. Stirring often, bring to a low boil.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours stirring often.
• For the first half of the simmer time, do so with the pot uncovered, then cover.
• Add the cheese, stir in and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or so.
• This will make the equivalent of 4-5 jars of sauce, and the cost is probably about half (and it tastes way better).

BIG-BATCH MEATBALLS AND RED SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce: Swirl the oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the garlic is just lightly browned and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup water, and bring to a high simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the basil and 2 teaspoons salt and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Tear the bread into very small pieces and put it in a small bowl. Pour the milk over the bread, and let sit until the bread is soft, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the bread mixture with the beef, pork, Parmesan, eggs, onions, parsley, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, and thoroughly mix with your hands. Divide the mixture evenly into 36 mounds, and roll each into a ball.
• Brush 2 rimmed baking sheets generously with oil. Evenly divide the meatballs between the sheets, and roll them around to coat in oil. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, rotating the sheets halfway through if needed, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer the meatballs to the warm sauce, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Let the meatballs and sauce cool completely, divide evenly among four 1-quart containers and freeze for up to 1 month.
• To reheat: Let a container of the meatballs and sauce thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Transfer them to a microwave-safe container, and microwave in 2-minute increments, gently stirring after each, until the meatballs are heated through.

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN RED SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Gather your ingredients.
• 2. Introduce the tomatoes (including the juice) to a large bowl.
• 3. Crush the tomatoes up using your hands.
• 4. Chef's Tip: Use your hands... It's therapeutic.
• 5. Take about three cups of the tomatoes, and reserve.
• 6. Prep the remaining ingredients, and have them on hand.
• 7. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil.
• 8. When the butter has melted and the foaming subsides, add the garlic.
• 9. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic begins to color, about 1 minute.
• 10. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, and the oregano.
• 11. Cook an addition minute, or until fragrant.
• 12. Chef's Tip: Okay, here's the deal. I want the garlic to cook for about two minutes; however, if I wait to add the other spices until the garlic begins to brown... The result will be burned garlic. So, we're adding the other ingredients a bit early for the garlic. But, understand, that the garlic will color, and then brown, and then burn very quickly. Therefore, keep an eye on your pot, and watch the heat.
• 13. Add the tomatoes, and combine.
• 14. Add the chopped carrot, onion, and basil.
• 15. Stir to combine.
• 16. Place a rack in the lower position, and preheat oven to 265f (130c).
• 17. Chefs's Tip: Bring the sauce up to a boil, and then quickly return to a simmer. This technique works well with many sauces; however, don't try it if the sauce has a milk, or heavy cream.
• 18. As the sauce is simmering add a bit of salt, and pepper.
• 19. Chef's Tip: Since this sauce is going to reduce, you don't want to add too much salt at this stage of the game.
• 20. Cover the pot, with lid slightly askew, and place into the preheated oven.
• 21. Allow to cook in the oven; giving it a quick stir every hour.
• 22. After about 5 or 6 hours it should be reduced by half, and have a nice deep red coloring.
• 23. Chef's Note: The time depends on the calibration of your oven. Ovens can be off by 20 or more degrees (I hate it when that happens). I have my ovens calibrated every year. This is what you should do: When you open the oven every hour to give it a quick stir, if it looks like it's cooking too fast... lower the temperature. Aunt Josephine baked this at 300f (150c), and it took a bit over 5 hours. I would rather turn the temp down a bit, and have the sauce take a bit more time, than stick to an arbitrary temperature and let it burn. Use your chef's intuition... May the force be with you.
• 24. Remove from the oven, and then discard the carrots, onions, and basil.
• 25. Chef's Tip: Best way to do this is to go fishing with a pair of tongs.
• 26. Add the reserved tomatoes to the pot, and stir to combine.
• 27. Add the fish sauce (optional), and stir.
• 28. Add the parsley, and stir to combine.
• 29. Chef's Tip: Season again (if needed) with salt and pepper.
• 30. Serve over your favorite pasta dishes, or use as a sauce for a meatball sub. Enjoy.
• 31. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Before you begin, pour your two cans of tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hand. Don't break them up too small, you want large chunks.
• In a large heavy bottomed pot with a lid, on a burner with no flame, pour in olive oil and add red pepper flakes, garlic, onion, most of the oregano, basil and mint (save a little bit of each for the end), sugar salt and pepper. Turn on the burner and slowly bring up to hot. When the onions and garlic start to cook, stir and heat for five minutes.
• Remove the pot from the burner and place a heat diffuser over the burner. Place the pot over the heat diffuser and add the tomatoes. Turn burner to medium high and stir until they start to boil. Then reduce to simmer, partially cover and simmer 90 minutes.
• After 90 minutes, remove from heat and add the reserved herbs and Parmesan cheese. Add the butter to round out the flavors. Stir again and serve.

HOMEMADE ITALIAN RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, baking soda, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Stir mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 2 hours.

HOMEMADE ITALIAN RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, baking soda, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Stir mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 2 hours.