What To Do With Leftover Spaghetti Sauce
We love leftover spaghetti sauce and bank on their being some the next day. Here are a few great ways to use it:
- Make some homemade garlic bread instead of pasta and mop up the sauce with it!
- Top some roasted spaghetti squash with it for a delicious low-carb option.
- Swap out some of the ingredients in this American Goulash recipe for a scoop or two.
How To Peel Tomatoes For Pasta Sauce
It’s important to peel the tomatoes before turning them into sauce as the skins may create a chunky, uneven texture in addition to adding extra bitterness.
Peeling the tomatoes is easy once they have been blanched in boiling water and shocked in an ice bath.
Serve The Sauce On The Spaghetti
If you want to use a colander, reserve some pasta water. Otherwise, use a pasta fork to take the pasta directly from the pot and place into the sauce . Just remember, the spaghetti goes into the sauce, not the other way around. You can have it over very low heat to keep the pasta super hot .
Mix well. If the pasta soaks up the sauce and seems too dry, add a little pasta water.
Add sauce until the pasta is completely coated.
There are two ways to serve spaghetti: twirled , or simply placed as is, into a bowl .
To serve restaurant style, use a large fork, or tongs to twirl the pasta inside a ladle.
Then simply place onto the bowl, or plate.
Top with a sprig of basil, and serve!
Family-style or homestyle, is easier: just place the spaghetti into a plate or bowl.
You can still add that sprig of basil.
However, either way, a good grating of Parmigiano Reggiano, or Pecorino Romano is an added bonus!
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The Proper Way To Serve Pasta: Toss With The Sauce
As with all my pasta recipes, I include a step to toss the pasta IN the sauce, rather than just placing pasta in bowls and spooning over sauce.
This makes the Bolognese sauce emulsify, so it thickens, becomes glossy and clings to the spaghetti. No more watery sauce at the bottom of your pasta bowl! This is how chefs and Italians make pasta. Try it once, you will be converted!
But it is an optional step. Sometimes, you just dont have the energy to clean yet another pan. I hear ya.
Quick Tomato And Olive Oil Sauce
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Can I Use Canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes To Make Spaghetti Sauce
You can. They just dont have the awesome flavor that freshly roasted tomatoes have, but if you find yourself in a pinch or you just dont feel like grilling the tomatoes, you can use prepared onesit will still make a great sauce. For a great recipe using preserved tomatoes, like canned fire roasted tomatoes, please check out this recipe instead.
What Are The Best Tomatoes To Use
The best spaghetti sauce is made using San Marzano tomatoes. San Marzano is a variety of plum tomatoes. These tomatoes have a stronger flavor and are sweeter and less acidic. You can find canned San Marzano tomatoes at your grocery store. The label should make it very obvious that the tomatoes are this variety.
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Four: Cook Your Onion And Garlic
At this point you have a couple options. If you just want diced tomatoes, you only need to cut your tomatoes up small and freeze them as-is. Simple! If youre going to make spaghetti sauce from scratch, now is when you will begin cooking the onions and garlic.
Start by heating up about a tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet, on medium heat. Dice your onion while it warms. I actually used onions that were also from my garden. Theyre tiny, but man they pack a punch! My eyes were burning and watering like crazy, and the kids got a kick out of me flailing around the kitchen I mean, I was super cool about the whole thing.
Dont forget to keep an eye on the oil while youre chopping, so it doesnt burn. Youll know its hot enough when it moves like water in the pan. Reduce the heat and add your onions, stirring often. When theyre almost translucent, add minced garlic . Garlic burns easily, so only cook it for a minute or two, and watch it closely!
How To Store Pasta Sauce
This recipe isnt approved for canning, but it will last in the refrigerator for five to seven days. Its best to store the sauce in glass jars or containers, because the tomatoes are very acidic and could stain your plastic containers. Keep the sauce covered with plastic wrap or close it tightly with a lid.
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How To Make Spaghetti Sauce From Scratch
- Brown the beef: heating 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef in large crumbles, leaving space between.
- Season with salt and let beef brown nicely on bottom.
- Crumble beef: Then begin breaking beef up . Let it continue to cook until it has cooked through .
- Drain beef: Transfer browned beef to a paper towel lined plate, leave about 1 Tbsp fat in pan. Or add 1 Tbsp olive oil.
- Saute aromatics: Add onion and saute 4 minutes or until almost softened, then add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
- Add other ingredients:stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, beef, basil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer sauce: Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat to low , cover with lid and let simmer until onions have softened through, about 15 minutes.
- Adjust consistency as desired: If you have more time let it simmer longer. Thin with a little water as needed, thicken with a little tomato paste as needed .
- Finish with cheese: Stir in parmesan at the very end and let melt through. Serve over pasta of choice topped with more parmesan and parsley.
Two: Blanch And Peel The Tomatoes
Blanching is the process of very lightly cooking a food in hot water, then stopping the cooking process using cold water. Blanching only takes a couple minutes, and will make the skins slide right off with almost no effort. You can use this same process for peaches! If you have a stock pot that came with a strainer, it will be even easier. Just place the tomatoes in the strainer and lower it into your steaming water. Set a timer for one minute youll see the skins starting to split by the time the minute is up.
Remove the tomatoes and place them in an ice bath, which is simply a big bowl of ice water. Or do what I did forget to set up the ice bath and run them under the faucet instead. The cold water serves two purposes it stops the tomatoes from cooking any further, and cools them so you dont get burned. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, you can begin skinning them. The peels should slip off very easily using only your fingers. If they dont, dunk them in the hot water for another 30 seconds and try again. I had a few Romas from our food co-op that I added, and they were a little more feisty. Next time I would give them an extra minute in the pot, and cut a shallow slit around their middles in addition to the X.
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Classic Spaghetti Sauce With Meat
Follow These Steps To Make This Sauce With Meat:
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To Freeze Spaghetti Sauce
Simply place the sauce in a freezerproof container and freeze. Will keep well in the freezer for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge, then reheat in a pot, and add the pasta as directed in the recipe.
I truly hope that you try this simple recipe with my suggested ingredients and that you will never buy jars of pre-made spaghetti sauce from the store in future. Thats my goal, so please let me know if you try it!
Make the Spaghetti Sauce
Why Is This The Best Marinara Sauce
Six reasons to love this recipe:
- This marinara sauce recipe requires 5 basic ingredients and yields rich, authentic marinara flavor.
- Its super easy to makeno chopping required.
- Unlike most store-bought sauces, this marinara is free of added sugar.
- You can load up your pasta with as much of this wholesome sauce as youd like. Tomatoes are good for you!
- The recipe yields two cups of sauce and freezes well, so you might as well double the recipe. Just cook it in a bigger pot.
- This marinara also makes an incredible pizza sauce. I made pizza with it and my friend remarked that it tastes like real-deal Italian pizza.
Please let me know in the comments how you like this sauce! Its a new staple in my kitchen, and I hope it becomes a go-to recipe for you as well.
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Fresh Tomatoes For Pasta Puttanesca
You absolutely can use fresh tomatoes! We reach for the canned, diced tomatoes in pasta puttanesca due to the sheer amount of tomatoes needed! 28 ounces of diced tomatoes would make for a lot of work dicing. If you choose to use fresh tomatoes, you will need 10-12 whole tomatoes, diced, or about 2 pounds.
Can I Omit The Wine
Technically, yes, but I highly recommend adding it to the homemade spaghetti sauce since it adds so much flavor. Remember: the alcohol cooks out of the sauce and is only a flavoring.
However, if youre out of wine or are opposed to using it, you can add 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar instead to add a little acid and umami.
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How To Make Homemade Marinara Sauce
Use this basic marinara sauce as a building block for many dishes. Toss with pasta or add to fish and meat dishes. To make it creamy, stir in heavy cream. For a spicy version, add extra crushed red pepper flakes. Or for a briny version, add olives or capers.
To make marinara sauce, you will need the following main ingredients:
- Tomatoes you can use canned whole tomatoes or fresh tomatoes.
- Olive oil adds richness to the sauce.
- Garlic adds flavor and spice.
- Onion and carrots add sweetness, which balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Fresh herbs, especially basil keeps the sauce tasting fresh and light.
For the carrots, we took a tip from Mario Batali he gates the carrot. We loved that the carrot sort of melts into the sauce. You almost don’t know it’s there.
If you are using canned tomatoes, use canned whole tomatoes. They are much better suited for the sauce than diced.
We also love to hand-crush the tomatoes. This way, we can control the texture of the sauce. If you prefer, you can use a potato masher or a pair of kitchen shears to break up the whole tomatoes.
To make the sauce, cook the onions, garlic, and carrots until soft and sweet. Add the tomatoes and let the sauce simmer until reduced. Easy!
Use this homemade marinara for any of the following recipes:
Recipe updated, originally posted April 2013. Since posting this in 2013, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. Adam and Joanne
Easy Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce
My husband Alex called me talented last Friday. I created this amazing spaghetti recipe with nothing in 10 minutes for a quick dinner. We all couldnt stop eating it.
If you have Instant Pot, you should also check out my Instant Pot spaghetti with any meat. I am slightly obsessed with Instant Pot recipes!
If you think of going to an Italian restaurant to pay $20 for spaghetti with tomato sauce please stop immediately. Take off your shoes and make this yummy spaghetti with tomato sauce and serve with salad. You can do it! At home with canned sauce. Because there is no such thing as fresh tomatoes for tomato sauce October July anywhere.
Or because there is a place for canned tomato sauce on a Friday night after you have been working your butt off all week. It still can be amazing, fresh and delicious! For like $5 instead of 4 x $20 plus tax and tips at a nearby Italian restaurant. With like a $10 glass of wine and turkey meatballs from the freezer or turkey breast roast on Sunday. And by the way, who stops at one glass?!
Yes! It is the best spaghetti ever! The ingredients are equivalent easy to mac and cheese. You will be blown away!
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