Spaghetti sauce

[4WheelinMama]

I am looking for a good homemade spaghetti sauce recipe that I can cook either on the stove or in the crockpot.

[reinhard1]

this is what i have written down when i make the sauce. i got it from a person who shopped at our store when i was working.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef [or venison]

1 pound of italian sausage

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic or 1 tsp garlic salt

2 tbls italian seasoning

6 oz can tomato paste

2 [15 oz ] cans tomato sauce

2 [ 28 oz ] cans whole peeled tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup water

hot cooked spaghetti

2 lbs bone in pork country ribs

in a 4 quart saucepan, over medium heat, brown ground beef and sausage and drain. cook the pork ribs till they are done. add onion, garlic and italian seasoning. simmer 5 minutes. stir in remaining ingredients, breaking up tomatoes. heat to boiling. reduce heat and simmer over low heat 1 hour. serve over the spaghetti. of course i double the recepie. in my opinion using pork neck bones or bone in pork country ribs make a huge difference. neck bones usualy dont come with a lot of meat but the country ribs do and you can blend the meat right in the sauce. good luck.

[delcecchi]

I am looking for a good homemade spaghetti sauce recipe that I can cook either on the stove or in the crockpot.

There are many many spaghetti (pasta) sauces. What did you have in mind? Classic Bolognese or maybe "red gravy"? Or something simpler?

[Chef]

RH1's recipe is a good one. I use about 10x's more fresh Garlic.

First, I brown the Pork bones in Olive Oil, save all the bits stuck in the pan, then I cook the crushed garlic unitl opaque and toss in the sauces, I also use about 3Tbsp's dried Oregano in addition and toss in 1-2Tsp's crushed Red Pepper flakes for some heat.

[pushbutton]

Add a little sugar to it as well to the merry the acid, fat/oil, salt.

[4WheelinMama]

I'm not sure what a Red gravy is so possible just a classic sauce. I tried to make a sauce before and it ended up not being thick just waterier.

[Ice Shack Baby]

Everyone has their own likings but I like to add a couple of bay leaves as well

[pushbutton]

Ok 4WM,

Saw your post about making sauce for x-mas.....so i did my best to do something an Italian(am one) usually does not do for sauce.....measure

Made a small batch today.....about three cups finished

2-6 oz cans of paste(no sodium added)

5 to 6 cans of water

1 Tbls minced garlic

2 Tbsp sugar

1 smaller medium onion

1/2 small colored bell pepper

1 Tbsp oregano

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

aprox. 16th of cayenne pepper(heat will relax the longer you cook it, so adjust)

3 finger grip and rip of fresh finely chopped basil(losing focus in measuring by the end)

2 Italian sausage links 1/2 lb (could also use approximately 1/4lb of salt pork or bacon, pork fat is what your after)

olive oil

Basically, start off by drizzling olive oil at the bottom of a large pan and sweat the vegetables on low heat, maybe 10 minutes or so. Then put the rest of the ingredients including the raw pork product(just use or remove at the end), bring this to a quick boil, and turn down heat till barley simmering. I like a smooth thick sauce and put a fine chop on the onion and peppers and do not add crushed tomatoes. Differences in the amount of water would be how long you cook it. 5 cans for a 2 hour cook, 6 cans for a 4 hour cook, longer you cook it the better. Also feel free to add what ever else: cokrushed tomatoes(keep in mind the water in there)mushrooms, olives, parm or romano cheese, pepperoncini's, cream, ....a little wine is very good .....seriously, whatever you like....ok, probably not cookies though. At the end if if it is too runny or thick, simply adjust accordingly with added water or paste.

If you don't like to wing it. Do a trial run if you have time and just can/freeze it, add it to your sauce on X-mas, and make any personal taste additions/subtractions. Good luck!Put

[delcecchi]

Here is one....

from cooks illustrated.

Published September 1, 2009.

This over-the-top Italian-American tomato sauce typically calls for six cuts of meat and half a day at the stove. We wanted the same flavor with a lot less work.

The Problem

This dish usually includes half a dozen types of meat and requires four hours of simmering.

The Goal

We wanted a full-flavored meal on the table in less than four hours, with no more than an hour of hands-on cooking.

The Solution

As our first step toward making this dish more manageable, we decided to limit our recipe to just one kind of sausage and one cut of pork. Tasters preferred the mild kick that hot Italian links gave to the sauce, and baby back ribs won the pork spot because they weren’t too fatty and turned moist and tender in just a few hours. Even better, the bones added richness to the sauce.

Next, we turned our attention to braciole, the stuffed, rolled Italian beef that is the meal’s centerpiece. Tasters loved the beefy flavor it brought to the sauce, but preparing braciole is laborious, and it usually turns out a little dry. We decided to build a recipe for truly standout meatballs and have them serve as the meal’s focus instead. We used ground beef, pork, and veal in our meatballs and then incorporated seasonings and a panade (or binder) of bread and buttermilk for tenderness and subtle tang. To capture the distinctive flavors of the braciole’s filling, we incorporated some of its ingredients, including prosciutto and Pecorino Romano, into our meatballs. We browned the meatballs separately in a nonstick skillet, then added them to the sauce in the final minutes of cooking so they wouldn’t become lopsided or break apart during the long simmer. When all was said and done, we had moist, richly flavored meatballs and a sauce that tasted very close to gravy made with bona-fide stuffed beef—but with far less work.

We then moved on to perfecting the sauce. Without the braciole—and with the meatballs added at the end—our sauce needed something to beef up its meatiness. The best boost turned out to be the straightforward addition of beef broth; a scant amount added rich depth. For more flavor, we sautéed the onions until they began to brown and cooked the tomato paste until it nearly blackened, which concentrated its sweetness. We used acidic crushed tomatoes and garlic for further intensity.

For a final trick, instead of simmering the meat and the sauce together on the stovetop, which requires constant monitoring, we covered the Dutch oven and transferred it to the even heat of the oven, where we could leave it unattended for most of the cooking time.

list of recipes

Hearty Italian Meat Sauce (Sunday Gravy)

Why this recipe works:

For an Italian meat sauce recipe that didn’t require a long list of ingredients and many hours to prepare, we limited ourselves to pork sausage and baby back ribs, and replaced time-consuming braciole with standout meatballs. By combining our sauce components and then cooking them in the oven rather than on top of the stove (which requires constant monitoring), we could leave our hearty Italian meat sauce recipe unattended for most of the cooking time.

We prefer meatloaf mix (a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal) for the meatballs in this recipe. Ground beef may be substituted, but the meatballs won’t be as flavorful. Six tablespoons of plain yogurt thinned with 2 tablespoons of milk can be substituted for the buttermilk. This recipe makes enough to sauce 1½ pounds of pasta. Our preferred brands of crushed tomatoes are Tuttorosso and Muir Glen. The sauce can be prepared through step 4 and then cooled and refrigerated in the Dutch oven for up to 2 days. To reheat, drizzle ½ cup of water over the sauce (do not stir in) and warm on the lower-middle rack of a preheated 325-degree oven for 1 hour before proceeding with the recipe.

Ingredients

Sauce

2tablespoons olive oil

1rack baby back ribs (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into 2-rib sections

Table salt and ground black pepper

1pound hot Italian sausage links

2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)

1 1/4teaspoons dried oregano

3tablespoons tomato paste

4 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)

2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (see note)

2/3cup beef broth

1/4cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Meatballs

2slices hearty white sandwich bread , crusts removed and bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2cup buttermilk (see note)

1/4cup fresh parsley leaves , chopped

2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

1 large egg yolk

1/2teaspoon table salt

1/4teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1pound meatloaf mix (see note)

2ounces thinly sliced prosciutto , chopped fine

1ounce Pecorino Romano cheese , grated (about 1/2 cup)

1/2cup olive oil

Pasta

1 1/2pounds spaghetti or linguine

2tablespoons table salt

Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

1. FOR THE SAUCE: Adjust oven rack to lower- middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Pat ribs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Add half of ribs to pot and brown on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer ribs to large plate and brown remaining ribs. After transferring second batch of ribs to plate, brown sausages on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer sausages to plate with ribs.

2. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and oregano; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until very dark, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes and broth, scraping up any browned bits. Return ribs and sausage to pot; bring to simmer, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook until ribs are tender, about 2½ hours.

3. FOR THE MEATBALLS: Meanwhile, combine bread cubes, buttermilk, parsley, garlic, egg yolk, salt, and red pepper flakes in medium bowl and mash with fork until no bread chunks remain. Add meatloaf mix, prosciutto, and cheese to bread mixture; mix with hands until thoroughly combined. Divide mixture into 12 pieces; roll into balls, transfer to plate, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. When sauce is 30 minutes from being done, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meatballs and cook until well browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer meatballs to paper towel-lined plate to drain briefly. Remove sauce from oven and skim fat from top with large spoon. Transfer browned meatballs to sauce and gently submerge. Cover, return pot to oven, and continue cooking until meatballs are just cooked through, about 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

6. TO SERVE: Using tongs, transfer meatballs, ribs, and sausage to serving platter and cut sausages in half. Stir basil into sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Toss pasta with 1 cup sauce and reserved pasta cooking water so that sauce lightly coats pasta. Serve pasta, passing remaining sauce and meat platter separately.

[reinhard1]

i think that would be a great sauce with a lot of prep which i dont mind. personaly as far as the pork is concerned, bone in country ribs are meaty and just fine. even meaty neck bones were part of my deal until i went to the country ribs. i think this recipe would be a great sauce to make a lot of and freeze batches for later use. in my opinion veal is not neccessary for meatballs or meatloaf. it has no flavor in my opinion and often times used to inflate the cost of meat mixes such as pre made meatloafs. however in this recipe they had "tasters" so backribs and veal are more noticable and well thought of. [i love baby backs myself, when they are on sale].

i'm always game for unique recipes and this is one. years ago when as a kid i remember my Italian neighbor who made sauce [from the old country] using his many tomato items he had canned in his basement. he would have a large pot and it would be simmering on low all day it seemed. made his own pasta, having noodles hanging over his kitchen chairs to dry. i dont take the time as i should, and this thread is making me want to make a large batch and freezing most of it and give it to my kids. lots of good ideas from the posts here and perhapst using ideas from each post and incorporating some of mine would be awesome. good luck.

[delcecchi]

here is another, less complicated one

Published March 1, 2011. From Cook's Illustrated.

Why this recipe works:

Using pancetta and its fat in our Spaghetti with Mushroom and Tomato Sauce recipe compensated for the lean nature of the mushrooms and made our mushroom ragu meatier. Portobello mushrooms gave our dish bulk, while smoky porcini gave it concentrated flavor. Adding tomato paste and fresh crushed tomatoes to our mushrooms after they’d browned sweetened our sauce but also let the mushrooms shine through. Finally, fresh rosemary and red pepper flakes finished our dish with brightness and heat.

Serves 4

Use a spoon to scrape the dark brown gills from the portobellos.

Ingredients

1ounce dried porcini mushrooms , rinsed well

1cup low-sodium chicken broth

4ounces pancetta , cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2pound portobello mushrooms (2 large), stems and gills removed and discarded, caps cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups) (see note)

3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium garlic cloves , peeled and sliced thin

1tablespoon tomato paste

2teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

1(14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes , roughly crushed by hand

Table salt and ground black pepper

1pound spaghetti

Grated Pecorino Romano cheese , for serving

Instructions

1. Place porcini and broth in small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power 1 minute, until broth is steaming. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 10 minutes. Lift mushrooms from broth with fork and finely chop. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer lined with large coffee filter into medium bowl. Set aside mushrooms and broth.

2. Heat pancetta in 12-inch skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until rendered and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Add portobellos, chopped porcini, olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, and rosemary; cook, stirring occasionally, until all liquid has evaporated and tomato paste starts to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add reserved chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and their juices; increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. While sauce simmers, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup cooking water, and return to pot. Add sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Adjust consistency with reserved pasta water and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing Pecorino separately.