| Dave's Famous Red Pasta Sauce |
| This recipe is for a large batch – you can scale it down to whatever your needs are – it’s just that I grew up the oldest of 8, so I had to make it in a big batch. I’ve made this recipe on local television, and it was received quite favorably. 18-24 Roma Tomatoes – diced small ¼ cup fresh chopped Oregano ¼ cup fresh chopped Rosemary ¼ cup fresh chopped Basil ¼ cup fresh chopped Thyme A pinch of Marjoram A pinch of Ground Sage 2 medium garlic cloves, crushed or shopped Salt to taste Pepper to taste 1 pound fresh ground sirloin 1 pound fresh ground Italian Sausage (I use sweet) 1 large can (13 oz) of Tomato Paste 2-3 TBS Olive Oil 1 cup White Zinfandel wine Begin by browning the sausage and ground meat together in a medium frying pan. I add a little water to break the meat and sausage up. When this is done, drain the grease from it – depending on how fatty the meat is, I have occasionally rinsed it in hot water in a colander to make certain the fat is thoroughly drained away. Set this a side for the moment. Next, brown the crushed or chopped garlic in the olive oil. When it is browned, you can remove it. Personally, I leave it in. Next, add the paste, stirring constantly until you have a smooth consistency. Add the tomatoes, spices, meat and wine. Bring this to a boil, and then transfer the entire batch to a very slow cooking crock pot, and cook on the low setting at least overnight. The finished product should be thick, but not overly so. I use this basic red sauce for everything – Lasagna, Spaghetti, any pasta you would use a red sauce for. The big secret is threefold: fresh Roma tomatoes and herbs, the White Zinfandel, and cooking it overnight. Also, these are approximate measurements for the herbs. You CAN use canned tomatoes and dried herbs, or even the old standby, pre-mixed Italian Spices in a pinch. I usually just add them until it tastes right, so you will likely vary the amounts of what you use according to your preferences. |