The Way I Make "Spaghetti Sauce"

There was a time, way (way) back when I was living more or less on my own and was in graduate school, that I felt that one should know how to make “spaghetti sauce.” You know, something tomato-y and garlicky, perhaps meaty and peppery. Something to put on spaghetti. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how my mom made hers. Yes, I was in graduate school and my education had such a lack. I have a vague memory of turning to my red-and-white-checked Better Homes and Gardens cookbook as a source of self-improvement.

So this isn’t my Italian grandmother’s secret recipe, the biggest reason being that I don’t have an Italian grandmother. It is, however, plainly and simply, the way I make sauce for pasta. My ingredient list has evolved over the years, but I can’t really say I can trace my logic except in a few simple places: I remember chopping up a whole green pepper and putting it in and I really liked the results, so it stayed; and, in order to remember what size cans of tomato products to use, I settled on three that would stack into a pyramidal tower. The large (28-ounce) can of tomatoes on the bottom, the 15-ounce can of sauce on top of that, and at the spire the little (6-ounce) can of tomato paste.

 

 

This sauce takes a long time to make, but most of that is stewing time in which the cook mostly waits for things to happen. There’s not even that much chopping, and there’s very little measuring involved. It’s so versatile, however, and it freezes well, so I really should make it more regularly to keep on hand. I not only top pasta with it just as it is, but I’ll also add seasoned ground beef or meatballs; use it to make lasagna; and mash up some of the chunkier bits, add some crushed fennel seed and a little honey or sugar and use it as a pizza sauce.

No, this is not an Italian-American grandmother’s secret recipe, but, like any Italian grandmother worth her sale, it’s the way I make it and the way I like it, and I get no complaints when I serve it to guests (or my husband). It’s a basic sauce and it’s a good sauce…and it can really mess up an apron!

 

Basic Tomato Pasta Sauce

Additional salt, seasonings, and a little sugar may be needed depending on the brand of canned tomato products you use and your personal preferences.

If available, substitute fresh herbs to taste if you prefer. Since I made this in the winter, I stuck with more convenient dried herbs.

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium green bell pepper, seeds, ribs and stems removed, finely chopped
1 medium sweet yellow onion, skin and root removed, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil

a small amount of sugar, additional salt or additional seasonings, to taste if needed

 

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large kettle or Dutch oven.  Add the bell pepper, onion and salt. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally about 10 minutes or until the peppers and onions are soft and just beginning to brown.

2. Stir in the red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook about 1 minute more. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook about 2 hours at a very gentle boil, stirring occasionally. The sauce should be very thick and the peppers and onions very tender.

3. Remove the bay leaf. Taste the sauce and add some sugar if it is too sour. Add additional salt or other seasonings to taste as well.

 

Makes a big pot of sauce that can be used to top pasta, in lasagna and other casseroles, or even on pizza. Keep refrigerated for a few days or frozen for a few months.

  

Other recipes like this one: Simple Tomato-Garlic Sauce, Pizza Sauce, Tomato Sauce with Root Vegetables

One year ago: Ricotta Tart with Peppers and Onions, Grandmama’s Buttermilk Biscuits

Potato Salad with Fresh Vegetables

I get excited about pretty simple things. Like compost (no photo available, you’re welcome). Like volunteer pumpkin vines with at least 7 pumpkins on them.

 

Like the fact that you can go so many different ways with potato salad. Since I’ve been posting way too infrequently this summer, it was actually quite some time ago that I made this light potato salad with simple rice vinegar dressing, fresh vegetables and olives. This dish is still quite appropriate to the season, perhaps even more so than when I made it. There are lots of great cherry tomatoes available around here (specifically in my garden, right next to the pumpkin patch) as well as bell peppers and cucumbers.

 

I used green bell peppers because really large and delicious ones have been available locally, but the bells in brighter colors (orange, red, yellow) are sweeter and maybe even prettier.  I also had some small, locally grown “new” potatoes that had plenty of nice, creamy, earthy flavor of their own.

 

Really, exactly which type of potato or what kinds of vegetables you use are a matter of personal taste and availability. Each of the lines in the list of ingredients below could begin with the word “about” (or “approximately” if you’re more sophisticated.) Tossing together what looks good and what tastes good and adjusting the seasonings is probably the best way to go for simple summer salads. Not only is that a great way to celebrate summer produce, but it’s also a great way to take it easy. Summer salads don’t need to be obsessed over, after all. They should be laid back and stress free. And, with its relatively small amount of oil and complete lack of mayonnaise, this one can be guilt free as well.

 

 

Potato Salad with Fresh Vegetables and Black Olives

Adapted from Cooking Light April 2008

Scallions would be a nice replacement for the onion.

1 ½ pounds small potatoes

¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 cup chopped cucumber, peeled if skins are tough or greased
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped bell pepper
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped (or torn) fresh basil
½ cup sliced ripe olives

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold water to cover by a few inches. Bring to a boil and cook

until the potatoes are just tender. Drain and let stand until cool enough to handle.

2. To prepare the dressing, combine the rice vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.

3. When the potatoes are still a little warm, cut them in halves or quarters. Add them to the bowl with the dressing. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to coat. The warm potatoes will absorb the dressing more than cold potatoes would. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or vinegar if desired.

Makes about 10 side-dish servings.

 

Other recipes like this one: Lemon Herb Potato Salad; Potato, Broccoli and Green Bean Salad withTarragon Mustard Dressing; Potato Salad with Chinese Flavors

One year ago: Corn and Poblano Chile Pizza

Ricotta Tart with Peppers and Onions

A couple weeks ago, I fell under the spell of brightly-colored vegetables trucked in from Florida. Those cute, little, super-sweet miniature bell peppers came a long way to my table, but they went even further in brightening my day as icons of pure sunshine and a promise of something other than this odd, dull season between winter and spring.

 While I think I would have been happy just eating these peppers by the handful, I did try them in a real recipe as well. I slowly cooked them along with some onion and stuffed them into a ricotta tart based on this one. The first attempt was delicious, but the filling was too shallow in the crust, so I decided to try again (there were really a lot of these peppers in town).

I could have made a smaller tart (I have a smaller rectangular tart pan), which would have required an adjustment in the crust recipe. Unfortunately, though I had never had a problem before with this style of crust (made with olive oil), my first crust for the pepper tart was a disaster and had to be tossed out and the second one was only mediocre. I really didn’t feel like it was a good time to try scaling down the crust recipe to make a smaller tart.

I made a greater volume of filling instead. It was the simplest solution and made a great tart. The peppers and onions were delicious and the proportion of eggs and ricotta cheese make for a firm but reasonably fluffy filling. I made my ricotta using the recipe here at The Splendid Table, although I used a mixture of 2% and whole milk, which is what I had in the refrigerator. I think you could swap out some of the ricotta for other cheeses if you like, or add some sausage, olives or feta cheese. I was very happy with the addition of dried herbs and fennel seed to both the crust and the filling, but, of course, you could adjust that to taste as well.

When I made the second version of this tart, represented by the recipe below, I had much more success with the crust, so I’m still willing to endorse it as a good choice for savory tarts. It might need a bit of coaxing to cover the pan properly, but its taste and texture are great. And it’s a great new place to nestle those cute little peppers that are so far from home.


Ricotta Tart with Peppers and Onions
Partially based on a recipe in Eating Well magazine

For the crust:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground or crushed fennel seeds
¾ teaspoon fine salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons cold water, divided

For the filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces sweet bell peppers, preferably red, yellow or orange, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
4 ounces onion, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 large eggs
½ cup ricotta cheese
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground or crushed fennel seeds
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. To prepare the crust, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, ¼ teaspoon dried basil, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon ground fennel seeds and fine salt in a medium-size bowl. Whisk together to combine well.

2. Add the 1/3 cup olive oil and 4 tablespoons water. Stir together until all of the dry ingredients are well moistened, gradually adding the remaining water as needed. Gently knead and press the dough together into a ball. Form the ball into a firm disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom by spraying it with cooking spray or brushing it with oil. (A nonstick pan may not require this step.) On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough to the tart pan and press it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim away any extra dough and use it to patch any holes or press it into the bottom of the pan.

4. Gently prick the surface of the dough on the bottom and sides with a fork. Place the tart pan on a large baking sheet for ease of handling. Bake at 400 F until just beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, onions and ¼ teaspoon coarse salt. Cover and cook about 5 minutes. The peppers and onions should have released some of their juices.

6. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are very soft and the onions are golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook and stir about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

7. Place the eggs in a large bowl. Beat with a whisk. Add the ricotta, ¼ teaspoon dried basil, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon ground fennel seeds, and Parmesan. Stir well. Stir in the cooked peppers and onions and parsley.

8. Transfer the egg mixture to the prepared tart crust. Bake (on the baking sheet) at 400 F for about 30 minutes or until the filling is set and beginning to brown on top. Cool slightly. Remove the outer rim of the pan and slice to serve.

Makes 6-8 main-dish servings.


Other recipes like this one: Chard Tart with Feta Cheese and Olives, Summer Squash Galette with Summer Squash and Feta, Corn and Green Onion Tart with Bacon

One year ago: Three Grain Salad with White Beans and Artichokes

Two years ago: Almond Butter Granola Bars