Home Made Pasta Sauce
I have a little old man across the street that gives me the tomatoes from his garden. I take the little kids on a "parade" every morning and we always stop to say hi. Sometimes he even has cookies for the kids. This summer, he's always had tomatoes for me. :)
I admit, after slicing them and eating them with salt or sugar, putting them on sandwiches, and dicing them into salads, I found it hard to not waste them! Making my own pasta sauce has been the answer.
Today, I took some pictures to show you just how easy this really is. Granted, I am at home all day, so you will want to do this on a Saturday or Sunday when you have time. All told, it probably only takes about an hour or so, from raw tomato to usable sauce.
First off - line your pans WITH FOIL. You will thank me later, trust. Cut the tomatoes in small pieces and place them skin side down in the pan. To make a decent amount of sauce, you will need a couple of 9x13" pans' worth of tomatoes. I think I had a dozen or so small/medium sized tomatoes.
Next, get your oil together. I used 1/2c. of olive oil for this batch along with about 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning along with about a teaspoon of salt and 1/4tsp of red pepper flake. Drizzle this over your tomatoes and pop them into a preheated 450 degree oven for about 45 minutes.
Now, aren't you glad that you lined the pans with foil? When the tomatoes come out, squish them up with a fork and just pour them into a sauce pan. Try not to scrape the black bits to much, but get most of the liquid into the pan.
Go ahead and add a 6 ounce can of prepared tomato sauce to the pan. This seems to add a familiar texture to the sauce and adjust the acidity. I used Great Value brand - use what you will.
I admit, after slicing them and eating them with salt or sugar, putting them on sandwiches, and dicing them into salads, I found it hard to not waste them! Making my own pasta sauce has been the answer.
Today, I took some pictures to show you just how easy this really is. Granted, I am at home all day, so you will want to do this on a Saturday or Sunday when you have time. All told, it probably only takes about an hour or so, from raw tomato to usable sauce.
First off - line your pans WITH FOIL. You will thank me later, trust. Cut the tomatoes in small pieces and place them skin side down in the pan. To make a decent amount of sauce, you will need a couple of 9x13" pans' worth of tomatoes. I think I had a dozen or so small/medium sized tomatoes.
Next, get your oil together. I used 1/2c. of olive oil for this batch along with about 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning along with about a teaspoon of salt and 1/4tsp of red pepper flake. Drizzle this over your tomatoes and pop them into a preheated 450 degree oven for about 45 minutes.
Now, aren't you glad that you lined the pans with foil? When the tomatoes come out, squish them up with a fork and just pour them into a sauce pan. Try not to scrape the black bits to much, but get most of the liquid into the pan.
Go ahead and add a 6 ounce can of prepared tomato sauce to the pan. This seems to add a familiar texture to the sauce and adjust the acidity. I used Great Value brand - use what you will.
I always add a little sugar to any jarred sauce that I buy, so this is no different. Start out with a tablespoon and adjust according to taste. Let this simmer over low heat for a little while and adjust the seasonings as you see fit. Truthfully, this sauce is yummy, yummy just as it is - but you can add some more red pepper flake or black pepper in the finishing process to give it some kick.
Well, that's it for tonight. Enjoy the sauce making adventure! With all the appetites around here, I'm always looking for a new way to serve up pasta...I've even been working the whole wheat variety back in lately. Shhhh...
Have a great week!
Comments
Post a Comment