With everything you need to make drop dead killer spaghetti sauce
available here, still people would rather go to the supermarket and
buy a can of Ragú or some other chemically laced crap. Think
about it... in less than one hour, you could be eating incredible,
mouth watering pasta coated in the freshest sauce you can imagine.
STEP #1 - GATHERING YOUR INGREDIENTS...
MAIN INGREDIENT:
-
2 kilos (4 ½
pounds) fresh, ripe tomatoes shrimp (tomate fresco)
-
Washed and remove the part where the stem connects to the fruit.
-
Cut into 1" chunks. Its OK to leave the skin on.
VEGGIES, HERBS,
SPICES & OTHER STUFF:
-
½ to 1 complete head of fresh
garlic (ajo fresco) - smash flat with knife blade -
Quantity depends
on your love (or tolerance for fresh garlic!
-
2 medium onions
(cebolla mediana) - coarsely cut
-
1 can (174 gram)
Tomato Paste (puré de tomate)
-
1 tsp dried
oregano (orégano seco) -
but fresh is better
-
1 tsp salt (sal)
-
½ tsp crushed red
pepper (pimienta roja molida)
-
2 tsp ground black
peppers (Pimienta negra molida)
-
2 large dried bay
leaves (hoja de laurel) or 1 large fresh Bay leaf (leave
intact)
-
½ cup Extra
Virgin Olive Oil (Aceite de oliva extravirgen)
-
2 ½ cups
inexpensive red wine (vino tinto)
-
4-5 large leaves
of fresh basil (hojas de albahaca grandes) - Torn or
coursly chopped.
-
2 tsp sugar
(azúcar)
STEP #2 -
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER...
-
In a large pot,
add ½ cup of Olive Oil and heat to medium
-
Add Garlic,
Onions and tomato paste t6 the hot oil
-
Sauté, stirring
constantly until onions begin to caramelize and tomato paste
dissolves
-
Kick the heat up
to medium high and add tomatoes.
-
Stir every few
minutes. DO NOT LET ANYTHING STICK TO BOTTOM OF THE POT
-
Once tomatoes
begin to breakdown and you see the beginnings of sauce start to
bubble, cover and lower heat to medium low.
-
Add oregano, salt,
black pepper, crushed red pepper, sugar and bay leaves
-
Continue to stir
every 5-8 minutes for 30 minutes
-
Using a
hand blender, purée the tomatoes and spices until it reaches
your desired consistency.
-
Add fresh basil
-
Reduce heat to low and cook (covered) for about 20
more minutes. If sauce
looks like it is too thin and watery, continue cooking
UNCOVERED.
STEP #3 -
ADDING PROTEIN...
-
This is a good
time to look into your refrigerator and clean out any
protein-based
leftovers. In my case, I usually have leftover chicken,
fish, hamburger, steak etc. It does not matter. Cut
it all up into very, very small pieces and toss it into the sauce. Mix it all because
it does not matter.
STEP #4 -
NOW FOR SOME CARBS...
-
What is meat sauce
without paste. I don't care what pasta you want to use,
they are all great so long as you use 100% WHOLE GRAIN PASTA.
-
This sauce works
for side dishes, on pizza, in lasagna... anywhere except over
fresh fruit and ice cream (unless of course you are pregnant).
-
Serve with a salad and some nice
French bread or garlic toast.
-
A nice red wine will complete the
meal.
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