Spaghetti Sauce Secrets for Great Pasta
Great Tasting Sauce with Lots of Meaty Taste that Says Fresh
Sep 20, 2009
Great tomato sauce (with or without meat) and pasta make a poor man rich. A rich man without someone who cooks great sauce for him may not be as rich as he thinks he is. Money certainly makes some aspects of life easier, but lots of money is not needed to enjoy one of the world's favorite dishes. Make a simple sauce, put it on top of spaghetti noodles, add some crunchy garlic bread, a salad, some wine and you have a feast.
Tomato Sauce Tips
How to thicken spaghetti sauce is a frequently asked question. The answer is simple - it needs to cook down. Long cooking evaporates excess water from the tomatoes which concentrates the flavor. Flavor that comes from the evaporation of liquid cannot be gotten any other way. Flour, cornstarch or arrowroot should not be used to thicken tomato sauces. Just let it bubble gently, the longer, the better, stirring now and then without burning.
The acidic nature of tomato sauce can be dealt with by the choice of seasonings. Adding sugar or a little baking soda to neutralize the acid is not the best way to go. Adding ground fennel will sweeten the acid and add the classic spaghetti sauce flavor.
Long, slow cooking that benefits the tomato sauce can destroy the flavor of any meat you add, particularly ground beef. By browning and adding the meat at the last minute, the meat flavor is fresh, not tired. For spaghetti and meatballs, brown the meatballs and add to the sauce about 30 minutes before serving.
Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Quantities are not critical. Seasonings can be adjusted to your taste as the sauce cooks. There comes a point in cooking the sauce that all the flavors blend together smoothly. Before that point, it can be hard to get it just right. Use roughly one onion and 2-3 cloves of garlic to one 15 oz. can of tomatoes
- Chopped onion
- Chopped fresh garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Ground Fennel
- 15 oz. can good quality canned tomatoes
- fresh basil
- fresh oregano
Directions:
- Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until almost soft, without browning.
- Add salt, pepper & fennel to the onions, and continue to saute until soft. add the tomatoes and other herbs. If using dried herbs, go very lightly on the oregano. Too much can make the sauce bitter. On the other hand, it's hard to have too much fresh basil or fennel.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble and cook for 3 to 4 hours, stirring regularly.
- Cook with the lid off to allow thickening. Once it becomes nicely thickened, adjust the seasoning to taste and cover, continuing to stir occasionally until ready to serve.
- You'll have a wonderful sauce that's ready for meat, or just by itself. For some reason, it always tastes even better the next day.
Commercial Spaghetti Sauce
Commercial sauce can use some cooking down, as well, just not as long. If time is a factor, cook it down in advance and add fresh basil, ground fennel, salt and pepper to taste.
Great tomato sauce and pasta are a classic combination. Rich or poor, young or old, it is a favorite, not just among Italians. Make it, share it and eat it in health and happiness.
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