Family Chow Hall

Simple Pa-sgetti Sauce

December 22nd, 2005

For years, every attempt I made at spaghetti sauce was a failure. Looking back, I think my main problem was that I wanted to use fresh tomatoes, and we just don’t really like the flavor of fresh ‘maters. Now we’re learning that the canned tomato products might actually be better for you, because the canning process releases the lycopene.

Eventually, I resorted to buying canned sauce regularly. And canned spaghetti sauce is pretty good. You get a wide variety of flavors and it’s pretty cheap. The trouble was that I never had a can when I wanted one, and that I really like to make things myself.

Now all I need is a can of tomato sauce or paste, a can of diced tomatoes, and a few of my favorite herbs. I store these things in large amounts anyway because I am always using them for a variety of different dishes. The Italian herbs I use are R.O.B. - Rosemary, Oregano, and Basil.

Pa-Sgetti Sauce
serves 6-8 / prep. time: 5 minutes / cook time: 5 minutes

1 can of tomato paste
1 can of petit diced tomatoes
1/2 c. water
1/2 t. each dried rosemary, oregano, basil
1 t. minced garlic
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 T. sugar

Dump it all in a saucepan and put on medium-low heat until it bubbles. Serve over spaghetti and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. (The fresh grated parmesan is way better than the fine powder in the tall green can.)

Notes: Barilla now makes a line of pasta with more fiber and protein, for us pasta-lovers wishing to reduce our simple carb intake. Adding a discreet amount of finely chopped anchovies adds a great flavor to pasta sauce, if you can sneak it past your kids’ lips. Also, a tiny amount of red pepper adds a nice kick to your pasta sauce.

Entry Filed under: Italian, Recipes, Supper