When the man of steel and I get a hankering for marinara sauce, my modus operandus is brown a pound of hamburger, throw in a can of Hunts garlic and herb spaghetti sauce, and cook spaghetti noodles. Every time the dish makes an appearance on our dinner plates, the man of steel says the same thing while scooping up a second helping. “This is a really good batch.”
As a rule, I don’t mess with either easy-peasy or perfection. So I have no idea where the idea to make spaghetti sauce came from last week. For now I’m blaming it on the Polar Vortex. The weather phenomenon has become such a handy excuse for inexplicable behavior quirks I’m beginning to like the thing. So, compliments of the Polar Vortex, here’s the recipe for homemade marina sauce. It comes from Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg’s Once-A-Month Cooking, a cookbook I almost wore out when I was teaching and the kids were home.
Spaghetti Sauce
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 12-ounce can tomato paste
3 28-ounce cans Italian-style or plain crushed tomatoes in puree
2 cups water
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons dried basil leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1-16 ounce package spaghetti
In a large pot, brown the Italian sausage with unions. Drain fat. Stir tomato paste into the meat and onion mixture. Add water gradually to thin the tomato paste. Add remaining ingredients. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Serve pasta and sauce for supper. Freeze remaining sauce (recipe makes about 12 cups) in 2 cup containers or freezer bags.
