Savoury Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
I have always loved a good spaghetti sauce recipe. I come from a family that is part Italian on my father's father's side, so my grandparent's house always smelled of a yummy homemade spaghetti sauce. My whole family would gather, uncles, aunts, cousins and we would enjoy bread, pasta, meatballs or sausage smothered in a lovely tomato based sauce. The yummy aromas of basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme intermingled with tomatoes, garlic and onions take me back to those times and carry an air of nostalgia for me.
So, here's a savoury sauce recipe for your next big family gathering.
Recipe (prep: 20 mins - 1 hour/ cook time: 2 hours 20 mins)
Ingredients:
2 cans of diced tomatoes or 7 to14 (large to med) red and ripe roasted tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
5 cloves of garlic
2 medium onions
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 cup of water or chicken broth
1 tbsp. of oregano
1 tbsp. of thyme
1 tbsp. of rosemary
2 tbsp. of dried basil
1 tbsp. of dried parsley
2 tbsp. of brown sugar
2 bay leaves
1 dash of cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
Roasting Tomatoes
If you are using fresh or store bought tomatoes to make the sauce the first step is to roast them in the oven. This is a step you can do the day before or before you make the sauce. It's a great way to add depth and flavour to the sauce.
Direction:
Pre-heat oven to 400˚F.
Place all the tomatoes flat side down (so they don't roll all over the place) on a non-stick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place tomatoes in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until skins start to peel and brown at the edges.
Allow tomatoes to cool. Once tomatoes are cool to the touch, peel the skins off. If the tomatoes are very seedy they will fall out. If they do allow them to and leave them out of the pot. You only want the tomato meat.
Once all the tomatoes are peeled add to your pot.
Making the Sauce
Directions:
Mince garlic cloves and dice onions.
In a large pot add olive oil, garlic and onions. Cook on medium until onions are translucent. Add the canned or roasted tomatoes. Add the tomato paste, water and spices. Allow to cook at a low simmer for around 2 hours. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 20-30 mins. Serve over your favourite gluten free pasta.
Great Additions
Some great additions to this sauce are:
Fresh Basil or Parsley or other Italian herbs
Hot or mild Italian sausage chunks
Lean ground beef
Kale (but be sure to use a hand blender to blend it up well into the sauce)
Spinach (same as above)
Sun-dried tomatoes (you can blend these us to for an extra thick and chunky sauce. They also add a deep, deep flavour)
What are some of your favourite additions to spaghetti sauce? Share in the comments below.
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