Basic Red Sauce Small Batch Recipes

BASIC RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste.
• Add pureed tomatoes, basil, oregano, red-pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Season with pepper, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick, 25 to 30 minutes.

CLASSIC RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Puree the tomatoes to a smooth, creamy consistency in a food processor or with an immersion blender. (If you like a more country feel, you can wait and break them up in the pan later with a wooden spoon.)
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. When hot, add the onion and saute 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until you see the color start changing. If you'd like to make the sauce spicy, add the red pepper flakes.
• Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer about 30 minutes. (If you did not puree the tomatoes, use a wooden spoon to break them into pieces while they cook.) Strive for balance in the consistency of the sauce: It has to be fluid, but it should not look overly wet. Add the basil and remove from the heat. Toss with just-cooked pasta.

EASY RED PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm oil and saute garlic; heat through until the garlic turns translucent, not brown. Add onion and cook over low heat until translucent; 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add parsley, basil and ground black pepper; stir. Add tomatoes and cover; raise heat to medium and bring to a strong simmer. Lower heat and add red pepper flakes. Cover saucepan and cook for 25 to 35 minutes.
• The sauce can be run in the food processor for 2 to 3 seconds to achieve a more uniform sauce or let the sauce cook over medium-low heat uncovered for 10 minutes or until it thickens.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until al dente; drain and serve with sauce.

SIMPLE RED SAUCE WITH PASTA

Steps:

• In a large pot with boiling salted water cook penne pasta until al dente. Drain well.
• Meanwhile, in a medium skillet cook the bacon strips until mostly cooked, but not crisp. Remove from pan, break into bite size pieces. Drain bacon grease from pan. Return cooked bacon to pan, add minced garlic, chopped red onion, olive oil and chili pepper. Saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Pour ingredients into a large bowl. Add additional grated Parmesan cheese to top and serve immediately over cooked and drained pasta.

SIMPLE PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add brown sugar and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced. Remove bay leaf.

BASIC RED SAUCE: SMALL BATCH

Steps:

• 1. Mix tomato paste and hot water in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in parsley, onion, garlic, sugar, salt, basil, oregano, and thyme. 2. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes; mix well. Do not cook. 3. Measure sauce into appropriate portions for immediate use. Divide remaining sauce evenly among 1-quart freezer bags for later use. 4. Seal and label each bag with the amount of sauce inside. Freeze. 5. To enjoy: Completely thaw one bag in the refrigerator. 6. Use in a recipe calling for tomato sauce, or simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 20 minutes and pour over your favorite pasta. 7. To use in a meat sauce, brown and drain 1 pound lean ground beef for every 8 cups of sauce; add cooked beef to sauce and gently reheat.