Outstanding Northern Italian Sauce With Red Wine Recipes

OLD ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown beef and pork over medium heat until no longer pink; set aside.
• In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat and saute onions and garlic until tender; add about 1/2 cup of wine; mix well.
• Add mushrooms, rosemary, oregano and thyme to skillet and add another 1/2 cup wine; saute until tender.
• Add browned meat, tomato sauce and tomato paste to mixture; simmer for 1 hour and add the remaining 2 cups of wine.
• Simmer sauce on low for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally; serve.

BEST MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet or Dutch oven, saute shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until shallots have softened and become translucent.
• Add dried basil and oregano and saute one minute longer.
• Add red wine to the pan, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the wine to a simmer until reduced in half - about 3-4 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
• Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed. Add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar and simmer a couple minutes longer to take some of the acidity out of the tomatoes if desired.

RED WINE ITALIAN SAUSAGE PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large non-stick skillet with a lid, add the olive oil and warm over medium heat, allow oil to heat for approximately 2 minutes.
• Add chopped onion and green pepper, cook for about 2-3 minutes or until onion is soft and you can see thru it, stir for even cooking.
• Add chopped/minced garlic, stir and continue to simmer thru for another 2 minutes.
• Add dry seasonings, chopped tomato, and chopped Italian sausage. Stir all and cook for another 2 minutes then add the ¼-cup dry red wine and stir all together.
• Add fennel seed & black pepper, cook another 2 minutes longer.
• Next, add the tomato sauce and water, bay leaves, salt and sugar, stir all and cover with lid, allow to cook on medium until mixture begins to slow boil, then remove lid. Stir again, cover and turn heat to a low simmer, allowing to cook for several hours or until ready to serve with pasta.
• Allowing sauce to slow cook for at least 2-3 hours makes for a more robust sauce ~ serve with al dente pasta, a good crusty Italian bread (ciabatta for example), freshly grated Italian cheese (a good quality aged Pecorino Romano made from sheeps or goats milk is best, never cows milk), & your favorite red wine (our favorite is a good cabernet).
• Sauce is also better the next day, so as a time saver make this sauce up a day ahead, allow to cool thoroughly before refrigerating, then serve the next night for dinner.

RICH AND ZESTY RED WINE TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large pot, sweat the chopped onions and garlic in the olive oil over med-low heat.
• Add the peeled tomatoes, crushing them with your hands one by one into smaller chunks. Be careful- they squirt all over the place! Make sure to pour in all the liquid in the cans as well. Add all ingredients except salt, cheese, and wine.
• Stir all ingredients together. Cover, and increase heat to med-high. Simmer/cook 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the sauce doesn't burn on the bottom.
• Add about 1/3 of the bottle of merlot. Add the cheese. Stir, reduce heat slightly and let that cook uncovered for another 15-20 min, stirring occasionally.
• Taste and determine if you need salt, and add to taste. For salt with a little tang, add some more cheese, if you have it. Let simmer another 15 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
• During the last simmering stage, cook your pasta.
• Serve over pasta (1 ladleful is gracious plenty). Extra sauce can frozen for up to a month. To reheat, let simmer on low uncovered, stirring frequently so the sugar in the merlot doesn't burn.
• *Spicy alternative: For a spicier sauce, use shiraz in place of merlot and add 2 tsp of dried red pepper flakes.