Spaghetti Sauce

This is definitely a make-in-advance-on-the-weekend recipe. I only make it when tomatoes are in season and overflowing from my garden. It does take a bit of prep, but once it’s going, you can ignore it other than to stir it every once in a while. Miss is a big fan of stirring, so I carefully let her help me with that (make sure the sauce isn’t simmering too hard and stir it first to release any trapped air). This sauce freezes very well, so I make it once and have meals and meals of it waiting in the freezer. Yum!

• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia), chopped
• 12 cups peeled, quartered tomatoes (about 12-15 medium-large tomatoes)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 ¼ tsp fresh gound pepper
• ½ tsp dried basil
• 2 6-oz cans tomato paste
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar

In a Dutch oven or other large pot, heat oil until just beginning to shimmer. Saute onion in oil until just beginning to brown and caramelize. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, salt, oregano, pepper, and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add tomato paste and brown sugar. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (Make sure you watch the sauce during this hour. It’ll thicken up and start to splatter. You may need to turn the heat down on it. Also, make sure you stir frequently enough after adding the brown sugar to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of your pot.) Discard bay leaves.

Serve with pasta and lots of cheese. Or, use in lasagna or other pasta dishes. Or, freeze for later use. Regardless, enjoy!

Tip for peeling tomatoes: Bring a large pot of water just to a boil. In a large bowl, make an ice bath of approximately equal parts water and ice. Cut out the stem on the tomato and make an X-shaped cut on the blossom (opposite) end. Using a slotted spoon, dunk the tomato in the boiling water for a few seconds. Remove the tomato with the spoon and dunk it into the ice water for a few more seconds. Remove the tomato and peel the skin off.  You may have to experiment with how long the tomatoes are in the boiling water, but don’t leave them in for too long or they will begin to cook.

Apple Chicken Sausage Pasta

I have made this a few times. I'm not sure how I really came up with it. But it's really yummy, and a great Fall dish. It can be done in about 30 minutes, but I also figured out a way to prep most of it the night before. 

Servings: About 4 adult sized and 2 toddler sized

Ingredients:

• 1 12 oz package of Apple Chicken Sausage (I have used a couple of brands, but my favorite is al fresco.)
• Olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into about 1/2" pieces (We usually have Gala on hand.)
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tsp thyme
• 14 oz apple juice or cider
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 6 oz frozen peas
• 1/2 lb pasta (Use whatever shape you want. I wouldn't use spaghetti or something long like that, though. Penne or Rotini work well.)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Slice sausages into about 1/4" thick slices. Saute in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through (if not using fully cooked sausages) and slightly browned. Remove sausage from skillet.

Discard all but about 1-2 tbsp of the remaining fat. If needed add some olive oil (to get to 1-2 tbsp of fat/oil). Saute onions over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

Add apple, sage, and thyme, and continue to cook until apples begin to soften. Return the sausage to the pan. Add apple juice or cider, vinegar, and peas and simmer until the peas are cooked and the liquid is reduced by about half.

If preparing the night before, stop here and just put the "sauce" in the refrigerator until you're ready to fix dinner the next day.

Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve about a cup of the pasta water for the sauce. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. (My skillet isn't big enough, but if yours is, you can scoop the pasta directly into the skillet from your pot without reserving the pasta water or draining.) Add the sauce and stir to combine. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!