Weeknight Pasta Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 sweet Italian sausages
• 8 oz slice mushrooms
• 28 oz can sliced stewed tomatoes with Italian seasoning (S&W brand)
• 3 oz tomato paste
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 fresh tomatoes, whole
• sprig fresh thyme
• handful chopped basil
• 1 tsp sugar to taste
• frozen peas and frozen spinach

INSTRUCTIONS

Saute onions and garlic until translucent.  Add carrots and cook until softened

Add sausage and break into small pieces

Once the sausage is browned, add mushrooms and cook until all of the juices have evaporated

Add tomato and paste cook for 1 minute.  Add canned tomatoes, broth, thyme, basil and the fresh tomato.  Let simmer for about 30 minutes

Add sugar to taste, add frozen peas and spinach right before serving

My version of Pasta alla Norma

I don’t really know what the authentic recipe is, but I’ve been making a version of this for a few years.  It was inspired by a dish of penne with melanzane at Pasta Pomodoro in the Bay Area.  I always loved the meaty eggplant, to gooey mozarella and added chili flakes to the dish always.  I haven’t been to Pasta Pomodoro in years since there are so many great restaurants in SF, but now I can make this at home.  Next I’ll attempt to figure out how to make their Cavatappi Pollo!

On this particular day, I used a home grown tomato that weighed probably a pound!  Thanks Cheryl!

INGREDIENTS
Pasta (about 1/2 pound)
1 huge tomato
2 sweet saugages out of the casing
Chili flakes
1 eggplant cubed to 1 inch
1/2 c white wine
basil roughly chooped
~6oz fresh mozarella
Pecorino cheese
EVOO

Take the cube eggplant and salt liberally, set aside to exude water
Boil water and make pasta, set aside about 1 cup cooking liquid
Place eggplant in the microwave for about 10 minutes to allow steaming and water removal.  This will result in faster cooking time and less oil use
While eggplant is cooking, fry the sausage and add chili.  Cook till browned, remove from the heat and set aside.  Remove all but about 2T oil in the pan.
Add tomatos and allow to cook down.  Add eggplant.
Once tomatos and eggplant are a little browned, add wine and allow alcohol to evaporate, season to taste

homemade pasta sauce and skillet lasagna

Since I often cook for just the two of us, I tried a skillet lasagna recipe so that we wouldn’t be eating leftovers for day on end.  I came across a veggie version which allowed me to use more of the GIGANTIC zucchini we got from’s B’s boss.  The sauce took a bit of time to simmer, but I think that it was worth the slow cooking

SAUCE
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
ground meat or sausage
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 spoonful of tomato paste
1 bay leaf
oregano, basil and parsley
white wine

Brown the onions and garlic until soft
Add tomato paste and cook through
Add wine and cook till alcohol evaporates
Add tomatoes and herbs
Simmer, stirring often for a few hours until the sauce turns a darker red color
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste

LASAGNA
1 c ricotta + 1 egg + basil + parmesan cheese
mozarella
zucchini ribbons
carrot ribbons
lasagna noodles

ASSEMBLY
From the sauce skillet, remove all but 1 cup of sauce
Top with 2 noodles
Spread 1st layer of cheese mixture
Add mozarella
Layer on vegetables
Repeat one more time
Top with sauce and cheese

Cover skillet with lid and cook over medium heat until noodles are cooked, sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.

herbed garlic bread

This is a wonderful accompaniment to Italian dishes like my modified cioppino

Baguette Loaf
Whole garlic clove

Butter mix:
Softened butter
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Minced herbs (parsley, basil, thyme, oregano)

Warm bread in 350 degree oven until just slightly crisp
Remove from oven and rub garlic clove over the bread
Spread the butter mixture and continue to bake till crisped and brown