Really, you can't go wrong with this recipe. It is practically foolproof, plus all of the above bullet points. Bonus, the entire tomato sauce recipe is made with only six ingredients. This is my go-to sauce. It is so good actually, that I eat it over pasta, spaghetti squash (pictured above), good bread, or heck, I'll even eat it all by itself!
I start making the sauce just after I've started the pasta, squash, etc. as that they are ready about the same time.
Start by dicing the garlic and placing it in a pan with the olive oil on medium heat.
When the garlic has softened a bit add in the chopped tomatoes and salt. Adjust the amount of salt used depending on the flavor of the tomatoes.
It doesn't really matter what size you chop the tomatoes, just make sure they are uniform. Stir them a bit, then you can ignore them until they soften.
The tomatoes should become very juicy. Don't be concerned about it. The liquid will be absorbed again. When the liquid thickens and turns into a full sauce you are done. If you want less chunks in your sauce let the sauce cook a few minutes more. Add in the pepper and chopped basil.
Around this point your pasta, squash, etc. should be about done too. Mix in the sauce and enjoy!
quick and easy tomato sauce
ingredients:
5 tomatoes, chopped
5 cloves garlic, diced
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
small handful basil, chopped
directions:
1. Dice the garlic and add it to a pan with the olive oil on medium heat. Saute for 3 minutes.
2. Chop the tomatoes and add in with the garlic. Stir together with the salt. Adjust the amount of salt used depending on the flavor of the tomatoes.
3. Let the tomatoes soften. The sauce will thin and get juicy. Stir it a bit then ignore the sauce for about 10 minutes. When it thickens and the tomatoes soften add the pepper and basil. Gently mix them in. Serve warm.
I wasn't very familiar with spaghetti squash until recently. I had seen the occasional recipe using it on Pinterest, but that was about it. Last week we got one in our produce box and I was pretty excited to try it.
Random tangent: We get a produce box delivered to us every other week and it is my favorite thing ever! It is fresh, local, and has a good mix of basics (carrots and celery) and new or more exciting items (spaghetti squash and pomegranates). I'd been wanting to try spaghetti squash in particular for a while, but I probably would have taken longer to remember to get one if one wasn't literally dropped at my doorstep.
First step is to cut the spaghetti squash in half long wise and scrap out in seeds and gunk in the middle. Season lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Pop them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. For ease of cleanup place them on a lipped baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Remove from the oven when the squash is fork tender.
Note: I only used half of the squash for this recipe because it was a huge one. A single half still ended up being enough for four large servings. I roasted and scraped both halves, but put half in a freezer bag in the freezer (duh) for later use.
In the meantime start the marinara. Frankly, if you are in a rush or short on ingredients you can use store bought marinara, but I like this version better. I wanted marinara that was loaded with garlic, something that wouldn't be too thick and chunky to overpower the squash.
Dice the garlic and saute it in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes. Add 3 cups (fresh or canned) of diced tomato, and season to taste with basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and a dash of chili powder. Cook on medium heat until the tomato juice has cooked down a bit and thickened. If the sauce is done before the squash has finished cooking take it off heat and set it to the side.
When the squash is done take it out and let it cool to the touch. Then grab a fork and gently scrape out the squash. It should be very easy. All that should be left is the hard outer edge. Add the squash into the sauce and heat until warm. Mix well to incorporate the sauce.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired. I recommend having some crusty bread with this too. Use it to soak up sauce. So good!
As much as I love this recipe I would never lie and say that this tastes EXACTLY like pasta. It is totally different but still amazing. I feel like I had to say that because of my experience with tofu. I might have liked tofu but I was told it tasted JUST like vanilla ice cream, so of course I took a huge bite of it and have hated it ever since. So here it is again. Spaghetti squash does not taste or feel like pasta, but still goes well with marinara and is delicious.
This dish also reheats really well. You'd never know it was reheated in the microwave by the taste.
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basic spaghetti squash with marinara
by Liesl October-27-2014
like spaghetti but with way less calories
Ingredients
1/2 large spaghetti squash (or 1 whole small squash)
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
pinch salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 cups tomatoes, diced (canned or fresh)
2 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
pinch chili powder
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut squash in half length wise. Drizzle each half with 1 tsp olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place on parchment paper on a lipped baking pan. Roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender. 2. While the squash is roasting start the sauce. Heat the diced garlic in a pan with the remaining 1 tsp olive oil. Cook on medium heat for several minutes until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and seasonings. If the sauce needs it, add the optional 1 tsp of sugar. Keep on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the liquid begins to evaporate and the sauce thickens. If the sauce is ready before the squash take it off heat and set to the side. 3. When the squash is done take it out of the oven and let it sit for a few minutes until it is cool enough to touch. If the squash is small use the whole thing, if it is large, set half aside to use later. Using a fork scrape the inside of the squash until all that is left is the hard outer part. The scraped squash should resemble spaghetti. Add this part in with the sauce and mix together well. When this is mixed well and heated to your liking, remove from heat and serve. Pairs well with parmesan and crusty bread. 4. If you are only using half the squash for the recipe scrape the other half into a freezer bag and store in the freezer to use later.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 4 large servings
If you've ever met me you know that handling raw meat does not rank high on my list of favorite things. If I've had to deal with raw meat to make you food, be happy. It means I must really like you. This could not be truer than when I decided to make this dish for Jeff tonight.
Add all your ingredients except the mozzarella into your bowl and mix until just combined.
Just mixed. Grab small handfuls and fill with mozzarella.
The meatballs should be as round and evenly sized as possible.
Pasta and meatballs is the obvious choice, but Jeff is also planning to enjoy them in a meatball marinara sub.
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mozzarella stuffed meatballs
by Liesl July-12-2014
Cheese inside of meat. What's not to love?
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 cup parmesan
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp basil
1 tsp chili powder
1 cup mozzarella, cut into small chunks
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add all the ingredients except for the mozzarella in a large bowl and stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined. This shuld still feel soft, not hardened.2. Grab small handfuls of meatball mixture and place a mozzarella piece in the middle. Try to get the cheese as close to the middle as possible so the cheese won't escape the meatball in the oven. Then form it into a ball. I made the balls about 2". This size made about 2 dozen meatballs. Place the formed balls on a lipped sheet lined with foil. Separate each meatball by 2" and bake for 15 minutes. If the cheese does bubble out, it's okay. They will still have plenty left inside, and taste great. Serve hot.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: about 2 dozen update: Here are some more options. I made tons of meatballs, really just for Jeff so he's had several choices of how to eat them. These are his favorites. Basically many meatball subs.
