Well, here it is...my first official blog. Every recipe has a story. For every recipe I share with you, there will sure be something tastefully interesting to learn! Tonight I am making spaghetti with tomato sauce. Sounds easy, yes, but it's what I do to the sauce that makes it very unique.
I grew up watching my Grandmother, Sara Lee (yes, her name IS Sara Lee!!), cook meal after meal for her family. She had a way of making everything look so easy. Not only was the food she prepared amazing, but the true gift she gave was the smiles she brought to all our faces from the very first bite. I cherish these moments, and it gives me great pleasure to do the same for my family.
Back to the spaghetti...my secret ingredient is pickle juice. Yes, you read that right. Pickle juice! This came about from my dear Papa who thought he would "jazz up" my grandmother's sauce when she wasn't looking. Lord knows why he thought pickle juice, but it sure did bring out the most amazing flavor to spaghetti sauce that I've ever tasted!
So, Here's the recipe:
1 onion chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Saute onions in olive oil, add minced garlic and saute until onions are translucent. Add 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin, 1 tablespoon salt and fresh cracked pepper. Cook and drain off the fat. Hint: Cooking with ground sirloin is the leanest and doesn't have much fat content!
Add two cans whole tomatoes, two cans diced italian seasoned tomatoes, one small can of tomato paste, one teaspoon of sugar.
Add chopped fresh basil (I usually use four basil leaves). Hint: take the basil leaves and roll them up then slice. This keeps the basil from bruising.
In a large glass, mix one cup of red wine and 1/4 cup dill pickle juice. Add to your sauce. Stir and simmer over medium low heat for two hours. Stir occasionally. Be sure to taste if it needs extra salt and pepper. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Stir and serve with your favorite pasta! Enjoy!!
Happy Butter Buns!!!
Post Dinner Response:
Sauce was great! I added a bit more wine (drank some too!). Topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I firmly believe everything's better with a little more wine and cheese! See you at dinner tomorrow night! Bon Appetit!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm just about to give this a go. Wiil let you all know what it is like.
ReplyDeleteOkay so I gave the sauce a go. Did not take long to prepare, I put it on a whole wheat whole grain pasta. It was really good, the pickle juice was a real zinger.
ReplyDeleteSo I tried this recipe out tonight! You were right!!! It was amazing! The pickle juice really worked, it tasted great! I will for sure use this trick from now on! Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteI swear, I did not read this article first. The other night I was just thinking about making spaghetti and something told me to add pickle juice. I did and it is the best spaghetti I've ever made and my kids even like the leftovers. I will make spaghetti this way from now on.
ReplyDeleteTry the brine from pickled pepperoncini peppers
ReplyDeleteYES! I'm completely on board with you. I'm not a very good cook, but I tried this recipe and even went out on a limb, adding diced bell peppers from my garden and using up onions and garlic I had on hand. I cringed at adding white sugar, so I opted for a spoonful of honey. I taste-tested the sauce as I went along, and it kept getting better and better. By the time the sauce could finish its 2-hour cook down, I had eaten 6...yes, SIX.. bowls full. This recipe seems fool-proof and is so simple, even I wowed friends at dinner. Honestly, after tasting this recipe, I could never stomach store-bought tomato-based pasta sauces again. I'll be keeping my freezer stocked with this sauce from now on.
Delete