Comments on: Summer Meal Series #6: Simple Homemade Pasta and Pizza Sauce

By: Chalon

Chalon — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:56:15 +0000

Ack. Canned tomatoes are so bad for you. The plastic lining leaches chemicals into the tomatoes. (I am going to play around with jarring tomatoes next year, I hope) But overall great suggestion, this is what I do with meat given to us by our hunter friends. I made this with ground elk not to long ago. MMMMM.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:34:46 +0000

@Head Hunter: First of all, the time you save is not INFINITE – it’s, perhaps, a few minutes. And it takes more than zero time to open a jar of pasta sauce and heat it up on the stove or in the microwave.

Second, if you eat your pasta sauce with pasta, you need to spend a few minutes cooking that anyway. And unless you like your pasta stuck to the bottom of the pot, you can’t go very far from the kitchen during that time. So you don’t actually lose anything by spending that time making a sauce from scratch.

Third, of course taste preferences are all in your head. That’s where preferences, thoughts, and opinions (not to mention taste buds) are usually stored. Does that mean they’re not real?

By: The Head Hunter

The Head Hunter — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:11:02 +0000

And how much is your time worth? it cost you $1.16 but you didn’t factor in your time. The prep, the cooking, the storing, the reheating, etc…

Every sauce in the store at some point has a sale of 2-2.50 per bottle. For $2.00 you get a sauce that takes ZERO time. It costs 86 cents more in $ cost, but the time savings are literally INFINITE.

Mathematically, you’re better off with an INFINITE return, vs an 86 cent return. And as far as taste is concerned, it’s all in your head because people enjoy what they produce more than an alternative.

By: Jessica @ JustRightMenus

Jessica @ JustRightMenus — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:22:29 +0000

Canning CAN be done with meats. You just have to use a pressure canner. I’m hoping to do some more canning soon, and this recipe will be on the list! I’ve found the National Center for Home Food Preservation (online) to be the most helpful site for learning to can and making sure to do it safely.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:26:41 +0000

Does anyone ever find that it’s very expensive to make a recipe like in the article when trying to use grass-fed organic beef and trying to buy tomatoes in jars versus cans because of the BPA in the can liner? I was impressed by the cost breakdown and it is usually cheaper and healthier to cook at home but in my case it actually can become more expensive than eating out though the health benefits are stellar.

By: Parrothead

Parrothead — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 11:25:54 +0000

I suggest going to startcooking.com for suggestions about how to photograph recipies. Her presentation is much cleaner and appealing.

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 05:08:38 +0000

Great idea making the huge batch and freezing using ziplocs. I’m going to do that too, though sadly the meat and canned tomatoes are about double in NY.

By: elderly librarian

elderly librarian — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 04:43:23 +0000

Dei Fratelli also makes the “no salt” varieties, which is what we use exclusively for a sphaghetti sauce. They dont add any other ingredients like high fructose, etc. and it tastes pretty good.

By: Vickie

Vickie — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 03:25:22 +0000

I am really enjoying your summer meal series. Keep the ideas coming. I appreciate them. ☺

By: DougR

DougR — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 01:47:25 +0000

Been making a version of this for years as “lunch,” putting it up in single-serving-size tupperware containers and freezing them.

I like tricolor radiatore (my job isn’t all that interesting and I can always use a lift) and I also use around a TB of smoked chili powder, plus nicoise olives. Sometimes I grate a carrot or two & throw them in–gives the sauce some body and a little sweetness.

Yeah, Trent, love the budget cooking posts!! Keep it up!

By: Steven

Steven — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 01:25:56 +0000

I’d split the ground beef into smaller batches so that you actually brown the meat. And I also like to use one of those small can’s of tomato paste, gives it a much richer flavor, in a shorter amount of time, and thickens the sauce a lot too. Otherwise, just like my recipe, unless I’m in the spicy mood and add chili flakes and tabasco.

Adding some of the cooked pasta water will thicken the sauce a bit due to starches, if you ever find the sauce too runny.

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:55:48 +0000

Cook first, then strain.

A huge pia, in my opionion, to get enough sauce from fresh tomatoes- even with saucing tomatoes.

By: loan modification Illinois

loan modification Illinois — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 19:52:55 +0000

This is definitely a great meal to make for a 1st date

By: Kittie

Kittie — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:09:33 +0000

For the novice cooks out there, If you are using dried herbs, add them to the beginning of the simmer time. If using fresh herbs, (as pictured above) add during the last few minutes to get the best flavor.
This is true regardless of the dish you are creating.

By: socalgal

socalgal — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:07:35 +0000

Great series, Trent. I would go a tad further though & show everyone how easy it is to make homemade pasta. It tastes so much better & it really makes an ordinary pasta meal extraordinary.

By: Skirnir Hamilton

Skirnir Hamilton — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:05:18 +0000

I also use a ulu knife that was a gift from a relative in Alaska. I love my ulu knife. For an unskilled knife user like me, it works well. I do not have the cutting board that Trent has, though. For anyone not skilled in the use of a knife, for cutting vegetables and such an ulu knife works well.

By: Emily

Emily — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:04:58 +0000

Great recipe. I might use lean ground turkey, bay leaf and add some wine or beer instead of the sugar.

Keep those recipes and ideas coming. I love them as they kick start me out of cooking the same old thing all the time.

By: Don-nae

Don-nae — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 16:58:34 +0000

This looks really good. I typically through in a can of stewed tomatoes as they add additional flavor in place of fresh or regular canned tomatoes (of course you can always make homemade stewed tomatoes as well). Plus if you add a can of stewed tomatoes you do not need to add the sugar.

Another option to make this slightly healthier is to add spinach, mushrooms and zucchini along with ground turkey. At least in south california, ground turkey is almost always on sale. Of course it will be a little more expensive than the beef, but only by a few cents.

By: G

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 16:35:45 +0000

Great post. I have recently started making my own sauce as well, and we love it. We skip the meat as one of us is a vegetarian, the others may add in a bit of leftover meat to their portion if there is some in the fridge.

Try adding a grated or minced carrot to the onions, they add great taste and sweetness and need to cook down a bit. I also add about a half teaspoon of sugar at the very end if needed, as the sauce can’t be at all tart for my faimily.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 16:33:50 +0000

For what it’s worth, I’ve tested other diced tomatoes and sauces and the Dei Fratelli is the best we’ve tried. It’s also one of the most reasonable. We buy it by the case.