Tomato Sauce#2

Serving size:

ingredients

1 lbs sweet Italian sausage
1/4 C olive oil
18 oz tomato paste (3 6-ounce cans)
24 oz tomato sauce (3 8-ounce cans)
28 oz crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen or organic)
2 lbs plum tomatoes, fresh & ripe (if unavailable, substitute 2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes, in addition to the can above)
1 lg onion, peeled & chopped in large chunks
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut in large chunks
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut in large chunks
1/2 C basil, washed and stems removed
2 C tomato juice (I use organic)
5 garlic cloves, peeled (do not use the kind in the jar...must be fresh)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 C red wine (not cooking wine but what you’d drink with the meal)

directions

Place the Italian sausage in a large, nonstick skillet or Dutch oven. Drizzle with the 1/4 cup olive oil and saute over VERY low heat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the tomato paste and stir. If necessary, to avoid sticking, add another drizzle of olive oil and stir well. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens and looks almost black. 2Meanwhile, put the remaining vegetables in a blender and add the 2 cups tomato juice. Blend until the vegetables are no longer solid. Add the two tablespoons of sugar, the salt and the red pepper flakes. Pour this mixture over the sauce and stir well to blend. Simmer, partially covered, for 2-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. 3Add the red wine in the last hour of cooking. Continue to simmer at least one hour, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until sauce reaches desired consistency. At this point, you can add any additional meat that has been pre-cooked, such as ground beef, sausage, or any vegetables such as mushrooms, as desired. 4This makes a large amount so you can freeze extra sauce in ziplock bags for the freezer. Simply thaw and reheat to use in lasagne, as pizza sauce, for spaghetti & meatballs, etc.

Rating:

Source: Estelle