PASTA sauce (gravy) for crowd ...quick - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Daka · 12-08-2010, 12:26 PM

We have an unexpected gathering here tonight...
So, easiest thing to make is a big pot of sauce and ziti..garlic bread....
I don't bother to make my own basic sauce, it's great to just open 4 jars of BARILLA or BERTOLI, marinara sauce...in a big pot, saute up about a pound of ground round, and break up 3 or 4 mild Italian sausage links, cook in the oven till no longer pink, about 15 minutes at 350.
Mix it all together add a few basil leaves and let it simmer for about an hour....
Then as the crowd is ready just have some water boiling and in goes the ziti....an italian bread buttered and wrapped in foil in the oven for 10 minutes...sprinkle with parm cheese and some dried italian spices ...Voile...
dinner for 8 -10 in no timed and the mess is already cleared up

Lindy · 12-08-2010, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daka

....in a big pot, saute up about a pound of ground round, and break up 3 or 4 mild Italian sausage links, cook in the oven till no longer pink, about 15 minutes at 350.
Mix it all together add a few basil leaves and let it simmer for about an hour....
Then as the crowd is ready just have some water boiling and in goes the ziti....an italian bread buttered and wrapped in foil in the oven for 10 minutes...sprinkle with parm cheese and some dried italian spices ...Voile...
dinner for 8 -10 in no timed and the mess is already cleared up

I'm just curious why you would cook the Italian sausage in the oven, instead of on the stovetop with the ground round?

Lindy

snowy · 12-08-2010, 02:06 PM

Sounds similar to what my mom does with her spaghetti sauce.

Here's a veggie version (aka Snowy's Everything But the Kitchen Sink Spaghetti Sauce), for those interested in one:

In a 400 degree oven, roast some broccoli florets tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, until it starts to brown. On the stovetop, in a Dutch oven over low-medium heat, cook onion, carrot, celery, and red bell pepper in olive oil until tender; add garlic towards the end so it doesn't burn. If adding additional dried spices, push veggies to the side and add the dried spices to a bit of hot olive oil; let this sit for a bit before stirring the extra bit of oil in with the sauteed veg. Add sliced cremini mushrooms; cook until mushroom yield their liquid. Add canned/jarred marinara sauce. Stir in roasted broccoli. Allow sauce to heat through so flavors can meld; season to taste.

Some Sundays I do this the slow way with home canned stewed tomatoes.

spindles · 12-08-2010, 02:36 PM

I'm a bit wary of using bottled sauce unless it is straight puréed tomato. I remember Jamie Oliver saying most packaged sauces have lots of sugar and salt in them and you'd be better off just using tinned chopped tomatoes instead.

snowy · 12-08-2010, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spindles

I'm a bit wary of using bottled sauce unless it is straight puréed tomato. I remember Jamie Oliver saying most packaged sauces have lots of sugar and salt in them and you'd be better off just using tinned chopped tomatoes instead.

Some certainly do, but this is why reading labels is a good thing.

spindles · 12-08-2010, 03:25 PM

I just avoid that section of the supermarket

Daka · 12-08-2010, 06:46 PM

I do the chopmeat and sausage seperately, I find that the sausage takes longer that the chopmeat and I want the chopmeat just done from pink....it's easier to control the "doneness" seperately... When I made sauce from scratch the prep time was a lot longer, more mess.
I used to add a bit of sugar to the homemade sauce also, I like it a bit sweet...the Barilla has 6g sugar per serving...4th ingreedent.

Redlemon · 12-09-2010, 06:42 AM

I've never understood the word "gravy" being used for a tomato-based pasta sauce. For those of you who do use it in this fashion, what do you call the tan/brown sauce served over turkey?

Daka · 12-09-2010, 09:47 AM

Redlemon
Its an Italian thing.....I think
I think that stuff is called GLOP or ELMERS GLUE?

Hotmnkyluv · 12-09-2010, 10:40 AM

It goes back to the translations from Italian..,
Salsa = Sauce
Sugo = Gravy

Gravy is seasoned or flavored with meat

noodle · 12-09-2010, 11:59 AM

If I've got an hour to let it simmer, I'm cutting up a couple pounds of fresh tomatoes, pulling the guts out; chopping a sweet Vidalia onion, half a carrot, a few white ends of green onions or leeks, six cloves of garlic and six cloves of roasted garlic and browning in the bottom of my big chili pot; dumping in some oregano, basil, habenero chili powder. Let it simmer while I brown two hot italian sausages with 1/2 lb of super lean ground beef. Toss in 1/4 t of sugar, stir well, then dump in the meat and let it continue to simmer.

For a variation, I mince a serrano pepper, quarter each of orange, yellow, and green peppers, and use no meat or some chicken sausage. Super easy.

kutulu · 12-09-2010, 01:08 PM

Fresh tomatoes should only be used if they are homegrown or from a farmer's market where they are in season and very fresh. Any other time I use canned tomatoes and I'm very picky about the brands I use.

I crop up a carrot, a stick of celery, a medium onion, half a package of crimini mushrooms, and a couple cloves of garlic. I'll sweat that for about 5 min and then add the tomatoes and up to a half a can of tomato paste. Depending on the tomatoes, I might add some sugar and/or crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer till it thickens. When it is close to being done I add finely chopped fresh basil and some dried oregano. Lately I've been putting it in the blender, I wish I still had an immersion blender because it is easier to control the chunkiness of it.

The process takes about a half hour. My pasta pot takes almost that much time to boil water so usually the sauce and pasta are done at the same time.

12-08-2010, 12:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
Daka Tilted Location: Fort Lauderdale	PASTA sauce (gravy) for crowd ...quick We have an unexpected gathering here tonight... So, easiest thing to make is a big pot of sauce and ziti..garlic bread.... I don't bother to make my own basic sauce, it's great to just open 4 jars of BARILLA or BERTOLI, marinara sauce...in a big pot, saute up about a pound of ground round, and break up 3 or 4 mild Italian sausage links, cook in the oven till no longer pink, about 15 minutes at 350. Mix it all together add a few basil leaves and let it simmer for about an hour.... Then as the crowd is ready just have some water boiling and in goes the ziti....an italian bread buttered and wrapped in foil in the oven for 10 minutes...sprinkle with parm cheese and some dried italian spices ...Voile... dinner for 8 -10 in no timed and the mess is already cleared up

12-08-2010, 02:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Sounds similar to what my mom does with her spaghetti sauce. Here's a veggie version (aka Snowy's Everything But the Kitchen Sink Spaghetti Sauce), for those interested in one: In a 400 degree oven, roast some broccoli florets tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, until it starts to brown. On the stovetop, in a Dutch oven over low-medium heat, cook onion, carrot, celery, and red bell pepper in olive oil until tender; add garlic towards the end so it doesn't burn. If adding additional dried spices, push veggies to the side and add the dried spices to a bit of hot olive oil; let this sit for a bit before stirring the extra bit of oil in with the sauteed veg. Add sliced cremini mushrooms; cook until mushroom yield their liquid. Add canned/jarred marinara sauce. Stir in roasted broccoli. Allow sauce to heat through so flavors can meld; season to taste. Some Sundays I do this the slow way with home canned stewed tomatoes. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau Last edited by snowy; 12-09-2010 at 04:16 PM..

12-08-2010, 02:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
spindles Mine is an evil laugh Location: Sydney, Australia	I'm a bit wary of using bottled sauce unless it is straight puréed tomato. I remember Jamie Oliver saying most packaged sauces have lots of sugar and salt in them and you'd be better off just using tinned chopped tomatoes instead. __________________ who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

12-08-2010, 03:25 PM	#6 (permalink)
spindles Mine is an evil laugh Location: Sydney, Australia	I just avoid that section of the supermarket __________________ who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

12-09-2010, 06:42 AM	#8 (permalink)
Redlemon Devoted Donor Location: New England	I've never understood the word "gravy" being used for a tomato-based pasta sauce. For those of you who do use it in this fashion, what do you call the tan/brown sauce served over turkey? __________________ I can't read your signature. Sorry.

12-08-2010, 06:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
Daka Tilted Location: Fort Lauderdale	I do the chopmeat and sausage seperately, I find that the sausage takes longer that the chopmeat and I want the chopmeat just done from pink....it's easier to control the "doneness" seperately... When I made sauce from scratch the prep time was a lot longer, more mess. I used to add a bit of sugar to the homemade sauce also, I like it a bit sweet...the Barilla has 6g sugar per serving...4th ingreedent.

12-09-2010, 09:47 AM	#9 (permalink)
Daka Tilted Location: Fort Lauderdale	Redlemon Its an Italian thing.....I think I think that stuff is called GLOP or ELMERS GLUE?

12-09-2010, 10:40 AM	#10 (permalink)
Hotmnkyluv Tilted Location: Sunny South Florida	It goes back to the translations from Italian.., Salsa = Sauce Sugo = Gravy Gravy is seasoned or flavored with meat

12-09-2010, 01:08 PM	#12 (permalink)
kutulu Junkie	Fresh tomatoes should only be used if they are homegrown or from a farmer's market where they are in season and very fresh. Any other time I use canned tomatoes and I'm very picky about the brands I use. I crop up a carrot, a stick of celery, a medium onion, half a package of crimini mushrooms, and a couple cloves of garlic. I'll sweat that for about 5 min and then add the tomatoes and up to a half a can of tomato paste. Depending on the tomatoes, I might add some sugar and/or crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer till it thickens. When it is close to being done I add finely chopped fresh basil and some dried oregano. Lately I've been putting it in the blender, I wish I still had an immersion blender because it is easier to control the chunkiness of it. The process takes about a half hour. My pasta pot takes almost that much time to boil water so usually the sauce and pasta are done at the same time.