Thursday, November 18, 2010

Simple Pasta Sauce

What you need:

1 large can of crushed tomatoes. (Make sure the only ingredient is tomatoes, organic is better as they are usually fresher.)
1 large can of tomato puree. (Same as the crushed.)
1 thick cut pork chop
1 medium sized head of garlic
Oregano
Bay leaves
Salt
Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Water
Large pot with a lid or a crock pot



















Procedures:

Pour some oil in your pot to coat the bottom and get it heated up to about medium.
Peel and chop the garlic into small chunks.
Coat both sides of your chop with salt, pepper, and some of the garlic.
Throw the pork chop in there with the rest of the garlic chunks.
Brown both sides of the chop but don't worry if it's fully cooked, he'll be hanging out for a while.
Take care not to burn your garlic.
Lower the heat to low.
Pour in the cans of tomato puree and crushed tomatoes.
Fill both cans with water and dump the water into the pot.
If you have any meatballs now is the time to add them.
Bring the pot to a low steady simmer and leave the lid off or cracked.  (Watch out for splattering as the bubbles pop)
Let this cook down until the 2 cans worth of water has boiled off.  (about halfway)  This takes about 3-5 hours.
During this time you need only stir the pot every so often so it is not very labor intensive.
I like to add the oregano, 4-5 bay leaves and some extra salt and pepper, perhaps some red pepper as well to taste during the last hour of cooking.
After your sauce has boiled down to the thickness you desire you just need to boil the pasta of your choice and add some sauce to it.

This recipe will give you some tasty sauce without many chunks, and good flavor from the added meat.

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