I am Italian. Have I mentioned that? I am sure I have! LOL! Last night, we headed over to a girls night, covered dish event. So did I bring to the event?! Italian, of course! The Best Italian Meatballs (recipe listed in the Happy New Year post) with My Big Italian Sauce. The recipe is listed below, along with its sister recipe, My Italian Sauce, which makes a bit less sauce. When I make sauce, I like to make a lot. Why? There are many reasons. First, it takes the same amount of time to make a small sauce as it does to make a large sauce so if I am going to make a sauce, I might as well make a large amount. This way I have enough to use for the current need, in this case to smother The Best Italian Meatballs, and still have enough to give a jar to a friend or two, freeze a jar or two or store some in the fridge so when I have a need for linguine and sauce for dinner, I am prepared. I like to be prepared. Not just for dinner but for when the enemy attacks. Ephesians 6:10-11 says:
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Wow! The whole armor of God! I was reading in James earlier today on resisting the devil. So I not only have to be prepared with the whole armor of God, but I have to learn how to resist Satan.
James 4:6-10
6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives
grace to the humble.” Humility Cures Worldliness.
7Therefore, submit to God; Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your
joy to gloom.
10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
As I began making the sauce, I began thinking about the bay leaves that I add to the sauce and how it compares to the words written in James. In my own words in the recipe:
"Bay leaf takes the acidity and bitterness from the tomatoes to give the sauce a
much smoother, sweeter flavor profile."
Now compare the bay leaf information to the words in James. When I humble myself and acknowledge my sin before God, then He will lift me up in honor! In other words, my impure heart that is full of sin or acid, is like a tomato that is bitter with acid. I humble myself and turn to God and He gives me grace, cleanses my heart with sweetness and grace. The bay leaf assists in removing the bitterness from an acidic tomato to create a smoother, sweeter flavor profile. So I, by humbling myself before God, now have a smoother, sweeter flavor profile. How cool is that? This, then gives me JOY instead of gloom and sorrow. You just gotta love it because this goes right back to the scripture that represents this blog, John 15:11:
These things I have spoken to you, that my JOY may remain in you, and that your
JOY may be full.
Isn’t it amazing how the words of God shows me one thing, which leads to another thing which leads to yet another one, in this case JOY!
God is Good; All the time!
Priscilla
My Big Italian Tomato Sauce
This makes four plus quarts of sauce.
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, minced or chopped
4-8 cloves of garlic, minced
6 pounds fresh Roma tomatoes, pureed in a food processor
or
3 - 4 28 oz cans organic crushed or pureed tomatoes
4 cups plus water
1 tablespoon salt or more to taste
1-2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tablespoons oregano
3 tablespoons basil
1-2 teaspoons rosemary
2-3 tablespoons parsley or cilantro
1 to 3 shakes red pepper flakes, optional
4-6 bay leaf
1-2 parmesan cheese rinds, optional
4 6 oz cans tomato paste - optional
Preparing fresh tomatoes:
Whereas any tomato can be turned into a thick and rich tomato sauce, Roma’s are the best because they are more meaty than other tomatoes. This allows you to cook them from raw into a phenomenal sauce without having to add in tomato paste. I like tomato paste but sometimes it’s not needed. Now, grab a Roma tomato and quarter it, then cut each quarter in half. In a food processor or in a blender, add as many chunks as will fit in your processor or blender. Turn the machine on high and turn those beautiful chunks into a lovely, thick puree. Add the puree into a bowl and repeat the process. Once all the tomatoes are pureed, start the sauce.
Prepare the onions and garlic by chopping or mincing them. Have the spices and seasonings ready and If you are using cans of crushed or pureed tomatoes, open the cans now.
In a large pot with a lid, preheat the olive oil on medium high. I add a couple small pieces of onion immediately and when they begin to sizzle, you know it’s time to add the rest of the onions. Stir them around to evenly distribute the olive oil and then turn the heat to medium low. Stir constantly to prevent them from burning. Once they are translucent and just before they begin to brown, add the garlic. Stir them around to mix them in with the onions. In about one minute, add the crushed tomatoes. Now to add the water: If you are using cans of crushed or pureed tomatoes, once you have poured the contents of the cans into the pot, half fill each can with water. Slosh or stir the water around to grab any missed tomato left in the can. This is about 4 cups of water. Stir the water into the tomato mixture to blend. Now add all of the seasonings and blend well. Add the bay leaf. Why do I add four to six bay leaf? Bay leaf takes the acidity and bitterness from the tomatoes to give the sauce a much smoother, sweeter flavor profile. I like a more “sweet” sauce so I add more bay leaves. No sugar needed! Now add the cheese rinds. The cheese rinds are optional. They add another flavor dimension to the sauce. There is not enough cheese on the rind to turn it into a cheesy sauce, but there is enough flavor to boost to an above and beyond YUM!
Turn the heat to medium high to get the sauce to a boil. Once it’s reached this point, immediately take it down to a simmer. I turn the heat down to a low. You want the sauce to move, with a slight bubble so that when you take the lid off to stir, it is bubbling but not splattering the entire stove. If it is splattering the heat is too high and the sauce could burn. Put a lid on it! The lid will keep the heat needed inside the pot. In about 30 minutes, give the sauce a deep stir, scraping the bottom of the pot, especially if there is a cheese rind in the pot. The cheese rinds are heavy so they sink to the bottom and will stay there forever, if you allow them! Lid back on, timer set for another 30 minutes. I keep my sauce rolling on the heat for up to 3 hours. Why? Because the longer it simmers, the richer and thicker it becomes. This is because the water that was added to assist in blending the flavors has boiled down.
Tasting and thickening: After an hour, taste the sauce. If you like the flavor and thickness of the sauce, it’s done.
If it is thick enough but needs more seasoning, add it now. Once you have the flavor profile perfected, replace the lid and simmer the sauce for a final five to ten minutes.You may have to turn up the heat to get it back to a simmer. When that timer goes off, you are done! Turn off the timer, turn off the heat.
If it’s too thin, add tomato paste. You can add this, one can at a time or all at once. I like a thick sauce, so I open four cans, and add in all four cans. (A general rule of thumb is for each 28 ounce can of crushed or pureed tomatoes, you would use one 6 ounce can of tomato paste.) Now, using a rubber spatula, scrape out all of the rich, thick paste from the can, and stir it into the sauce, making sure you “smash” the lumps of tomato paste to break it up. Repeat with each can, blending it well. Taste the sauce. It may need a bit more seasoning since you’ve added in more tomatoes. Once you have the flavor profile perfected, replace the lid and simmer the sauce for a final five to ten minutes.You may have to turn up the heat to get it back to a simmer. When that timer goes off, you are done! Turn off the timer, turn off the heat.
Now make your pasta or a lasagna or a pizza! The left over sauce may be stored in a glass jar and refrigerated for up to two weeks. Once the sauce is cooled, fill the jars. The sauce may also be kept in the freezer for up to two months. Remember to only fill the jar 6/8 full if you are planning to freeze the sauce. The sauce will expand when frozen and this prevents the jar from breaking. How do you measure 6/8? I don’t! I fill the jar and leave about an inch and a half from the very top of the jar. This is about 6/8 full, give or take!
And what about that cheese rind? This is my favorite part. Once the sauce is ready, but before it is cooled, I take that soft, gooey cheese rind and place it into a bowl with some of that freshly made, thick and rich tomato sauce. Using a spoon, I scrape off that yummy, cheesy goodness and EAT IT! Yum! An appetizer for me! A gift for the chief cook.
My Italian Tomato Sauce - Small Sauce
This makes up to two plus quarts of sauce.
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced or chopped
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
3 pounds fresh Roma tomatoes, pureed in a food processor
or
2 28 oz cans organic crushed or pureed tomatoes
2 cups plus water
2 teaspoons salt or more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1-2 tablespoons basil
1 teaspoon rosemary
1-2 tablespoons parsley or cilantro
1 to 2 shakes red pepper flakes, optional
2-4 bay leaf
1 parmesan cheese rinds, optional
2 6 oz cans organic tomato paste
Preparing fresh tomatoes:
Whereas any tomato can be turned into a thick and rich tomato sauce, Roma’s are the best because they are more meaty than other tomatoes. This allows you to cook them from raw into a phenomenal sauce without having to add in tomato paste. I like tomato paste but sometimes it’s not needed. Now, grab a Roma tomato and quarter it, then cut each quarter in half. In a food processor or in a blender, add as many chunks as will fit in your processor or blender. Turn the machine on high and turn those beautiful chunks into a lovely, thick puree. Add the puree into a bowl and repeat the process. Once all the tomatoes are pureed, start the sauce.
Prepare the onions and garlic by chopping or mincing them. Have the spices and seasonings ready and If you are using cans of crushed or pureed tomatoes, open the cans now.
In a large pot with a lid, preheat the olive oil on medium high. I add a couple small pieces of onion immediately and when they begin to sizzle, you know it’s time to add the rest of the onions. Stir them around to evenly distribute the olive oil and then turn the heat to medium low. Stir constantly to prevent them from burning. Once they are translucent and just before they begin to brown, add the garlic. Stir them around to mix them in with the onions. In about one minute, add the crushed tomatoes. Now to add the water: If you are using cans of crushed or pureed tomatoes, once you have poured the contents of the cans into the pot, half fill each can with water. Slosh or stir the water around to grab any missed tomato left in the can. This is about 2 cups of water. Stir the water into the tomato mixture to blend. Now add all of the seasonings and blend well. Add the bay leaf. Why do I add two to four bay leaf? Bay leaf takes the acidity and bitterness from the tomatoes to give the sauce a much smoother, sweeter flavor profile. I like a more “sweet” sauce so I add more bay leaves. No sugar needed! Now add the cheese rinds. The cheese rinds are optional. They add another flavor dimension to the sauce. There is not enough cheese on the rind to turn it into a cheesy sauce, but there is enough flavor to boost to an above and beyond YUM!
Turn the heat to medium high to get the sauce to a boil. Once it’s reached this point, immediately take it down to a simmer. I turn the heat down to a low. You want the sauce to move, with a slight bubble so that when you take the lid off to stir, it is bubbling but not splattering the entire stove. If it is splattering the heat is too high and the sauce could burn. Put a lid on it! The lid will keep the heat needed inside the pot. In about 30 minutes, give the sauce a deep stir, scraping the bottom of the pot, especially if there is a cheese rind in the pot. The cheese rinds are heavy so they sink to the bottom and will stay there forever, if you allow them! Lid back on, timer set for another 30 minutes. I keep my sauce rolling on the heat for up to 3 hours. Why? Because the longer it simmers, the richer and thicker it becomes. This is because the water that was added to assist in blending the flavors has boiled down.
Tasting and thickening: After an hour, taste the sauce. If you like the flavor and thickness of the sauce, it’s done.
If it is thick enough but needs more seasoning, add it now. Once you have the flavor profile perfected, replace the lid and simmer the sauce for a final five to ten minutes.You may have to turn up the heat to get it back to a simmer. When that timer goes off, you are done! Turn off the timer, turn off the heat.
If it’s too thin, add tomato paste. You can add this, one can at a time or all at once. I like a thick sauce, so I open four cans, and add in all four cans. (A general rule of thumb is for each 28 ounce can of crushed or pureed tomatoes, you would use one 6 ounce can of tomato paste.) Now, using a rubber spatula, scrape out all of the rich, thick paste from the can, and stir it into the sauce, making sure you “smash” the lumps of tomato paste to break it up. Repeat with each can, blending it well. Taste the sauce. It may need a bit more seasoning since you’ve added in more tomatoes. Once you have the flavor profile perfected, replace the lid and simmer the sauce for a final five to ten minutes.You may have to turn up the heat to get it back to a simmer. When that timer goes off, you are done! Turn off the timer, turn off the heat.
Now make your pasta or a lasagna or a pizza! The left over sauce may be stored in a glass jar and refrigerated for up to two weeks. Once the sauce is cooled, fill the jars. The sauce may also be kept in the freezer for up to two months. Remember to only fill the jar 6/8 full if you are planning to freeze the sauce. The sauce will expand when frozen and this prevents the jar from breaking. How do you measure 6/8? I don’t! I fill the jar and leave about an inch and a half from the very top of the jar. This is about 6/8 full, give or take!
The left over sauce may be stored in a glass jar and refrigerated for up to two weeks. Once the sauce is cooled, fill the jars. The sauce may also be kept in the freezer for up to two months. Remember to only fill the jar 6/8 full if you are planning to freeze the sauce. The sauce will expand when frozen and this prevents the jar from breaking. How do you measure 6/8? I don’t! I fill the jar and leave about an inch and a half from the very top of the jar. This is about 6/8 full, give or take!
And what about that cheese rind? This is my favorite part. Once the sauce is ready, but before it is cooled, I take that soft, gooey cheese rind and place it into a bowl with some of that freshly made, thick and rich tomato sauce. Using a spoon, I scrape off that yummy, cheesy goodness and EAT IT! Yum! An appetizer for me! A gift for the chief cook.
