Recipes on a Budget: Tomato Sauce

nassaunewslive ^ | 01 May 2009 09 | Patricia Kreiser

[JoeProBono]

Have you noticed the price of a jar of tomato sauce? A 16-ounce jar of sauce can run you about $4 (unless you follow Nassau News Live’s “Food on a Budget," then you can find the best deals around!)

Don’t forget: you don’t have to spend the most money to get the best taste. Sometimes, your own recipes can taste even better than your favorite brands!

Whatever the case, you can make your own sauce in larger quantities at a fraction of the cost (and tomato sauce freezes well, so you don’t have to eat it by the half-ton). My mom makes her own sauce now, and it’s a treat to have fresh chicken Parmesan with homemade tomato sauce.

I’m going to share a basic sauce recipe with you. Adjust the recipe to your own tastes and enjoy the savings!

[JoeProBono]

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 carrots, finely chopped (Yes, I said carrots. Trust me, it’s good!)

1 onion, finely chopped (I prefer Vidalia onions)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or you can buy it pre-chopped in jars)

3 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste (I go with about ¾ teaspoons of salt and ¼ of black pepper)

What to do:

•In a BIG pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it’s hot.

Add the carrots and onions and cook until the veggies are tender. Add the garlic in, and stir.

While the veggies are cooking, put your crushed tomatoes in a bowl, crush them even more.

Add the tomatoes and their puree, salt and pepper to the pot. Cook on high heat until it’s nearly boiling, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes Uncover and let simmer on medium/high heat for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now, this should make about 10 cups of sauce, which should last you a while. If you don’t plan on using the whole batch in one go, put some in a Tupperware container or freezer bag and freeze it. It can last for about a month.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[Rembrandt]

This sauce recipe reminds me that Bommie the Commie and cohorts are getting themselves into a pickle and will soon be in the soup. Of course, many gastronomists might not wish to talk about foodie things on this net, but they’re bananas.

[JoeProBono]

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Boil hot dogs, reserve water

Eat hot dogs

Add onion skins and carrot peels to reserved water

Bring reserved water, skins and peels to a low boil

Enjoy your weiner-water soup!!

[JoeProBono]

[GSP.FAN]

[Hugin]

Oddly, 32 oz. spaghetti sauce can be found at dollar stores, but plain tomato sauce is a dollar for a 16 oz. can. Go figure. I pretty much just use the former in recipes now.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[FlJoePa]

I like to make my own sauce as well (usually from fresh roma tomatoes), but Hunts in a can is a little over a dollar a can (26 oz.) and tastes better than any of the expensive sauces in a jar. The “Four Cheese” version is my favorite and I use it in my lasagna.

[Mr Rogers]

3 cans of tomato paste. Add warm water to taste.

I’m an amazing cook!

In a hurry? Ragu. Tastes just like Mom’s cooking.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[JoanneSD]

Good ole wal mart had ragu for 1.25 last week but I prefer the hunts or del monte in the can,walmart 89 cents, some times can pick them up for 59 cents at the military commissary, and I stock up till the next sale..4 cheeses is a good choice...

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Why are you doing this to me - it’s late and now I want spaghetti!