tomato sauce

This wonderful pasta is made with nothing more than fresh tomato sauce and good ricotta, plus a little pecorino. It’s most delicious if you keep the pasta quite al dente; use just enough sauce, no more; give it a good pinch of crushed red pepper; and season it with enough salt of course. For the best results, use good quality imported noodles made from hard Durum wheat.

Pasta With Fresh Tomato Sauce and Ricotta

pasta,

Salt and pepper

butter, softened

red pepper (optional)

½ cups Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce, warm

ultra-fresh ricotta,

pecorino

Basil leaves,

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water, making sure to keep it quite al dente.

Put butter in a wide deep skillet over medium heat. Add drained pasta to the pan and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper, if using.

Add tomato sauce gradually and stir to coat pasta, using only enough sauce for a light coating (you may not need the entire 2 1/2 cups).

Transfer pasta to a warm serving bowl and dot top with spoonfuls of ricotta. Sprinkle lightly with pecorino and garnish with a few torn basil leaves.

A good Spaghetti Sauce can be used in many ways.  Make a big batch of this delicious tomato sauce and have it on hand whenever you need it.

Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce

onion

celery

carrots

olive oil

garlic (finely chopped)

tomatoes

parsley (chopped)

basil (chopped)

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Add the onion, carrots, and celery and to a food processor and chop it into small pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and saute the onion, celery, and carrots until they are soft and no liquid is being released from them.

In the middle of the softened vegetables, form a well, add the remaining olive oil, followed by the garlic.&nbsp; Allow the garlic to brown slightly (being careful not to let it burn).

Mix in the tomatoes and herbs.

Add seasoning, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.  

If you like a thinner sauce you can add it to the food processor and puree into your desired consistency or if you like a thicker sauce, skip this step.

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/jjxw4ovnb79vzsbex6ym

This recipe for Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce shows how to make spaghetti sauce from scratch right in your own kitchen.

A vegan one pot chickpea pasta dish made with a rich, smoky tomato sauce, chewy oyster mushrooms and chickpeas! Serve this simple 20-minute meal for a weeknight dinner that requires minimal preparation. Gluten-free and oil-free.&nbsp;

One Pot Chickpea Pasta (Vegan & Gluten-free)

garlic (minced)

tsp smoked paprika

oz oyster mushrooms (sliced lengthways)

oz gluten-free pasta (dry)

almond milk

tomatoes ((14 oz))

vegetable broth

tamari

chickpeas

dill (chopped (optional))

pecans (chopped (optional))

Add the garlic, onion and paprika to a non-stick saucepan and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until softened and fragrant.&nbsp;

Add the oyster mushrooms and sauté for a further 3 or so minutes, until the mushrooms start to cook down.&nbsp;

Add the pasta, almond milk, chopped tomatoes, vegetable broth and tamari. Stir everything together, cover and simmer on a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through and the liquid is thickened.&nbsp;

Stir in the chickpeas and serve immediately with fresh dill and pecans.&nbsp;

This classic lasagna is made with an easy meat sauce as the base. Layer the sauce with noodles and cheese, then bake until bubbly! This is great for feeding a big family, and freezes well, too.

Lasagna

Extra virgin olive oil

beef (chuck)

onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)

large bell pepper (green, red,

garlic,

(half a 6-oz can) tomato paste

oregano, oregano

parsley

Italian Seasoning

garlic powder and/or garlic salt

wine vinegar

sugar (to taste, optional)

Salt

Ricotta cheese

lb (24 ounces) Mozzarella cheese, grated or sliced

lb (4 ounces) Parmesan cheese

"Do you only recommend using fresh parsely?  Could I subsitute dried parsley and if so, how much?"

"This looks like a great recipe that I can handle. \r\n Almost 60 years old, somehow never made my own lasagna before. (?!) I bet $100 this one will be awesome, the recipe is well written w\/ very clear instructions, top shelf job by the writer for n00bs like me. \r\nHave bought all the ingredients and going in.\r\nI got this.\r\nI'll write a review where I screwed up ;&gt;)"

Put pasta water on to boil: Put a large pot of salted water (1 Tbsp salt for every 2 quarts of water) on the stovetop on high heat. It can take a while for a large pot of water to come to a boil (this will be your pasta water), so prepare the sauce in the next steps while the water is heating.

Brown the ground beef: In a large skillet heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until it is lightly browned on all sides.
 
Remove the beef with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Drain off all but a tablespoon of fat.

Cook the bell pepper, onions, garlic, add back the beef: Add the diced bell pepper and onions to skillet (in the photo we are using yellow bell pepper and red onions).
Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the peppers softened. Add the minced garlic and cook half a minute more.
Return the browned ground beef to the pan. Stir to combine, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes.

Transfer to medium sized pot, add tomatoes and remaining sauce ingredients to build the sauce: Transfer the beef mixture to a medium sized (3- to 4-quart) pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste to the pot.
Add the parsley, oregano, and Italian seasonings, adjusting the amounts to taste. Sprinkle with garlic powder and/or garlic salt, to taste.
Sprinkle with red or white wine vinegar. Stir in sugar, a tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition, to taste. (The amount of sugar needed will vary, depending on how acidic the tomatoes are that you are using.)
Add salt to taste, and note that you will later be adding Parmesan, which is salty.
 
Bring the sauce to a simmer and then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer.  Cook for 15 to 45 minutes, stirring often. Scrape the bottom of the pot every so often so nothing sticks to the bottom and scorches.
Remove from heat.

Boil and drain the lasagna noodles: By now the salted water you started heating in step one should be boiling. Add the dry lasagna noodles and cook them to al dente, per package directions. (Note noodles may be cooked in advance.)
Stir often to prevent from sticking. Make sure that water remains at a full rolling boil during the entire cooking to prevent noodles from sticking.
When ready, drain in a colander and rinse with cool water, gently separating any noodles that may be sticking together.

Spread a little olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet, and lay out the cooked noodles on this sheet, turning them over so that they get coated with a little of the olive oil. This will prevent them from sticking together.

Assemble the lasagna: In a 9x13-inch casserole or lasagna dish, ladle a cup of sauce and spread it over the bottom of the dish. Arrange one layer of lasagna noodles lengthwise (about 3 long noodles, edge may overlap, depending on your pan) over the sauce. Ladle a third of the remaining sauce over the noodles.
 
Sprinkle a layer of a third of the grated mozzarella on top of lasagna sauce. Add half of the ricotta cheese, by placing cheese dollops every couple inches. Sprinkle half the grated parmesan cheese evenly over the top of ricotta cheese.
 
Apply second layer of noodles, top it with half of the remaining sauce. Add half of the remaining Mozzarella, the remaining ricotta cheese, and another the remaining Parmesan.
Finish with another layer of noodles. Spread the remaining sauce over the top layer of noodles and sprinkle with the remaining Mozzarella cheese.

Bake: Cover the lasagna pan with aluminum foil, tented slightly so it doesn't touch the noodles or sauce). Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Uncover in the last 10 minutes if you'd like more of a crusty top or edges.

Cool and serve: Allow the lasagna to cool at least 15 before serving. Leftovers will keep for about 5 days. May be reheated in conventional oven or microwave. Leave aluminum tent on for storage. (Try to keep the aluminum foil from touching the sauce.)

"This was amazing.  I only used fresh oregano, thyme, a large jalapeno and lots of garlic; like 8 cloves.  The sauce was incredible.  I topped it with fresh oregano and thyme and sprinkled red pepper flakes on top.  I carmelized the top by taking the foil off the last minutes.  I also doubled the amount of meat; 2 pounds instead of one.  I took care in keeping the sauce on the salty side, instead of the sweet side."

"Sorry will not be making this again. The sugar in my opinion killed it. Didn't even add all of it and still was too much for us (all 5 of us).  Dissapointed"

"Loved this recipe! I made it with ground turkey, and doubled the sauce to ensure I wouldn’t run out and so glad I did. There was plenty left over, but it was so good it can go on top of another pasta for a different meal!"

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/video_src?vid=6005326843001

Great tomato sauce starts with great ingredients, simply cooked low and slow until complex and rich.

The Best Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce Recipe

extra-virgin olive oil,

butter

garlic, minced (about 3 tablespoons)

red pepper flakes

oregano

carrot,

onion,

basil

salt and black pepper

fish sauce (optional),

parsley or basil leaves (or a mix of the two)

Adjust oven rack to lower position and preheat oven to 300°F (165°C). Place tomatoes in a large bowl. Using your hands, crush the tomatoes by squeezing them in your fingers until pieces no larger than 1/2-inch remain. Transfer 3 cups of crushed tomatoes to a sealed container and reserve in the refrigerator until step 4.

Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until butter is melted. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add pepper flakes and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, carrot, onion, and basil, and stir to combine. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over high heat.

Cover Dutch oven with lid slightly ajar and transfer to oven. Cook, stirring once every 1 to 2 hours, until reduced by about half and darkened to a deep red, 5 to 6 hours (reduce oven temperature if the sauce is bubbling too rapidly or the browned bits begin to turn too dark).

Remove from oven. Using tongs, discard onion halves, carrots, and basil stems. Add reserved tomatoes to sauce and stir to combine. Add fish sauce, if using. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir in minced herbs along with additional olive oil as desired. Serve immediately, or allow to cool at room temperature, transfer to airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Sauce can also be frozen in sealed containers for up to 6 months. To reheat, warm very gently in a saucepan with 1/2 cup water, stirring until it all melts and heats through.

There are times when you can stand over the stove all day, slowly cooking that red sauce down. Then there are times when you need to put dinner on the table in under an hour. For those moments when convenience trumps patience, this is the red sauce to turn to. Simmered with plenty of garlic, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and basil, this sauce can be whipped up in no time but still has that deep, rich, long-cooked flavor.

Quick and Easy Italian-American Red Sauce in 40 Minutes or Less Recipe

garlic, crushed

tomato paste

Kosher salt

unsalted butter (optional)

In a large pot, combine oil and garlic and heat over moderately low heat until garlic begins to very gently sizzle. Add red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until garlic just begins to turn a light golden color, about 3 minutes. Add oregano and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until paste has softened and blended with the oil, about 3 minutes.

Stir in canned tomatoes and their juices, increase heat to medium-high, bring to a gentle simmer, then lower heat to maintain. Using an immersion blender, blend tomatoes until sauce is smooth. (Alternatively, blend tomatoes in a standard blender before adding to pot)

Add basil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced slightly and tastes rich, about 30 minutes. Season with salt.

Discard basil. Stir in butter, if using, until melted. Use sauce right away, or allow to cool to room temperature, transfer to sealed containers and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Delicate sheets of handmade pasta are layered with rich béchamel, savory tomato sauce and creamy ricotta filling, and studded with spinach and herbs, in this deeply comforting lasagna. But if you don’t have the time to make each component or can’t find all of the ingredients, use fresh or dried store-bought noodles and avail yourself of the many suggested substitutions. For a vegan version, use cashew milk and vegan butter to make béchamel, vegan cheese and cashew ricotta for the filling, and make sure to buy dried pasta that does not contain eggs. No matter how you make this dish, you’ll find that it’s grand, comforting and perfect for sharing with whoever is around. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=278&v=GLma4QPNSyg">Watch Samin make #TheBigLasagna on YouTube.</a>)

The Big Lasagna

extra-virgin olive oil

salt

whole-milk or part-skim ricotta (about 4 cups)

basil leaves

unsalted butter (1 stick)

all-purpose flour

milk

black pepper

Ground nutmeg (optional)

Simple Tomato Sauce

recipe

Parmesan, Asiago

Prepare the ricotta filling: If using fresh spinach, set a large skillet over high heat. (If using thawed frozen spinach, skip to Step 2.) When hot, add 2 tablespoons oil and half the fresh spinach. Season with a pinch of salt and sauté to wilt. Cook until stems are tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and allow to cool in a single layer. Repeat with remaining spinach.

While spinach cools, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil and a generous pinch of salt in a large bowl.

Taking handfuls of the cooled or thawed spinach, squeeze out as much water as possible, then chop finely and add to cheese mixture. Mix thoroughly, then taste and adjust seasoning for salt. (Filling makes about 6 cups.) Cover and set aside until ready to assemble lasagna. (Ricotta filling can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before assembling lasagna.)

Prepare the béchamel: Set a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add butter. Once butter has melted, whisk in flour, reduce heat to very low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent browning. After the mixture foams a bit, it will visibly transform — the butter will separate, the bubbles will reduce in size, and the mixture will look like freshly wet fine sand. Whisking vigorously, slowly pour in milk. Increase heat to medium and whisk until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg (if using) to taste.

Return heat to low. Continue cooking, whisking regularly, for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and smooth, with no raw flour flavor. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. If béchamel is lumpy, strain through a fine sieve or purée with an immersion blender. (You’ll have about 3 1/2 cups.) Press a piece of parchment or plastic against the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming and set aside until ready to assemble lasagna. (Béchamel can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered directly and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before using.)

Prepare the lasagna: Position the highest rack in the oven so that it sits about 6 inches below the top. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

If tomato sauce, béchamel and ricotta filling are cold, bring to room temperature or warm them as needed.

Set a large pot of water over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Set a large colander in a baking dish and place near stove.

Season the boiling water generously with salt until it tastes like sea water. Carefully lay one sheet of pasta on the water’s surface. Let it be completely immersed in the boiling water, using a slotted spoon to gently it push down if needed, before adding the next sheet. Add two more pasta sheets in this way and cook for about 2 minutes, or until light in color, floppy in texture and completely cooked through. If pasta bubbles above the water's surface, use a slotted spoon to encourage it back in. Use a sieve to gently remove pasta from the water and into the prepared colander. Rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle, then begin assembly. Continue cooking, draining and rinsing pasta two or three sheets at a time as you assemble lasagna.

Spoon about 3/4 cup béchamel into a 9-by-13-inch metal, glass or ceramic baking pan, and use a rubber spatula or your hands to generously coat bottom and sides of pan with sauce.

Gently squeezing any remaining water from the pasta, use two or three sheets to entirely cover the bottom of the pan with minimal overlap, and leave ends hanging over sides. (They’ll be helpful for sealing the top.) All four sides need not have overhang; two is plenty.

Crumble about 1/3 of the ricotta mixture evenly over pasta to create foundation, then layer with sheets of pasta from edge to edge of pan. Use kitchen shears to help trim pasta to appropriate size and avoid overlap.

Spread about 1/3 of the tomato sauce over next layer and cover with pasta.

Spread about 1 cup béchamel evenly over next layer, sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, and cover with pasta.

Repeat with remaining layers: ricotta, tomato sauce, béchamel and Parmesan, ricotta, tomato sauce, béchamel and Parmesan, following each with a layer of pasta. (If using thicker noodles, you might not be able to fit 8 layers of noodles in the pan. If using store-bought or dried pasta, you can skip the noodle layer between the ricotta and tomato sauce as needed to prevent the lasagna from stretching higher than the top of the pan.)

For the top, fold overhanging pasta over a whole sheet to create a sealed pasta layer, then spread with remaining béchamel. Gently cover lasagna with a piece of parchment and wrap tightly with foil. Place onto a baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake on prepared rack.

After 40 minutes, pull lasagna from oven and carefully remove foil and parchment. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella and return to oven until golden brown and bubbling on surface, about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Leftover lasagna can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 4 days. To freeze, bake 30 minutes but do not brown, then cool, and freeze for up to 4 weeks. Defrost, then sprinkle with mozzarella and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling on surface.

Equal parts indulgent and virtuous, this meatless lasagna from Mark Bittman will please everyone at the table. Serve it with a green salad on a weeknight, or alongside a platter of meatballs for Sunday dinner. And listen: We won't tell anyone if you use no-boil noodles or frozen spinach. It's all good either way.

Spinach Lasagna

lasagna noodles

extra virgin olive oil

ricotta

mozzarella

Parmesan

Salt and black pepper

If you're using dried pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. If you're using fresh pasta sheets, cut them into long wide noodles approximately 3 inches by 13 inches, or a size that will fit into your lasagna dish. Cook the noodles (6 at a time for dried noodles) until they are tender but still underdone (they will finish cooking as the lasagna bakes); fresh pasta will take only a minute. Drain and then lay the noodles flat on a towel so they won't stick.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a rectangular baking dish with the olive oil, add a large dollop of tomato sauce and spread it around. Put a layer of noodles (use four) in the dish, trimming any overhanging edges; top with a layer of tomato sauce, one-third of the spinach, and one-fourth of the ricotta (use your fingers to spread it evenly), the mozzarella and the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Repeat the layers twice, and top with the remaining noodles, tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan; the top should be covered with cheese; add more ricotta and Parmesan as needed. (The lasagna may be made ahead to this point, wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to a day or frozen. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest a few minutes before serving, or cool completely, cover well, and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze.

A classic Italian-American Parmesan — a casserole of fried, breaded meat or eggplant covered with tomato sauce and molten cheese — is all about balance. You need a bracing a tomato sauce to cut out the fried richness, while a milky, mild mozzarella rounds out the Parmesan’s tang. Baked until brown-edged and bubbling, it’s classic comfort food — hearty, gooey and satisfying. Although chicken or veal cutlets are the standard, boneless, skinless chicken thighs make a more flavorful alternative. Pork or turkey cutlets work nicely here, too.

Chicken Parmesan

eggs

panko bread crumbs, as needed

Kosher salt, as needed

Black pepper, as needed

Olive oil,

Parmesan,

fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-sized pieces

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place cutlets between two pieces of parchment or plastic wrap. Using a kitchen mallet or rolling pin, pound meat to even 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Place flour, eggs and panko into three wide, shallow bowls. Season meat generously with salt and pepper. Dip a piece in flour, then eggs, then coat with panko. Repeat until all the meat is coated.

Fill a large skillet with 1/2-inch oil. Place over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, fry cutlets in batches, turning halfway through, until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle one-third of the Parmesan over sauce. Place half of the cutlets over the Parmesan and top with half the mozzarella pieces. Top with half the remaining sauce, sprinkle with another third of the Parmesan, and repeat layering, ending with a final layer of sauce and Parmesan.

Transfer pan to oven and bake until cheese is golden and casserole is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Here is the archetype of a thin-crust pizza pie, a pizza margherita adorned simply in the colors of the Italian flag: green from basil, white from mozzarella, red from tomato sauce. This pizza is adapted from the recipe used by the staff at Roberta’s restaurant in Brooklyn, who make their tomato sauce simply by whizzing together canned tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. The ingredients offer in their proportions what appears to be a kind of austerity — not even 3 ounces of cheese! But the result is home-cooked pizza to beat the band, exactly the sort of recipe to start a career in home pizza-making, and to return to again and again.

Pizza Margherita

pizza dough, stretched (see recipe)

tomato sauce (see note)

Place a pizza stone or tiles on the middle rack of your oven and turn heat to its highest setting. Let it heat for at least an hour.

Put the sauce in the center of the stretched dough and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly across the surface, stopping approximately 1/2 inch from the edges.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the pie. Break the cheese into large pieces and place these gently on the sauce. Scatter basil leaves over the top.

Using a pizza peel, pick up the pie and slide it onto the heated stone or tiles in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, approximately 4 to 8 minutes.

You don’t need hours to simmer tomato sauce. This recipe shows you how to make an excellent one in 30 minutes, with 5 ingredients, in 1 pan, with very little effort.

Quick 5-Ingredient Tomato Sauce

garlic cloves, smashed

unsalted butter

Bon Appétit

Purée tomatoes in a food processor until they’re as smooth or chunky as you like. Transfer tomatoes to a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot. (Or, use an immersion blender and blend directly in pot.) Add garlic, oil, and a 5-finger pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by about one-third, about 20 minutes. Stir in butter.

Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 5 days ahead; cover and chill. Or let cool to room temperature and freeze up to 3 months.

Classic homemade pizza recipe, including pizza dough and toppings, step-by-step instructions with photos.  Make perfect pizza at home!

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