Jack’s Spaghetti Sauce for as many people as you want.
Works well with Lasagna too.
Ingredients for four people:
(for more, divide your total guest list by 4, round up, and then multiply the numbered ingredients by the result)
1-28 oz, can Crushed Tomatoes (Italian, garlic, or herb flavored varieties OK)
1-28 oz. can Tomato Puree (flavored varieties OK)
1- 1 large bay leave
1-1 teaspoon of salt
1-1/2 teaspoon of pepper: black, red, or mix.
1-4 oz can of Mushrooms, drained (Optional)
1-1 sugar cube (or equivalent amount of sugar)
1-1 garlic clove (or dried equivalent)
1-1 pound of hot Italian Sausage
1-1 small onion (minced) or dried equivalent
1-1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Large Jar of Spicy Italian Seasoning (Tones, McCormicks, others)
Medium jar of Dried Green Peppers (or chopped up fresh Green Peppers)
Small Can of Tomato Paste (for thickening as needed, do not open unless needed).
Small Can of Tomato Sauce (for thinning as needed, do not open unless needed).
(I prefer Hunt’s or Contadina Tomato products over store brands, but store brands can work. You can make your own tomato products if you like.)
Start cooking at least 4 hours before serving. For the Sauce part you can cook it the day before, refrigerate overnight and reheat for serving.
In Large Stock Pot (size depends of size of guest list)
Pour in the crushed tomatoes
Sprinkle in a layer of Spicy Italian seasoning. No clumps, but you shouldn’t see the tomatoes. Sprinkle in a separate layer for every can of crushed tomatoes poured in.
Add bay leaves, salt, pepper, mushrooms (optional), sugar, garlic, half of the onion.
Sprinkle in dried green peppers to taste. (Optional)
Add Tomato Puree
Stir
Put lid on stock pot and simmer , stirring every half hour. The sauce can steam a little but don’t let it boil over.(Watch out for tomato geysers when removing the lid!)
This is the Marinara Sauce.
One and a half hours before serving:
Taste the marinara sauce, add seasonings to taste.
In a separate skillet, brown half the onions and the Italian sausage in olive oil, breaking the sausage into small bits. (either cut sausage links into tiny bits or crumble unlinked sausage.)
Drain, add to marinara sauce, stir.
It is no longer a marina sauce
Check the sauce consistency. If too thick, add Tomato Sauce. If too thin, add Paste.
Let simmer until serving, stirring occasionally.
Serving:
Scoop 1 cup of sauce over pasta.
I should also note that I expect people to go back for seconds and it is planned for. There should be enough sauce for seconds. This recipe produces 6-8 individual servings.
For Lasagna:
1+1/2 – 1-pound box of lasagna (about 20 lasagna noodles)
1+1/2 pound – ricotta cheese
1 pound – shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups – grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 pound of hot Italian Sausage
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
Marinara Sauce
Make a Marinara Sauce for 12. (See Above) Hold back some onions for browning the sausage.
Before adding meat, scoop out 4 cups of meat-free sauce. Set aside.
Add 1 pound of browned, shredded , drained sausage. (See Above) Stir and let simmer
Mix ricotta, mozzarella, eggs (without shell) and 1 cup parmesan in bowl, creating a cheese paste.
Grease the inside of the Lasagna Pan with Olive Oil
Boil lasagna per directions.
Pour two cups of the set aside marinara sauce in the greased lasagna pan.
Place single layer of noodles over the sauce. (5 noodles per layer, cut one to fit crannies)
Spread 1/3 of the cheese paste evenly over the noodles (if you find a way to make an even layer of cheese without messing up the noodles , let me know. I have tried using a rolling pin to make a flat layer on a cookie sheet and then transfer to pan. Sometimes it works.)
Pour 1/3 of the meat sauce evenly over the cheese paste.
Sprinkle 1/4 parmesan evenly over meat sauce
Place single layer of noodles over the sauce.
Spread 1/3 of the cheese paste evenly over the noodles
Pour 1/3 of the meat sauce evenly over the cheese.
Sprinkle 1/4 parmesan evenly over meat sauce
Place single layer of noodles over the sauce.
Spread 1/3 of the cheese paste evenly over the noodles
Pour 1/3 of the meat sauce evenly over the cheese.
Sprinkle 1/4 parmesan evenly over meat sauce
Place a layer of noodles over the sauce.
By now you should be out of cheese paste, meat sauce, and noodles
Pour remaining marina sauce over top layer of noodles, sprinkle on remaining parmesan.
Cover Lasagna Pan with Aluminum foil
Place in pre-heated oven for 45 minutes at 375 degrees F
Remove from oven, confirm cooked all the way through (dry knife when stuck in the middle)
Let set for 15 minutes, cut into 12 servings. Serve with Parmesan.