Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
When I was at home during the summer during high school and college, I loved having a garden full of fresh summer produce. One of my family's favorite recipes to make with the abundance of produce was my grandma's homemade spaghetti sauce.
What I love most about this recipe is its simplicity. Basically, you throw everything in a pot, let magic happen, blend it, and then store it! It's that simple.
I've changed the original recipe to fit my tastes, but the original integrity of the recipe remains the same. Basically, I eliminated the little bit of sugar that was added, increased the amount of carrots (because I tend to eat half of them out of the pot before it's finished cooking...), and added some extra nutrition with some leafy greens!
This recipe can be portioned out into freezer bags or mason jars and frozen. Or, if you have the ambition and extra knowledge, you can preserve or can it as well.
Ingredients:
20 large tomatoes
4 large onions, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
2 green peppers, cut into 1" pieces
4-6 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into 1" pieces
1-2 cups of kale or spinach, tore into pieces
1/2 cup fresh parsley or 1-2 Tbsp dried parsley
2 Tbsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp garlic powder or 1-2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp basil
Directions:
Core the tomatoes and place in the bottom of a large pot over medium heat.
Add all of the other vegetables and cook until they are very tender and liquid. If using kale, add right now. If using spinach, add with the seasonings later.
Add the seasonings, and cook for several minutes.
Once it has finished cooking, let it cool.
Put it in a blender or food processor until the desired consistency is achieved.
Freeze in storage bags or mason jars or can as desired.
Since I don't eat grains, I eat my sauce over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles. It is also really amazing on its own as a pureed soup! If you do want some sort of pasta, I recommend a gluten free brand that has very few ingredients. A rice or quinoa pasta might be an okay option.
xoxo Olivia
