Bev's Magical Sauce

Rich has gone to an all-day gathering of Burlington railroad enthusiasts. He will be one happy man when he gets home this evening though because I have a big pot of Italian red sauce simmering on the stove. He LOVES this sauce. There are several favorite recipes that I prepare and freeze before we leave on each of our extended trips but whether we are at home or away, this is perhaps his favorite of all the things I've cooked through the years. Ever since we returned home from AZ, he's been hinting that I make a batch.

This is my recipe; Rich typed it up as I dictated months ago; he named it Bev's Magical Sauce©2012 ; none of my Italian friends would consider it the "real thing"; none of my Italian friends would consider each others' recipe to be the "real thing" either...these statements are true!

Here is the recipe, which is actually more like a reminder for me about how to do this...nothing is exact, as one could expect from an actual recipe. All of the ingredients are common in Italian red sauce, just not necessarily together in this combination.

Olive oil to cover bottom of large pot
Onion - finely chopped 2 or 3 large
Garlic - finely chopped (I use minced in oil from a jar)
Fennel seed
Anise seed
Del Alpi Italian seasoning

To olive oil, add and sauté onion, garlic, fennel, anise, & Del Alpi Italian seasoning. Cook slowly until onion is transparent, stir often, don’t let it burn.

The photo at the right may look like it includes meat but this pot only contains the ingredients listed above. I wanted to show that I use a LOT of these seasonings.

Add:
Contadina tomato sauce 6 15 ounce cans
Contadina tomato paste 3 cans
Half & Half
Brown Sugar

Simmer 2+ hours



The half & half and brown sugar seem to blunt the tangy, acidic tomato taste leaving a richer/deeper flavor...whatever, like I'm any kind of chef...haha...but it works for us. This sauce is thick and flavorful and it freezes beautifully. Simmer with frozen meatballs (or make your own if you're so inclined and so ambitious!) and serve with pasta; serve on meatball sandwiches; serve with Italian sausage links; add browned hamburger for a meat sauce; use in any recipe calling for spaghetti sauce.

If I could somehow post the aroma in our house right now...aaaaahhhh! Well, I'd best get busy washing breakfast dishes and wiping up all the sauce splatters in my kitchen!

Lovin' Life ~~ Cookin' In a Full-Size Kitchen! 

Bev