Spaghetti Sauce Time!
Feb. 18th, 2011 06:49 pmAbout three months ago my sister
sunshine_shaman and I made us some spaghetti sauce, and took pictures so we could show y’all how to make our famously amazing sauce. Since then, she’s been after me to post it. “For crying out loud,” she said. “People are putting olives in their sauce! They must be stopped!”
This is true. The word of Grandma’s Spaghetti Sauce must be spread. So, by god, it is time to stop procrastinating and MAKE SOME DAMN SAUCE.

Here is what you’ll need:
-4-5 12-oz cans of tomato paste. The family insists that Contadina is the best, but it’s tough to find around here, so Hunt’s will work for today.
-3 cans of water to every can of paste
-1 green pepper
-1½ cup sliced mushrooms
-4 large garlic cloves
-olive oil
And then the really important stuff …

Seasonings!
-2 2/3 Tbsp salt
-1 ½ Tbsp Italian seasoning
-1 Tbsp dried oregano
-1 Tbsp parsley
-4 Tbsp basil
-¾ tsp ground cinnamon (I’ve got it in the same bowl as the cloves here, because I ran out of little bowls)
-¾ tsp ground cloves
-dash of pepper (in with the salt in this photo)
-6 bay leaves (not pictured)
All of these measurements were obtained in a somewhat roundabout way: Grandma never measured, she’d just pinch and dash. So one time when she made this sauce, Mom would stop her before she actually tossed each seasoning into the pot, measure the amount, and write it down. So yeah, it’s variable.
Two more thing you’ll need, in case you haven’t guessed already. First, you are going to need a big damn pot. This recipe makes a lot of sauce. It’s got to reduce, you see, so you start with a ton. But don’t worry: your friends will be appy to take home leftovers. If you don’t have friends, you will once you make this.
The second thing you will need is time. Start this midmorning, or you will have spaghetti juice instead of spaghetti sauce.
Anyway.
( Turn that stuff into sauce! )
If you don’t want meatballs you can leave it now. Cover it with a splatter shield if you’ve got one, reduce the heat to low, and let that puppy sit there for five or six hours.
But seriously, who doesn’t want meatballs? Come on, let’s make some meatballs while the sauce is just starting to simmer.
( Meatballs! )
Now serve it! I like garlic bread on the side with mine, but that’s optional. And don’t forget the parmesan!

One last word of warning: don’t eat all of this at once. It’s tempting, but it never turns out well. If worst comes to worst, you can freeze the sauce—yes, it’s not quite as good, but hey, it’s still damn fine sauce!
There you have it. If y’all insist on making inferior spaghetti sauce after I have shown you the light, that’s your problem. But give this a shot! It’s fun to make, and damn tasty. See if I'm wrong.
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This is true. The word of Grandma’s Spaghetti Sauce must be spread. So, by god, it is time to stop procrastinating and MAKE SOME DAMN SAUCE.

Here is what you’ll need:
-4-5 12-oz cans of tomato paste. The family insists that Contadina is the best, but it’s tough to find around here, so Hunt’s will work for today.
-3 cans of water to every can of paste
-1 green pepper
-1½ cup sliced mushrooms
-4 large garlic cloves
-olive oil
And then the really important stuff …

Seasonings!
-2 2/3 Tbsp salt
-1 ½ Tbsp Italian seasoning
-1 Tbsp dried oregano
-1 Tbsp parsley
-4 Tbsp basil
-¾ tsp ground cinnamon (I’ve got it in the same bowl as the cloves here, because I ran out of little bowls)
-¾ tsp ground cloves
-dash of pepper (in with the salt in this photo)
-6 bay leaves (not pictured)
All of these measurements were obtained in a somewhat roundabout way: Grandma never measured, she’d just pinch and dash. So one time when she made this sauce, Mom would stop her before she actually tossed each seasoning into the pot, measure the amount, and write it down. So yeah, it’s variable.
Two more thing you’ll need, in case you haven’t guessed already. First, you are going to need a big damn pot. This recipe makes a lot of sauce. It’s got to reduce, you see, so you start with a ton. But don’t worry: your friends will be appy to take home leftovers. If you don’t have friends, you will once you make this.
The second thing you will need is time. Start this midmorning, or you will have spaghetti juice instead of spaghetti sauce.
Anyway.
( Turn that stuff into sauce! )
If you don’t want meatballs you can leave it now. Cover it with a splatter shield if you’ve got one, reduce the heat to low, and let that puppy sit there for five or six hours.
But seriously, who doesn’t want meatballs? Come on, let’s make some meatballs while the sauce is just starting to simmer.
( Meatballs! )
Now serve it! I like garlic bread on the side with mine, but that’s optional. And don’t forget the parmesan!

One last word of warning: don’t eat all of this at once. It’s tempting, but it never turns out well. If worst comes to worst, you can freeze the sauce—yes, it’s not quite as good, but hey, it’s still damn fine sauce!
There you have it. If y’all insist on making inferior spaghetti sauce after I have shown you the light, that’s your problem. But give this a shot! It’s fun to make, and damn tasty. See if I'm wrong.