Meat Sauce for Pasta
Quick Cooking
"I freeze a batch of this chunky sauce when I know I'll be entertaining weekend guests," says Alberta McKay of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. "It easily defrosts and reheats for a hearty meal in no time."
SERVINGS: 14
CATEGORY: Main Dish
METHOD: Freezer
TIME: Prep: 20 min. Cook: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds bulk Italian sausage or ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce
- 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 cans (4 ounces each) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon each dried basil, chili powder and pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- Hot cooked pasta
Directions:
In a Dutch oven, cook meat and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, mushrooms, parsley and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Uncover; simmer 15 minutes longer or until sauce reaches desired consistency. Discard bay leaves. Freeze in meal-size portions.
To use frozen meat sauce: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place in a saucepan; heat through. Serve over pasta. Yield: about 14 (3/4-cup) servings.