Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Ten Minute Tomato Sauce - Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge


The chef for this week's Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge is Alexandra Guarnaschelli. In keeping with trying to make recipes based on the veggies I have left in the garden, the recipe I chose to make this week is ten minute tomato sauce. I just have not had my act together this week ... all my meals have gotten screwed up and disorganized and I almost didn't get this recipe made in time for the swap. I changed around my original plan and instead of having this sauce over meatballs on subs last night (like I had originally planned), I ended up serving it over penne with leftover sausage cut into it along with some mushrooms, peppers, zucchini and celery tonight.

Overall, I love this sauce. It is very flavourful, although perhaps a bit on the watery side for my taste. I prefer a hearty, chunkier sauce. It's a good thing I didn't end up making meatball subs because this would not have worked. I don't know if I care much for Alexandra's suggestion of serving this over steak, but I did think it was great for a quick and simple pasta sauce.

Ten Minute Tomato Sauce - modified from Alexandra Guarnaschelli
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, peeled, grated (I used 2 T minced onion because I was in a rush and had no time to bother with chopping
5 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper
4 Roma tomatoes, cored, halved and diced (I used 6 because mine were quite small)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dry oregano
2 teaspoon dry basil
1 can diced tomatoes (I used the first can of diced tomatoes that I made!)

1. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

2. Cook for about 2 minutes then add the fresh tomato, sugar basil and oregano. Stir to blend and add the canned tomatoes. Cook for an additional few minutes over high heat, stirring from time to time.

After the sauce has finished cooking, add whatever cooked veggies and/or meat you'd like to make it complete. Heat through. Serve over pasta of your choice, if desired.

Head here to see what others made this week.

6 comments:

  1. This does look good, especially with all of your added veggies! But no, it would have been a bit difficult with meatball subs.

    Thanks for linking up with FNCCC! Can't wait to see what you pick for next week~

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  2. looks tasty - like something I would like :)

    I bet if you added a can of tomato paste to the sauce it would thicken nicely. That's what I do when we use my mom's canned tomato sauce.

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  3. That looks very good. I will have to try it.

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  4. Looks delicious and thinking maybe extra cooking time would help thicken it.

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  5. I think I'm just saying the same thing that other people have said... I bet it would thicken if you let it cook longer. I get the best sauce when it can simmer for a couple of hours!

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  6. From your description, it didn't sound all that good- but then I saw your pictures- and it made it to my list of things to make! I might cook it for more than 10 minutes- we'll see. We kinda like runny sauce so we can soak it up with cheesy garlic bread . . .

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