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BASIC spaghetti sauce (alter as desired)

2 tbsp salad oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 12 oz can tomato paste
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1 bay leaf

Cook onion and garlic in oil until tender, about 10 minutes, add everything else, heat to boiling, reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer at least 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf.


BASIC MEAT sauce (alter as desired)

2 tbsp oliv oil
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 16 oz can tomatos (i like diced)
1 12 oz can tomato paste
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp oregano leaves
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne (red) pepper
1 bay leaf

Fry beef in hot oil, crumbling, until browned; drain. add onion and garlic and fry until tender, about 10 minutes. add everything else, heat to boiling, reduce heat to medium-low; partially cover and simmer at least 35 minutes until thickened. Discard bay leaf.


BASIC MARINARA sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 16-oz. can tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp salt

In oil, cook garlic and onion. Stir in everything else, reduce heat to low; cover; simmer up to one hour until thickened.

SLOPPY JOES
2 lbs. ground beef
2 tbsp margarine
1 medium onion, minced
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 14 oz. bottle ketchup
2 tbsp. steak sauce
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 c. chopped celery
salt and pepper

Brown beef in margarine. Add 1 cup water and remaining ingredients. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.


Those are very basic. I use different ones for lasagna, pasta, raviolli, etc.

Paste versus sauce...sauce is just that, similar to canned soup. Has quite a bit of liquid in it, good overall base. Paste is very thick, no real liquid, for when you want the flavor of tomato but not the liquid. They are often used in combination to give a more intense, richer, tomato flavored sauce, especially when meat or something that needs more intensity to balance it. Make sense? Mom is SO much better at describing these things.