Spaghetti Sauce

I really don't like spaghetti sauce that comes in a jar.  I think I used to like it more, but in recent years I find that it is too tart and acidic for me.  A few years ago, my grandma gave my great grandmother's spaghetti sauce recipe and I've been making it ever since.  I like to use canned tomatoes without any herbs added so that I can control how strong I want the flavor of the herbs to be.  This dish is also nice because you can freeze the sauce and have it at a later time.

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 (28 oz) can of chopped tomato (no herbs added)
1/2 cup red wine
Dried Basil, to taste
Dried Oregano, to taste
Salt, to taste
Black Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Directions:
Brown the beef over medium-high heat and drain the fat.  Add the garlic and onion and cook until onions are translucent.  Add the can of chopped tomato and red wine.  Season accordingly with basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add parsley and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Let sauce cool slightly and transfer to blender to blend all the ingredients together. 

A Very Full Blender!

Lasagna

This lasagna recipe is from our friend TJ.  He made it for us when we visited him and his wife, Michele, in Wisconsin and was nice enough to pass on this delicious recipe to me.  I've made it twice so far and it's turned out perfectly delicious each time.  Thanks TJ!

Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 lb ground sweet sausage
2 cloves garlic, minched
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra
2 cups shredded Mozarella cheese
1 box lasagna noodles, no boil
2 eggs
Dried Oregano
Dried Basil
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper
28 oz. canned diced tomato, drained
15 oz canned tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine

Directions:
1. Brown meat with garlic and drain the fat.
2. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Once the paste has incorporated into the sauce, add the diced tomatoes.  Season with dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, and black pepper.  Add the red wine. 
3. Simmer the sauce until thickened.  Work at med-low to low heat, and stir frequently, approximately 35-45 minutes.

Meat Sauce

4. Place ricotta in a bowl and add eggs.  Mix thoroughly.  Add in parmesan cheese and about 1 tablespoon of oregano.  Mix until it is consistent throughout.
5. Grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan with sauce. Place noodles in the bottom (I put 3 on the bottom--left, center, and right, with 2 others centered on the gaps between the first three.)
6. Evenly spread out entire ricotta mixture.
7. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella over ricotta.
8. Cover with half of meat sauce.
9. Add another layer of noodles.
10. Cover with the rest of the meat sauce.
11. Cover the sauce with the rest of the mozzarella.  Sprinkle top with extra parmesan.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.