i'm turning italiano.

I promise to start blogging about Landon soon, but for now you'll have to be happy with this!

homemade marinara- makes 8 16 ounce servings to freeze
Olive oil
Shallots or Onions
Fresh Garlic
4 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
2 14.5 ounce cans stewed Italian tomatoes
1 12 ounce can of Tomato Paste
Parsley
Oregano
Basil
Garlic Powder
2 Bay Leaves
Salt
Pepper
½ tsp. Crushed red pepper
½ cup Chicken Stock (or white wine)
1 Tblsp. Brown Sugar

Drizzle olive oil to coat bottom of pan and sauté up your minced garlic and shallots until they are nice and soft. I use shallots, because we prefer them, but onions are fine. In the mean time I get my Crock Pot heating up…pour in the cans of tomatoes and tomato paste. Add Oregano, Basil, Parsley, Garlic Powder, Bay Leaves, Salt and Pepper to taste. Be sure to pulverize your spices in the palm of your hands if you use dried ones. I don’t measure anything exactly, I just go by whatever tastes good. Pour in your sautéed garlic and shallots.


Add the tiniest bit of Crushed Red Pepper, but it makes all the difference.
Add Chicken Stock and Brown Sugar. Stir Well.





Heat on low for about 2 hours stirring occasionally. When heated thru remove the Bay Leaves. Let cool. Add to freezer safe bags. I do around 16-17 ounces a bag. This will stay well frozen for a year, but I tend to do a 6 month supply. For me it made 8 bags of sauce- we don’t eat pasta often so this will last us. If it is “good” tomato season I use fresh tomatoes…peeled cooked up and blended down in the food processor. To use pull out a bag the day before you need it and let it thaw in your fridge.

Here is a little recipe to use this tasty sauce in:

Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce. Serves 4.
½ of a 16 ounce package of pasta shells
2 cups Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
8 ounces Shredded Mozzarella
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 egg
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Parsley
1 tsp. Pepper
16 ounces Marinara Sauce
1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees



Cook the shells according to package directions. We prefer al dente, so I usually take a minute or two off of the cook time. Drain and plunge them in to cold water. Remove from water and let them sit to dry while you prepare the rest.

Brown your meat in some garlic, onion, salt and pepper and add it to your sauce so that flavors can combine.


Mix together ricotta, mozzarella, ½ cup parmesan, egg, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, pepper to taste. Put this mixture in to a plastic bag and cut the end off. Pipe the mixture in to your shells. Pour ¼ of your marinara in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Put in the shells in close together. Pour the rest of the marinara and the remaining half cup of Parmesan on top.



Cook for 30 minutes.

I don’t have an after photo, because we started eating them…So Enjoy….Landon LOVES them!
(You can also add spinach, finely chopped mushrooms or carrots in to your mixture…or more cheese!)