Makin' Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I remember a time... when I thought spaghetti sauce came from a bottle, and that the way to do make spaghetti was to boil some noodles, cook some hamburger, add the sauce and when it was done, voila' that was it.

Simple, yes, but what about all of the exciting possibilities of making your own sauce?

Well, that was the question that I had a few years ago as I explored ways to simplify my pantry, and become more self reliant.

So today as I was pulling together a simple spaghetti sauce for lunch, I thought of the little journey that I went on to get to that point.

When I decided that I wanted to learn, I looked at the recipe in my Betty Crocker cook book and thought, "Oi' that's complicated!" So I put off trying it for a while, until I overheard a sister in a relief society meeting, describe how her mom had taught her to make spaghetti sauce.

My ears perked up and I caught up to her after the meeting to ask if she would teach me.

We made a plan, she would get things prepped for dinner at her house and I would come over, help and eat dinner with them.

So I went over to her house, she had a bunch of vegetables grated up, and diced, ready to use for the sauce. She threw them all into the pan of warm olive oil and let them caramelize, and a glorious scent filled the house!! My mouth was watering.

Then she added a couple of cans of tomatoes (and explained that she didn't salt her sauce until the end, especially when using canned tomatoes, because they are often preserved with salt). She let that simmer, added a bunch of spices, a touch of brown sugar, and threw together a quick basil pesto sauce as well!!

I helped where I could, mostly keeping the kidlets from running amok, and we ate together with her husband when he got home from work.

This was one of the most delicious spaghetti dishes that I have ever eaten. Tanya and I became good friends afterwards and often went on walks together, until she moved up to Salt Lake City and I lost track of her. :(

But this is not the end of the delicious spaghetti tale. No, not at all...

I had it in mind, that I wanted to be able to make my own pasta as well!! ;D

I know, I am a bit fanatical *grin*

So I got a pasta attachment for my wheat grass juicer (;D;P) and mixed me up a batch of home made spaghetti. This delicious delicacy came out of the machine (with constant care and flouring to avoid the noodles sticking together) and right into the boiling water!! It was quite an operation, the whole family got into it.

That, combined with my own homemade pasta sauce (using fresh tomatoes) made my spaghetti dinner that night, the most delicious meal that I had ever eaten!!

Too bad I cannot eat those gluten filled wheat noodles now. :( A challenge perhaps, to find a good recipe for home made GF noodles... yes siree, I like a challenge. ;p

Here is the recipe for my Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Perhaps I will share with you the time that I decided to learn how to make homemade tamale's (an even more entertaining tale). ;p