Create Homemade Sauces to Call your Own

To create your own family dishes, here are two basic sauce recipes. Feel free to add as many additional ingredients to them as you want, and be sure to pass them to the next generation.

HOMEMADE PASTA SAUCE 
Prep Time : 10 min.
Cooking Time: 15 min.
Servings : 4 to 6

This is your basic pasta sauce, great for spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna or countless other dishes. Try adding fresh or dried basil, parsley, oregano and other herbs and spices, chopped onions, minced garlic, mushrooms, peppers, celery or anything else that sounds tasty. Also, instead of using beef, you can try substituting ground turkey, chopped Italian sausage or go meatless.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. ground beef
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) DEL MONTE ^® Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano
1 can (8 oz.) DEL MONTE Tomato Sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown meat in large skillet; drain.
2. Add undrained tomatoes and tomato sauce.
3. Add your ingredients.
4. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over pasta.

HOMEMADE MEATBALLS
One way to personalize your pasta sauce is by adding meatballs. Here's an easy recipe.

Servings: 20

INGREDIENTS
2 slices whole wheat bread
3/4 cup milk
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for table serving
1 large egg
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Olive oil, for shallow frying

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Remove crusts from bread, place in a medium bowl and pour milk over. Let stand 10 minutes, gently squeeze out excess milk. Put bread in a large bowl, discard milk.
2. Add veal, pork, beef, cheese, egg, onion, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to bowl with bread. Gently toss to combine.
3. Roll the balls in your hands to make any size you like. Refrigerate balls for about 15 - 20 minutes.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add the balls, leaving at least 1/3-inch between each. Let cook about two minutes, then gently shake the skillet to turn the balls.
5. After about 10 minutes, the meatballs should be browned on all the edges. Add your tomato sauce, bring to a simmer and turn heat very low. Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until balls are cooked through. Then add to your pasta.

BBQ SAUCE
Barbecue sauce recipes are a closely guarded secret for chefs and families all over. While the recipe below is tasty, adding your own ingredients will make it even better. Consider adding such ingredients as chopped onion, minced garlic, liquid smoke, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, chopped chili peppers and fresh or dried herbs.

Prep Time : 5 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min.
Servings : 3 cups

INGREDIENTS
2 cups DEL MONTE ^® Tomato Ketchup
1/3 cup light molasses
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in blender container. Cover and run on high until smooth.
2. Pour into saucepan; simmer 20 minutes. Use with ribs and chicken.

SECRET SPICE
Use this recipe to create your own personal spice mix. Then use it to perfectly season everything from chicken to fish to pasta. Everyone will want to know your mystery ingredient.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons each:
Garlic Powder
Hungarian Paprika
Ground Cumin
Cayenne
Black Pepper
Ground Ginger
Dill
All Spice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix all the ingredients together, store the finished product in a plastic container and use it to flavor your favorite entrées.
2. Feel free to adjust the spice mix to your own personal taste.

PASTA SAUCE with a KICK
Use your secret spice to add flavor to this easy pasta sauce recipe.

Servings: 4-6

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
1 fresh garlic clove, crushed
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 teaspoon secret spice (see recipe above)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Basil (for garnish)
16 ounces of your favorite pasta

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon secret spice over chicken breast. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until fully cooked.
2. In a pot, simmer onion in olive oil until onions are translucent.
3. Add garlic, tomatoes, and secret spice.
4. Slice the chicken breast and add to the pot. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add cream and Parmesan cheese to the chicken and sauce. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
7. Pour the sauce over cooked pasta, garnish with basil and enjoy!

Pasta Marguerite
Use roasted red pepper flakes, lemon zest and freshly chopped basil to make a simple red pasta sauce anything but ordinary.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 stick butter, softened
5 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon roasted red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
Parmesan cheese, to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil. Once warm, add the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute.
3. Add the red pepper flakes, lemon zest and basil, then stir. Combine with cooked pasta and serve immediately over pasta, garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Perfectly Baked Chicken with Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
Sweeten up suppertime with this simple, healthy recipe. Lightly seasoned baked chicken is the perfect partner for this sweet but spicy barbecue sauce. Use it for glazing other meats like turkey, pork and hamburgers. It’s ideal for dunking French fries, potato chips and chicken nuggets, too.

Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1 32-oz. bottle of ketchup
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke (mesquite or hickory)
1 bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan and simmer on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Spoon generously over Perfectly Baked Chicken and serve.

Perfectly Baked Chicken

INGREDIENTS
6 lbs. chicken, cleaned
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Rub each piece of chicken generously with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
2. Place chicken pieces in a 9”x9” (or larger) baking dish and place in oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until skin is golden brown and meat is cooked through.
3. Remove baking dish from the oven and coat generously with Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, then serve.

Tip: To make drizzling olive oil easy, place two fingers on the spout of the bottle.


These sauces, once you have perfected your own secret recipe, make a great gift. But be careful, your friends will want to know what the secret is. Save that for your children and grandchildren.