Spaghetti Sauce with Andouille Sausage and Pasta~



Thanks for stopping by, this is still a blog favorite! 

I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner again this year and I have already started compiling my to-do list and the menu is beginning to take shape. However, my Mother’s birthday is November 10^th and before I launch into full holiday planning mode I need to finish making her gift and writing her card which will include my recipe for basic spaghetti sauce, which is really a variation of her recipe.

Over the last several years my Father has pretty much taken over the preparation of meals for him and my Mom. However, Mom still does some of the cooking and I was speaking with her the other day and she said that she prepared spaghetti the other night and she was trying to remember how I made my sauce. Mom said she was out of Italian seasoning but she still managed to pull together a decent spaghetti sauce. I told her that my sauce is basically a variation of what she taught me to cook when I was growing up. 

I remember I use to pick out the chopped onions; I liked the flavor but not the texture, and as I have grown so have my appreciation for different foods and seasonings, no more picking out the onions.

When making sauce I usually double my recipe and freeze half of it for a quick delicious meal on a day when I am pressed for time and as an added bonus the flavors intensify. Add more herbs, garlic and onion if you desire more flavor, this is your sauce and should please your palate. Thanks Mom for all you do! Cheers! 

Ingredients:

 • 1 lb Andouille Sausage sliced into bite size pieces

 I thought I had Italian Sausage in the freezer, however what I defrosted was a package of Andouille sausage and decided to try it in my sauce, instead of the usual Italian sausage with one of the following: ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey or ground pork. I wasn't sure how this would taste but hubby loved it and said that it was yummy...

–         Variations use a blend of 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb ground pork Or 1 pound ground turkey, ground chicken or ground beef. Or for vegi lovers use peppers, mushrooms and olives.

• 1 teaspoon olive oil or your favorite oil

• 1 small yellow onion peeled and chopped or 2 tablespoons onion powder

• 2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped or use a garlic press

–         Or 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• Option: 1 or 2 Fresh bell peppers, seeds removed and diced or chopped

• 1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce or for a lighter version Diced Tomatoes, which is what I used in this recipe with the Andouille Sausage

• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

–         Or make your own Italian seasoning and store in a container with a lid:

 2 tablespoons each of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, onion powder, marjoram and 1 tablespoon sage

 • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

• 8 oz package of Spaghetti pasta, I prefer angel hair pasta, as always your choice of pasta

How to Prepare:

• In a large pot add oil and sauté the onion, garlic and peppers over medium heat until the onion is translucent, peppers and garlic softens. Be careful overcooked garlic will be bitter

·         Add the Sausage, Ground Beef, Ground Chicken, Ground Turkey or Ground Pork to the pot and brown. Add tomatoes and seasoning bring to a boil and simmer for about twenty to thirty minutes. The longer your simmer the sauce the better but for a quick meal this is my go to

·         If you are using fresh herbs add about ten minutes before the sauce is done. Fresh herbs do not need to cook as long as dried

• Cook the pasta/spaghetti according to the package and drain. I always add a dash of salt before I add the pasta

• Pour the drained pasta/spaghetti into large serving bowl, add the cooked sauce and toss

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, serve and enjoy. Fresh French bread completes the meal, who doesn't love fresh bread! 

Notes: 1 teaspoon of dried herbs equal 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs. Add the fresh herbs about 10 minutes before the sauce is done cooking, for the best result.

 Do you have a favorite red sauce recipe?  Please let me know if you try this recipe and if I need to make any changes to the recipe. Thanks!

Just cook something… Cheers! Kary~