I was working on a sauce to use with some canned moose meat a little while back, (something that might work well with left over pot-roast or such) and created this really tasty sauce. Although it was great with the meat I decided to go a different way with that recipe, ending up with a goulash instead. I couldn’t, however, resist the need to share this recipe as it is very versatile and, of course delicious!
By thinning tomato paste with V8, instead of water or broth, and adding roasted red pepper (inspired by my love of harissa sauce) I was able to create a red sauce with a lot more depth of flavor and fullness.
I used diced sun-dried tomatoes in the original recipe (2 T) but it wasn’t really noticeable and the recipe was wonderful as it stood. Noting that some people aren’t going to want to add that extra flavor, I left it as optional. If you really like sun-dried tomatoes, adding 4 T should have this additional flavor standing out for you.
Some suggestions for use:
- Marinara for bread sticks or garlic knots
- On sliced baguette with fresh basil
- Stuffed mushrooms with parmesan
- Pasta
- As pizza sauce
- Over grilled chicken and a bed of fresh spinach (a great light option)
- Breaded chicken sandwiches
- Homemade Spaghetti O’s
- Eggplant parmesan
- Lasagna
- Stuffed green peppers
- Pot roast with potatoes or garlic bread
- as a soup base; add beans or macaroni noddles, or croutons and cheese
…The options are endless. Let me know what creative way you decide to use it!
Full-Bodied Red Sauce
By: Vduley
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2 cups tomato paste
- 2 cups V8 juice
- 2 T roasted red pepper (blended)
- 2 T dried basil
- 1 t garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 T sun-dried tomatoes, chopped or blended (optional)*
Directions:
- Begin by halving if not quartering the red peppers. Remove the seeds and any stem pieces, then place the red peppers on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet, and place under the broiler.
- Roast until the skins darken and can easily be peeled from the ‘meat.’ You can flip the peppers over occasionally if you want.
- Peel the skins off the red peppers and discard them. Now, purée skinless red peppers in a blender until smooth.
- Next, simply add all ingredients to a pot, and simmer recipe. 10 minutes should be plenty to bring the basil and garlic to an aromatic state.
Note: This recipe will make a thick sauce. Water, chicken/beef broth, or more V8 may be useful to thin it out, but this might affect the balance of the flavors. Add additional red pepper, basil, and garlic as desired.
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