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Sauces

Summer Spaghetti and Meatballs – Part 1: Simple Tomato Fennel Sauce

This is part 1 of a 2 part summer spaghetti and meatballs post.  Check out part 2 “Turkey and Pork Meatballs” here.

What’s not to love about classic spaghetti and meatballs?  I don’t think you can name me a more loved food in America today – kids love it, teenagers love it and adults love it too (if you don’t, try this recipe).  Since our humble blog here tends to have somewhat of an Italian swing to it, where would we be if we didn’t do a post about the family classic?  So here it is, in two parts mind you, so you can get the full effect.

The first part of this post is the sauce, in this case a beautifully simple summer tomato-fennel based sauce that includes lots of veggies and herbs.  This sauce is our go-to tomato sauce because of its simplicity and excellent taste and body.  When I make this sauce, I usually try to do it with a large can of tomatoes, so then I can use some of the sauce that night and freeze the rest.  In the summer’s waning months, I’ll make a double dose with 2 large dutch ovens to freeze to have over the winter.  There’s nothing like pulling it out on a cold day in December and tasting the summer fennel and tomatoes:

• 1 large can of whole canned tomatoes (106 oz.) or 4 28 oz. cans
• 2 medium yellow onions – large dice
• 2 large carrots – orange and/or yellow – grated on the large holes of a box grater
• 2 medium fennel bulbs – chopped width wise
• 10 cloves of fresh garlic – small dice
• 3 Tbsp. fresh thyme
• 3 Tbsp. fresh oregano
• 5 large bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp. dried red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Check out the picture of the ingredients to see what you need, it’s all there besides the oil and salt and pepper.  Remember that this makes A LOT of sauce, so if you don’t want to freeze it and only make enough for one night, then you’re going to want to quarter this recipe.  The portions listed above serve 8 people.

Start with the onions and fennel and a large dutch oven or the largest pan you have  over medium-low heat (if you’re making the large dose).  Add in the olive oil, onions, fennel, red pepper, salt and pepper and sweat them for 5-8 minutes until they become translucent but not colored.  Cover the pot and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring all the while.

Once the veggies are soft and beginning to become soft, add in the carrots, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and oregano and stir to combine.  Cook everything together for 8-10 minutes until the carrots become soft, but not colored.  If you need to lower the heat or cook the veggies for longer do so, you want everything to be uniformly cooked, soft and sweet.

Next, begin adding in the tomatoes by removing them from their can with your hands and crushing them into the pot of veggies and herbs.  Be careful, as this can make a major mess, so do a ‘controlled crush’ of the tomatoes.  One by one, crush and add the tomatoes into the sauce, along with any liquid that’s left behind in the can.  After the tomatoes are added, being the pot to a soft boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer everything for 45-60 minutes.  Give your sauce a taste and adjust for seasoning.  Turn off the heat and let the sauce rest for a while before canning and/or using in a dish. The sauce can be kept in the fridge for a week or two, but frozen for up to 6 months.

Tags: sauce, tomatoes