# Pasta Sauce with a Healthy Surprise



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 13, 2016)

Had 2/3 lb. uncooked ground beef sitting in the fridge.  Asked DW if she was up for some linguine with meat sauce.  She said she was.  Had a bottle of Prego Mushroom tomato sauce in the pantry and decided to use it for a quick meal, instead of making my own from scratch sauce.  Of course I doctored it.  And I thought to myself, how can I increase the nutritional value of this sauce, and maybe make it taste better.  I spotted a small head of broccoli in the fridge, cut it up and added it to the Prego, along with the freshly browned ground beef.  I let it all simmer for about 30 minutes to blend the extra hers, tenderized the meat, and cook the broccoli.  I tasted a chunk of the broccoli flowerette.  It was very, very good.  The strong broccoli flavor was diminished and replaced with the sauce flavors, and a hint of broccoli that added depth to the sauce.  The texture was great as well.  The cut stem fave a bit  of crunch and texture to the sauce as well.

If you have someone who isn't crazy about eating broccoli, one of the superfoods, cut some up and put it into your Sunday gravy, or Bolognaise Sauce, or marinara.  It's good stuff.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Addie (Aug 13, 2016)

I love broccoli. Steam it after preparation, a generous pat of butter with S&P, and I am in heaven. Any time I am served a helping of a medley of veggies, I always pick out the broccoli first. Now cauliflower, not so much. But I will eat it if forced. 

I too keep a large bottle of Prego on hand for the same purpose as you do. With just two of us, it is has become too expensive to make a Sunday Gravy anymore.


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## Nova (Aug 14, 2016)

Broccoli is not a magic tree!!!!!


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## di reston (Aug 14, 2016)

Broccoli and pasta are a great favourite over here:

2 heads of fresh broccoli (doesn't work with frozen)
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
ricotta to taste
parmesan to taste
chilli flakes to taste, but don't overdo it
good grinding of black pepper
Penne rigate

you need penne rigate to hold the sauce. A smoother pasta like casarecce doesn't do the job as well.

Chop the onion and garlic and put into a sautè pan along with the chilli
cut the broccoli into florets about 3/4 inch
Get the pasta on the go
when the onion and garlic are softened, add the broccoli and cook gently until just over al dente.
Add the ricotta and mix in well
As soon as the pasta is ready, mix that in too
Dust with a generous amount of freshly ground parmesan

Buon appetito

di reston

Enough is never as good as a feast   Oscar Wilde


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## rodentraiser (Aug 15, 2016)

I might try that. I usually throw hamburger into spaghetti sauce, but I've never simmered it. I drain my hamburger after browning it, but I'm wondering, do you still get a lot of hamburger grease while simmering?


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## GotGarlic (Aug 15, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> I might try that. I usually throw hamburger into spaghetti sauce, but I've never simmered it. I drain my hamburger after browning it, but I'm wondering, do you still get a lot of hamburger grease while simmering?



I don't think so. We usually make spaghetti sauce with ground beef and have leftover sauce. If more fat came out, it would rise to the top and coagulate, but I've never seen that.


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Aug 15, 2016)

For me, I use Trader Joe's Organic Marinara 



No augmentation needed


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## Addie (Aug 15, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> I might try that. I usually throw hamburger into spaghetti sauce, but I've never simmered it. I drain my hamburger after browning it, but I'm wondering, do you still get a lot of hamburger grease while simmering?



Same here. I always brown ground meat. I want that fond on the bottom of the pan and then drain all the fat off.


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## rodentraiser (Aug 16, 2016)

Oh, and here I've been draining my hamburger (twice!) and then wiping the pan out before I throw everything back in!

I wonder if I'd need to drain the hamburger if I got the 93/7 kind. As it is, I like to get 85/15.

I've been using the Classico brand of spaghetti sauce. I found I like them the best. If I could get a tomato sauce to taste like that, I'd make my own. At one time they had a spicy version that was delicious, and of course, now I can't find it anywhere.

Even though the sauce is supposed to be tomato and basil or whatever, I always throw some garlic, chopped onion, parsely flakes, extra basil, and sometimes Italian seasonings into it.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 16, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> Oh, and here I've been draining my hamburger (twice!) and then wiping the pan out before I throw everything back in!
> 
> I wonder if I'd need to drain the hamburger if I got the 93/7 kind. As it is, I like to get 85/15.
> 
> ...



And now......Broccoli!  Tada!

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## GotGarlic (Aug 16, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> I've been using the Classico brand of spaghetti sauce. I found I like them the best. If I could get a tomato sauce to taste like that, I'd make my own. At one time they had a spicy version that was delicious, and of course, now I can't find it anywhere.



I like Classico, too. Add some red pepper flakes to make it spicy.


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## RPCookin (Aug 17, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> Oh, and here I've been draining my hamburger (twice!) and then wiping the pan out before I throw everything back in!
> 
> I wonder if I'd need to drain the hamburger if I got the 93/7 kind. As it is, I like to get 85/15.
> 
> ...



93% is good for most casseroles and dishes that require you to crumble it, and does not require draining unless a table spoon or so of fat per pound is a problem for you.  

I find that for hamburgers it's actually too dry and requires added ingredients to create moisture.  When I'm frying indoors, I actually have cook the burgers in some oil to get the proper crust texture.  I usually use 83% or 87% for hamburgers.


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## GotGarlic (Aug 17, 2016)

Kaneohegirlinaz said:


> For me, I use Trader Joe's Organic Marinara
> 
> View attachment 25192
> 
> No augmentation needed



If you want a meat sauce, it looks like meat is needed


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## rodentraiser (Aug 17, 2016)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> And now......Broccoli!  Tada!
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North



Ah.......................no. No broccoli.

It's the only thing I ever agreed with Prez Bush about.



GotGarlic said:


> I like Classico, too. Add some red pepper flakes to make it spicy.



I forgot - I also throw in some cayenne. I always seem to shake too  much in, though. Maybe I should try peppers next time. I might be able  to portion them out better than cayenne. I always think I'm shaking salt and get carried away.



RPCookin said:


> 93% is good for most casseroles and dishes that require you to crumble it, and does not require draining unless a table spoon or so of fat per pound is a problem for you.
> 
> I find that for hamburgers it's actually too dry and requires added ingredients to create moisture.  When I'm frying indoors, I actually have cook the burgers in some oil to get the proper crust texture.  I usually use 83% or 87% for hamburgers.



I think I'll stick with the 85/15 then. Sometimes I can get it in a 10 lb chub for 40¢ off the regular price.


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## Sagittarius (May 5, 2017)

Definitely a winner.  Thanks for posting.

I have also subbed Zucchini when broccoli is unavailable locally.  

Note:  Merits excellence to wipe out the skillet from the ground beef and drain off that grease ..


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## Addie (May 6, 2017)

Now that there are just two of us, I too use a jarred sauce. And I heat it in the same pan that I saute the meat in. I want to get all the flavor I can get. I will sometimes add red or yellow sautéed and diced peppers along with onions, or if I buy a simple Marinara Sauce, I will add clams and other seafood. It may be a jarred sauce, but you can make it your "OWN" with just a few additions. And I don't dispose of the grease. It has a ton of meat flavor. Use it to saute  your additions if they are veggies.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (May 6, 2017)

The only problem I have with store purchased pasta sauces, is that they can be too sweet.

For great mushroom flavor in pasta dishes, simmer a pound of raw mushrooms in the water that will be used to cook the pasta in.  Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and add to the sauce.  Add salt to the mushroom broth and cook your pasta.  Ideally, most of the water will be absorbed by the pasta, as with lasagna.  The noodles will have absorbed the mushroom flavor.  Pour the remaining liquid into the sauce.

Yes, I love mushrooms.

Seeeeeeya: Chief Longwind of the North


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (May 6, 2017)

I opened a jar of store bought spaghetti sauce once. An hour later I got a call from the groundskeeper at St. Joseph cemetery complaining that my Sicilian grandmother tore up the ground over her grave from rolling over several times and my mother kicked open the door of her crypt.


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