# Spagetti Sauce that has a little spice to it



## SizzlininIN (Jan 22, 2005)

I like my spagetti a little on the spice side........hubby likes it on the sweet side..........anyone have a recipe that is a little of both that will satisfy both our tastes?

Thanks
Sizz


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 22, 2005)

I can't give you the exact measurements as I don't have any.  But the following herbs will add a bit of sweetness, and satisfy that need for a spicy, full-bodied tomato sauce.

Herbs: Sweet Basil, Oregano, Red-Pepper flakes, fresh Onion slices, Red Bell Pepper, a pinch or two of sugar, roasted Garlic, Ground Fennel, Rosemary, Finely-Shredded-Carrot.

For meat, substitute Sweet & Hot Itallian Sausage for the ground beef.

If you can't get a flavor combination you like from these, I don't know what to tell you.  Remember, good tomato sauce is a blend of ballanced flavors.  None should overpower or dominate.  When adding the herbs and veggies, let them cook for about 15 minutes before tasting.  It takes some time for the added ingredients to impart their specific flavors to the sauce.  You can always add more, but once its in the sauce, you can't take it out.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Darkstream (Jan 23, 2005)

Make a good rich tomato sauce with bacon, carrot, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, tomato paste as follows:

Fry the onions, add the meat of a SWEET NOT HOT Italian sausage ( lugnanaga or whatever) OR some ground pork  with a SMALL pinch of ground fennel and a slug of Marsala then fry the rest up. 

Experiment. If you want it a little hot, add a GREEN chilli, chopped. But SPICEY is not neccessarily hot.

There is not as far as I am aware a recipe for sweet hot pasta sauce that is Italian.

BUT if you beleive that pasta came from CHINA anyhow, then this recipe is not out of order.

I have not tried this recipe, not shall I be. But based on thirty years experience I think it will work.

It is not unlike Goodweed's.


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## SizzlininIN (Jan 24, 2005)

Thanks Guys........I'll give your ideas a try.  About every 3rd time I make mine I get it right.  But I never measure so I can never get it the way I like it each time.  Plus I don't make it that often so I never remember what I did the last time.


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## Michael in FtW (Jan 24, 2005)

SizzlininIN said:
			
		

> About every 3rd time I make mine I get it right.  But I never measure so I can never get it the way I like it each time.  Plus I don't make it that often so I never remember what I did the last time.



Been there - done that - had the same results!   

When I'm improvising, or trying to adjust a recipe, I measure and write it down ... and keep tabs on what I adjust according to taste as I'm cooking. Then, when I have the taste I want - I have the recipe for it! If it's something I don't make very often .... I break out my recipe so I'm not shooting in the dark every time.

Goodweed is right - you have to give the pot about 10-15 minutes before you start tasting and adjusting. As someone once said, or wrote, the most important thing in the kitchen is your tasting spoon.

Now, going back to the marinara sauce you made for your fried ravioli .... to add a litttle spicey - the only spicey I've run across in Italian sauces  - the answer is red pepper flakes. As soon as you add your olive oil to the pot add a pinch (more or less) of red pepper flakes and when the oil comes up to temp add the onion and garlic and proceed with the rest of the recipe (minus the hot sauce of course). You can always add more pepper flakes later if it isn't spicey enough for you. 

Or - you could just make the sauce and sprinkle on red pepper flakes on your dish. The difference here will be that instead of the "spicey" running all through the sauce you'll get little bites of spicey.


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## SizzlininIN (Jan 24, 2005)

Thanks for the tips Michael.  I like the idea of the pepper flakes in the oil. Now that I think about it, whenever I do see cooks making Italian dishes they add pepper flakes to the oil or the dish and not hot sauce    Guess its cause my mom used hot sauce more is why I tend to reach for it.


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