Regina’s Spaghetti/Lasagna Sauce

Ingredients for Sauce

2   pounds ground turkey (optional but browned and drained of excess fat)

2   28 ounce cans Hunt’s tomato sauce

1   28 ounce can Hunt’s petite diced tomatoes (drain, pick out peels)

1   6 ounce can Hunt’s tomato paste

1   6 ounce red wine (I fill the empty tomato paste can)

8    ounce pack whole white button mushrooms (remove end of stems, wash, slice and cut into small pieces)

8    ounce pack whole Baby portabella mushrooms (remove end of stems, wash, slice and cut into small pieces)

1    large yellow or white onion (sliced, diced and sautéed in olive oil until translucent)

1    4.5 ounce can diced black olives

8    cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used garlic in a jar or dehydrated soaked in warm water)

3    bay leaves

1 tsp.    Ground fennel (overflowing tsp.)

1 tsp.    Peperoncini (red pepper flakes)

1 Tbs.   Oregano leaves (overflowing Tbs.)

2 Tbs.   Parsley flakes (overflowing Tbs.)

2 Tbs.   Salt-free Italian seasoning (overflowing Tbs.)

1 tsp.     Basil (overflowing tsp.)

1 Tbs.    Brown sugar (overflowing Tbs.)

1 Tbs.    Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for sauce not browning onions)

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, then immediately reduce heat to low.

Fix lid on pot so steam is allowed to escape. Cook on low for two hours. Stir every fifteen to twenty minutes.

Turn off heat and leave on stove with pot vented to allow steam to escape if you plan to serve within two hours. It’s better if you let sauce sit in pot overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat right before serving over your choice of pasta or a personal favorite, oven roasted ¼ inch thin-sliced red, yellow, and orange bell pepper. Top either choice with powdered Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.    Freeze the rest of sauce for later.

Additional Ingredients for Lasagna

In the above recipe substitute a second can of petite diced tomatoes for one of the tomato sauce and add these: 8 ounces Shredded low-fat Mozzarella, 1 container low-fat Ricotta cheese (room temperature) and powdered Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Lasagna noodles.

Make exact same sauce recipe with the second can of tomatoes instead of sauce.

Once sauce is cool, next day is best, lightly coat bottom and sides of deep 9 x 12 baking dish with olive oil.

Boil lasagna noodles according to recipe with 1 Tbs. olive oil in water.

Once noodles are cooked immediately rinse them in cold water to keep from sticking together.

Separate noodles and pat dry with paper towel.

Put layer of noodles in bottom of dish (I use 4 overlapped noodles for the bottom layer then 3 or 4 for each remaining layer). I use all noodles in the box.

Add a layer of sauce mixture (spread evenly to cover noodles but not too thick).

Space teaspoon size portions Ricotta cheese (so there is Ricotta in each piece of cut lasagna).

Spread grated mozzarella cheese over the layer.

Dust with powdered Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Repeat until you have 4 layers and have used all pasta noodles, mozzarella and Ricotta.

End with sauce layer and top with powdered Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (you should have some sauce left to freeze).

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Uncover and bake for an addition 20 to 25 minutes to lightly brown top.

When thoroughly heated remove from oven and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting and serving.