Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [141]
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
Salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Two 32-ounce cans crushed plum tomatoes (see savvy)
Freshly ground black pepper
heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion and sauté until the onion begins to soften, another 2 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, the oregano, basil, and 2 teaspoons salt and sauté until the vegetables give off some liquid, about 5 minutes.
using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Stir in the vinegar and tomatoes. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Season with salt and pepper.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
makes 8 cups
* * *
tomato savvy
If you have cans of whole plum tomatoes, crush the tomatoes in your hand and add to the sauce along with their juices.
sauce savvy
Because this recipe makes 8 cups, there will be extra to freeze for another meal. Generally 2 cups of sauce is enough for 1 pound pasta, but many people like a lot of sauce. The sauce may be frozen for up to 4 months, without any problem, and will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Mom’s Sunday Sauce
Every Sunday morning in many parts of Italy, Mama will begin her “Sunday sauce,” a deeply flavored tomato sauce bubbling with assorted meats and flavored with basil, parsley, and, sometimes, fennel, depending upon which region she’s in. When the sauce has simmered all day, she serves it with pasta for Sunday dinner, and there is usually enough left over for meals during the week. Sunday sauce is a slow-simmering delight, and the slow cooker was made for it. The meats braise gently in the sauce, and the flavors come together without your ever having to stir during the day.
1½ pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ pounds sweet Italian sausages
2 pounds ground pork
2 cups chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
Three 32-ounce cans crushed tomatoes in thick purée (you can also use tomato purée, or canned plum tomatoes in their juice; just make sure to crush them before adding)
3 tablespoons sugar
pat the short ribs dry with paper towels and sprinkle evenly with some of the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the ribs and brown on all sides. Transfer to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the sausages to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Transfer to the slow-cooker insert. Add the pork to the skillet and sauté until the meat loses its pink color.
drain off any excess water or fat that may have accumulated in the pan and add the onion, basil, parsley, and remaining salt and pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slowcooker insert. Gently pour in the tomatoes and add the sugar. Stir the sauce until the mixture is well combined.
cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours. At the end of the cooking time, taste the sauce for salt, pepper, and sugar and add if necessary.
serve the meat separately from the sauce.
makes 8–12 cups
VARIATIONS
substitute a 3-pound chuck roast for the short ribs and sausage. Brown both as directed before adding to the slow cooker. When the sauce is finished cooking, remove the roast from the sauce, scrape