red sauce Archives - Life's A Tomato

This is my go-to red sauce. I use it on everything from pizza, to pasta, to meatballs. I always make a double batch of my homemade pizza and pasta sauce and freeze some for later. It is packed with tomato flavor and has the perfect herb flavor. There’s a healthy dose of garlic and shallot to add that richness you want. I am a big fan of this sauce.

Thicker Or Thinner. Your Call

Depending on what you use this sauce for, you might want to puree it slightly in a blender. Or use a blender stick. We prefer our homemade pizza and pasta sauce a little thicker and chunky, even if we use it on pizzas. It’s not tomato juice. I want to not only taste the tomato I want to see it and bite into it!

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5 from 1 vote

Homemade Pizza and Pasta Sauce

A great tasting sauce ready in no time. Perfect for pizza or pasta.

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Keyword pasta, sauce

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 62kcal

Author Mike

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic chopped
2-3 shallots chopped
3 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
3 tablespoon fresh marjoram chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
1 cup dry white wine
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)

Instructions

Heat oil over high heat.
Add garlic, shallots, thyme and marjoram and saute for 3 minutes.
Add wine and reduce by 1/2, about 3 minutes.
Add the two cans of tomatoes.
Simmer, stirring often, for 7 minutes.
Add 1/2 -3/4ths of the can of tomato paste, sugar, and hot pepper flakes.
Simmer an additional 7 minutes, stirring often.
Add salt and pepper to taste and add the basil, cook another 1 minute.

Notes

Refrigerate sauce until ready to use. It also freezes well.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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The North End Barbecue & Moonshine restaurant in Indianapolis was definitely one of my favorite restaurants. They had a fantastic menu, but for me, the best dish by far was the Texas red chili. It’s simple, spicy, and oh so packed with flavor. Smoked brisket, homemade bacon and a red sauce that I could just slurp up with a (big) straw. I can’t make it to North End BBQ (because they closed! Grrrrr!), so I decided to make my own (slightly different) version of their Texas chili. I was absolutely pleased with it. Nice and spicy, with a bit of smokiness.

Brisket For The Win

Now, you could make this smoked brisket Texas chili with just cubed chuck that has been lightly browned in the Dutch oven first. Nothing wrong with that, not one bit, but if you have smoked brisket, it really gives the chili a completely different flavor than just regular ole chili.

I roasted a few jalapenos on the grill and chopped them to use as garnish. They added even more bite and flavor to what was already a great bowl of chili.

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My green chile mac and cheese chili stew is also out-of-this-world crazy good. Give it a try too! Or if you’re craving more Texas-style chili, my classic version is a real winner also.

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5 from 1 vote

Smoked Brisket Texas Chili

This chili is simple, spicy, and oh so packed with flavor. Smoked brisket, homemade bacon and a red sauce that I could just slurp up with a (big) straw.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword beef, chili, smoked

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 45

Servings servings

Calories 220kcal

Author Based on a recipe from Epicurious

Ingredients

8 dried chiles I used guajillo, but just about any chile will work
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
⅓ cup onion finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic minced
2 cups beef broth plus more if needed
2 cups water plus more as needed
2 tablespoons masa harina if you don’t have any masa, take a handful of plain tortilla chips and grind them in a food processor or by hand using a mortar and pestle
2 pounds smoked brisket cubed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar
garnishes sour cream, roasted jalapenos, grilled lime edges, etc

Instructions

Toast the chiles in a hot skillet over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes per side.
Remove to a large bowl and cover in hot water. Let sit for 30 minutes, turning once.
Remove chiles (do not discard the water). Cut off the stems and remove the seeds.
Chop lightly and transfer to a food processor.
Add the cumin, pepper and a few pinches of salt, along with 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid. Process until smooth. If needed add a bit more of the water.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the broth and water. Bring to a simmer.
Whisk in the masa harina and add the processed chile paste.
Add the brisket and stir. Cover.
Let simmer for 2 hours or until the beef is tender, adding more broth if necessary.
Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar and add more salt to taste. Simmer another 10 minutes.
Serve with the desired garnishes.

Notes

Serve with cornbread.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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