Quick Weeknight Red Sauce

This Quick Weeknight Red Sauce has all the flavor of a slow cooked Sunday sauce but is quick to make! It’s perfectly with pasta and veggies!

I’ve started sharing more and more of my no recipe recipes and this quick red sauce is exactly that! It’s based off of my BMW’s Spicy Red Wine Spaghetti Sauce but it’s quick and calls for minimal ingredients. We make this sauce a lot and it’s always just me throwing things in and pulling it together in about 30 minutes (or less!) whenever we need a quick dinner. This sauce has so much flavor and that’s what makes it worth the tiny bit more effort than just buying the jarred stuff. Even Warren loves this sauce!

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Quick Weeknight Red Sauce

What is great about this sauce is that it comes together in just a few minutes after you brown the meat. One of the secrets is lots of fresh garlic. Not too much but a generous amount. This really punches up the flavor quickly without having to add a lot of salt or let the sauce simmer for hours and hours. I love my garlic press and it makes quick work of this step! I also buy pre-peeled fresh garlic from the grocery store and it’s such a timer saver without compromising any flavor.

Flavorful Red Sauce

After browning the meat, stir in the garlic along with the dried herbs. Deglaze the pan with a cup of red wine. This will loosen any bits stuck on the bottom of the pan and release those flavors back into the sauce. Stir that all around for a minute then you’re almost done!

San Marzano Tomato Sauce

Then toss in a big can of crushed tomatoes. I suggest San Marzano Tomatoes if you can find them, they are my favorite. Otherwise, just use whatever you can find. Then the last step is to toss in two bay leaves, bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. In a pinch, I’ve skipped this step and the sauce is still delicious but if you have a few extra minutes, let things simmer. And don’t worry, if you forget about the sauce for a while, it just gets better and better the longer it sits! It’s perfect for leftovers too!

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Quick Weeknight Red Sauce

This Quick Weeknight Red Sauce has all the flavor of a slow cooked Sunday sauce but is quick to make! It's perfectly with pasta and veggies!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 8

Calories 258 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb hot Italian sausage
• 6 cloves garlic minced or pressed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup red wine or sub 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes preferably San Marzano
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

 

• In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat brown sausage. Drain if there is more than 2 tbsp excess liquid. Leave approximately 2 tbsp or less liquid from cooking.
• Add garlic, oregano, parsley and thyme and stir until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Pour in red wine to deglaze pot, scraping up any bits. Add crushed tomatoes and stir combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add bay leaves, cover and simmer for 10-20 minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve over favorite pasta or vegetables!

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 10gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 547mgPotassium: 485mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 222IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 2mg

Keyword red sauce, Sauce

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