Easy Make Ahead Pasta Sauce Food

EASY MAKE-AHEAD PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook beef over high heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Reduce heat to medium; add onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Continue to cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is softened. Add tomato paste; cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes and broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Serve over pasta, if desired.
• To freeze: Cover and refrigerate sauce 30 to 40 minutes. Divide sauce among four 1-quart freezer containers; freeze up to 2 months. To use: Place frozen sauce container in large bowl filled with hot water about 5 minutes or until sauce can be slid out of container into saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is heated through. Use as desired.

MAKE AHEAD ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Cut sausage into 1/2 inch chunks. I large skillet, brown sausage over medium-high heat, in batches and adding oil if necessary. Transfer sausage to a bowl.
• Pour off any fat from pan. Add onions, garlic and red pepper, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pasta sauce, tomato sauce, basil, oregano and fennel seeds; bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Return sausage and any accumulated juices to pan; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until sausage is firm throughout.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for 6 minutes, add spinach;cook for 1 minute. Drain well and return to pot. Add sausage mixture and provolone/mozzarella cheese; stir to combine well.
• Transfer to 2 greased 8-inch square baking dishes or 1 13x9-inch dish. Sprinkle with Asiago/parmesan cheese. Cover dish with greased foil, greased side down.
• To serve: Bake, covered with foil, in in 375 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or for 1 hour if from the refrigerator. This freezes beautifully (thaw in refrigerator before baking).

MAKE-AHEAD SPICY OLIVE PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook spaghetti according to package directions for al dente. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender, 6-8 minutes, breaking up beef into crumbles; drain. Stir in pasta sauce, olives, capers, anchovies, pepper flakes and seasoned salt; set aside., In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti; add to egg mixture and toss to coat., Place half of the spaghetti mixture in a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Top with half of the cottage cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet., Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until heated through, 20-25 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with basil, olives and capers.