Mock Toscana Pasta Sauce

Brown and crumble sausage in a pot. Add the garlic and onion, heating all. Stir in the vodka (you have my permission to add a bit more) and simmer for a few minutes.

I was in a pinch, so I added a jar of basil and garlic spaghetti sauce. In the future, I think I’ll try to “make” my sauce with a jar of whole tomatoes and extra seasonings. Please note, this would mean that you’d need more seasonings overall. Use a jar for ease, or add your own favorite homemade sauce if you prefer.

Once all is mixed, add the sour cream. This adds a creamy thickness to the tomato-based sauce. Plus, sour cream adds an important kick.

Now are the two most important parts. First, add seasonings. I covered the top with basil, oregano, and pizza seasoning (I was out of Italian seasoning). After stirring this in, I repeated adding more seasoning. I also added some Mrs. Dash tomato, basil, garlic seasoning. After about an hour or so, I added more again. Keep tasting and adding as needed.

This is the other (maybe most important) step. I’m a firm believer that a good sauce must sit and meld for a good long time. I poured the pot of sauce into my slow cooker and let it cook for a few hours. The house smelled great and I had time to add more seasoning as I wished.

As dinner time approaches, cook your pasta according to directions. I think this would pair well with farfalle (bowtie) pasta. For the first time, however, I cooked elbow macaroni. This looked familiar to the kids, so they tried it happily (and loved it). When the toddler says, “Mmm, good, thank you, Mom,” I know it’s a hit.