It was a three-meeting day for my husband and the day after two multi-meeting days for me.So, of course, it called for a quick but soothing meal.
Once again, bottled spaghetti sauce came to our rescue. This time we turned to Classico’s Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo, a creamy and tangy sauce that provides the flavor and comfort we need after a long day in our respective cubicles.
I browned a half-pound each of mild Italian sausage and ground chuck, draining the meat. I used the drippings still in the pan to brown a half-cup each of red, green and yellow peppers cut into chunks. These I drained on a paper towl.
The meat and peppers went into a simmering pan of sauce.
Meanwhile, I used my new stockpot to cook two big handfuls of sun-dried tomato and basil fettucine. Into the toaster oven went two thickish slices of Italian boule bread from LaBrea Bakery, which had been buttered and lightly spread with The Silver Palate’s sun-dried tomato paste and Polaner pre-chopped garlic.In five minutes it was all set to go.
“This is really good,” my husband said.
It was. We paired it with shiraz from the bottle of Yellow Tail we opened two nights ago, which seemed to retain its quality.
I could taste vanilla in the wine, something I have not tasted before when we have teamed it with pizza or sausage rustica.
Not bad for a doctored-up meal.
To make this meal, you will need:
• One jar Classico Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo
• A half pound each Italian sausage and ground beef or ground chuck
• At least one pepper, any color
• Sun-dried tomato spaghetti or fettucine
• French or Italian bread
• Sun-dried tomato spread
• Minced or chopped garlic
• Olive oil (for browning) and butter
Of course, I'd prefer to make all this from scratch. Really. Even the bread. But I think you can still have a mighty good meal if you choose the best ingredients you can find, even if some are ready made.
15 comments:
This is a fun site! I'll be back to visit :)
Thank you! I am a huge fan of your site, too.
Thank you for stopping by.
Bravo to you for blogging about what people really eat
Thank you, Anon., but I do think people really eat fancier stuff than we do at my house.
I find it a challenge to balance the meat-and-potatoes tradition my husband enjoys with the fusion of different tastes that I like.
I guess balance is the key and that's what we try to do in my Franco-American kitchen.
All suggestions for how to achieve this balance this will be welcomed!
I think you'll make a good doctor...this had to be delicious!
"Semi-Homemade" is a good thing! I use staples like this all the time. And in France, one rarely bakes their own bread, but instead goes to the local bakery for their daily sustenance. So why shouldn't we? The dish sounds yummy.
Cyn, it was good warmed over, too.
I agree with you completely!
The supermarkets in France are loaded with ready-made items. I found bags of cut-up and frozen ratatouille vegetables which were almost as good as fresh.
Sometimes we American have the notion that all French people do their shopping everyday at small shops and markets and that is simply not the case.
Most of us have opted for a quick dinner like this, probably more times than we care to admit. When my kids were younger and living at home I would often doctor up a jar of good pasta sauce. They loved it.
Doctoring up or enhacning pre-made food can actually call for more creativity than following a tried-and-true recipe — at least in my kitchen.
I have had some major disasters - but that's a subject for another post.
But, I am happy report that the triumps outweigh the disasters by about 3 to 1.
Mimi, I agree whole heartedly with your approach that it IS ok to make a meal from well selected pre-made foods. Sometimes, as food bloggers, I think we get to involved with what we make 100% from scratch. As well as I agree there is a bias out there that if it isn't gourmet, organic, etc. it can't possible be good. Thanks for stopping by my blog the other day. I have spent some time reading your archives and like your site very much. Besides, you are a fellow Yoop and Lord knows we have to stick together!
I agree, Breadchick. I call it Rachel Ray Syndrome.
I love making stuff from scratch, too, but sometimes, I am just too tired to do it. Quality ingredients do seem to be the key here.
Good to know you give this sauce a good review. I'll have to try it. I think everyone (even people who pride themselves on being good cooks) just whips up something like this sometimes.
Kalyn, it's been a favorite of mine for five years now! We always buy a few jars of it when it goes on sale.
Sometimes I think the key to being a good cook is being able to make a good meal from commercially prepared ingredients once in a while.
Well, OK, so it;s more than once in a while at our house.
Wow, sundried tomato alfredo sounds yummy. I will have to try that.
I know -- sometimes you feel, I'll be thrown out of the food blogger world if everything I post about isn't très gourmet! But not so. :)
Thanks, Lisa! I'm glad to know that — because really, nothing is terribly gourmet at our house. But it's good.
And I really love that sauce — I'll bet I am their best customer. Or one of them.
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