Sauce savvy

Southern Living, Dec 2000 by Nicholson, Kate, Hodges, Phyllis, Ford, Johnsie

Start dinner with a prepared pasta sauce, and you have the beginnings of a culinary creation. There are many types of ready-made sauces to choose from, so explore the possibilities with these simple and savory recipes. Kate Nicholson

VEGETABLES BOLOGNESE

1/2 cup dried tomatoes

1/2 cup boiling water

2 medium-size sweet onions, chopped

2 small zucchini, chopped

1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium-size red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 (26-ounce) jar spicy pasta sauce

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

12 ounces penne pasta, cooked

STIR together dried tomatoes and 1/2 cup boiling water in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes. Drain, chop, and set aside. SAUTE onion and next 5 ingredients in hot oil in a large skillet over mediumhigh heat 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chopped tomato. STIR in pasta sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; stir in basil, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Serve over hot cooked pasta. Yield: 6 servings. Prep: 30 min., Cook: 15 min.

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Newman's Own Diavolo Sauce for spicy pasta sauce.

EXTRA-EASY LASAGNA

1 pound lean ground beef

4 cups tomato-basil pasta sauce

6 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese

2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup hot water

COOK beef in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Stir in pasta sauce. SPREAD one-third of meat sauce in a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; layer with 3 noodles and half each of ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese. (The ricotta cheese layers will be thin.) Repeat procedure; spread remaining one-third of meat sauce over mozzarella cheese. Slowly pour 1/4 cup hot water around inside edge of dish. Tightly cover baking dish with 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

BAKE at 375 deg for 45 minutes; uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Prep: 15 min., Bake: 55 min., Stand: 10 min. Phyllis Hodges Anderson, South Carolina

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Classico Tomato & Basil pasta sauce.

ITALIAN BURGERS

1 pound lean ground beef

1 small onion, minced

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

4 (1-ounce) provolone cheese slices

4 English muffins, split

1/2 cup tomato pasta sauce Garnish: fresh basil sprigs

COMBINE first 9 ingredients; shape into 4 patties.

GRILL, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350 deg to 400deg) 7 to 8 minutes on each side or until beef is no longer pink. Top patties with cheese, and grill 1 more minute or until cheese melts.

PLACE muffins on grill, cut sides down, and grill 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Top each muffin bottom with 2 tablespoons pasta sauce, a hamburger patty, and muffin tops. Garnish, if desired, and serve with your favorite potato chips. Yield: 4 servings.

Prep: 15 min., Grill: 20 min.

Johnsie Ford Rockingham, North Carolina

PASTA SHELLS FLORENTINE Let cooked shells stand in cold water to prevent them from drying out.

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed

2 (15-ounce) containers ricotta cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheese blend

1 (0.4-ounce) envelope buttermilk Ranch dressing mix

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon pepper

26 jumbo pasta shells, cooked

4 cups mariners sauce

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella choose

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil DRAIN spinach well, pressing between paper towels.

STIR together spinach and next 5 ingredients. Spoon mixture into cooked shells. SPREAD half of marinara sauce in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce.

BAKE, covered, at 350 deg for 40 minutes. Uncover, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese; bake 5 to 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with basil. Yield: 6 to 8 servings. Prep: 20 min., Bake: 50 min.