Keeping With The Times

living, learning, and keeping with the times

Pasta Sauce with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Butternut Squash

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This pasta sauce with roasted tomatoes and butternut squash is rich, creamy, and delicious, and sure to be a hit with your family.

It’s so simple, yet so delicious, that it astounds me! It’s one of my all-time favourites. All you need are a few fresh ingredients and a bit of time. A Sunday afternoon might be a good day to try this, as the longer this roasts, the richer it becomes.

Think tomatoes, onions, garlic, and Italian sausage … Mama Mia! Mangia Tutti!Tomato Pasta Sauce with Italian Sausage, Keeping With the Times

Tomato Pasta Sauce with Italian Sausage, Keeping With the Times, An easy go-to recipe for pasta sauce that takes its time.
A couple hours in … and we’re getting there:Tomato Pasta Sauce with Italian Sausage, Keeping With the Times, An easy go-to recipe for pasta sauce that takes its time.
As this was roasting away in my oven, I stepped outside for something and then came back in. As I did, the aroma greeted me at the door and I felt like I was stepping into one of the finest Italian restaurants around.

Suddenly, I wanted to grab a glass of wine,put on “Gira Con Me” by Josh Groban and nibble on some crusty Italian bread ;)Wondering where to find the cutest pastas at an affordable price? Well, HomeSense is the place! Who knew! I’ve been able to find all kinds of Italian brands with different shapes, sizes, and colours. They also have great egg noodles!Tomato Pasta Sauce with Italian Sausage, Keeping With the Times, An easy go-to recipe for pasta sauce that takes its time.

I urge you to give this a try!

Pasta Sauce with Roasted Tomatoes and Butternut Squash

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Pasta Sauce with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Butternut Squash
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
 
Ingredients
  • 8 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp dried basil
  • 4 Italian sausages, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
  • NOTE: I like to cut the sausages partially frozen as they keep their shape better
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Sprinkle of salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 1-2 cups baked butternut squash (to be added to sauce later)
Instructions
  1. PREHEAT oven to 375F
  2. SPLIT open the butternut squash, remove seeds and pulp, arrange on cookie sheet, cover in foil, and place in oven to bake alongside the tomato mixture
  3. PLACE tomatoes, garlic, onion, sausages, olive oil, basil and salt and pepper in a large Dutch oven
  4. ROAST until the tomatoes, onions and sausages are lightly browned and smell a.ma.zing (I've found this can take 2 - 4 hours depending on your pot, your oven, and your tastes)
  5. REMOVE sausages from pot and set aside
  6. COOL tomato mixture slightly then in small batches, whirl in food processor (I use my Vitamix)
  7. SCOOP out butternut squash from skin and add to the last tomato batch and blend
  8. PLACE everything (including sausages) back in Dutch oven and reheat gently
  9. BRING a large pot of water to the boil, add your pasta of choice and cook until al dente. Drain, and rinse with hot water. I splash a tiny bit of olive oil on it to keep it from sticking
  10. PLACE pasta in individual serving dishes, top with the sauce and sprinkle with fresh basil if you like
Notes
Rich, sweet, and flavourful.

You might want to try some Homemade Ice Cream to finish off this wonderful meal.

Spicy, Tangy, Mouthwatering Salsa

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It’s that time of year, when the world falls in love with salsa!

Homemade Salsa, preserves, keeping with the times

fresh garden tomatoes, onions, peppers, celery …
Homemade Salsa, preserves, keeping with the times

Spicy, tangy, mouthwatering!

Homemade Salsa, spices

I prefer to use this salsa as a condiment to spice up eggs or sausages. In fact, I refer to it as “grown up ketchup”.

So turn on some music, get your apron, and make sure to set aside the better part of a day to make this. Don’t rush. Take your time.

Turn the chopping and dicing and slicing into a celebration of autumn.

Soon your kitchen, and whole house for that matter, will be filled with a sweet, tangy aroma, and you will be filled with a sense of pride knowing that you’ve tucked away a little bit of summer to be enjoyed all winter long.

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How to Make Salsa
 
Ingredients
  • 12 large tomatoes – peeled, chopped and drained* see note
  • 2 large onions – chopped
  • 2 large red peppers – seeded and chopped
  • 1 green pepper – seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup celery – chopped
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups cider vinegar or plain vinegar (I use half and half)
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • Hot peppers – chopped – to taste (I don’t use any)
  • Garlic cloves – chopped – to taste (I use about three)
Spice Mix
  • Combine and put in a spice bag:
  • 1 Tbsp mustard seed
  • 1 Tsp whole allspice
  • 1 Tsp whole cloves
Instructions
  1. Sterilize jars and lids.
  2. Peel and dice tomatoes to equal 12 cups. As I chop them I put them in a colander to drain. Combine all ingredients and put in a large pot, put spice bag in.
  3. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer – stirring occasionally for 1 hour and 45 minutes. If it seems too watery, take the lid off of the pot for the last half hour or so to let some water evaporate, or make a paste of 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water and add to the mix. Cook a few minutes longer.
  4. Discard spice bag. Ladle into sterilized jars 1/4 inch from rim. Wipe rims with a clean cloth. Seal with lids that you have let sit in boiling water for one minute. Process in hot water bath about 15 minutes.
Notes
To easily peel tomatoes, put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over top. Let sit a minute or two and the skins should pop off very easily. I use rubber gloves to protect my hands from the hot water.