Pasta Sauce with Dried Mushrooms and Red Wine

I still have a freezer full of basic tomato sauce just waiting to be played with and added to.

I wanted to make a full-bodied sauce, so I decided to add some of my dried mushrooms and red wine. It came out a little bitter, but adding a little sugar did the trick and it became luxurious.

I also added tomato paste to this sauce along with the red wine. Since I use tomato paste in quantities of 1 Tablespoon here, another there, I have switched to using sauce in a tube. It is much nicer than always having paritally used paste cans in the fridge. I would always end up throwing away at least as much as I used. Now I just use what I need and the rest stores in the fridge in the tube until I next need it.

Since all of our children were home (too rare an occasion), I served it over a symbolic heart shaped pasta (aren’t these fun?! The colors are from various vegetable dyes). I added some good bread and sauteed spinach on the side. A nice dinner we could all enjoy.

Pasta Sauce with Dried Mushrooms and Red Wine

1 pint basic tomato sauce or marinara

1/4 cup dried mushrooms

1/2 cup cabernet sauvignon or other red wine you enjoy

1 Tbsp tomato paste

up to 1 tsp sugar, if needed

Directions

If the tomato sauce is frozen, defrost it.

Place the sauce in a medium saucepan. Add the mushrooms, wine and tomato paste.

Cook over low heat until thickened and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes to 1/2 hour. Taste the sauce, add sugar or adjust seasoning if necessary. (see cook’s note)

Serve over pasta. Enjoy!

Serves 4 – 6.

Cooks note – I like to make the sauce the day before, let it cool and store it in the fridge until I am ready to make dinner. Then I reheat it. This allows the flavors to meld even more.