John's Spaghetti Sauce

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 (26 ounce) jar favorite spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 large fresh green pepper, chopped
• 1 (2 1/4 ounce) can chopped black olives, juice reserved
• 1 (15 ounce) can chopped tomatoes or 1 (15 ounce) can one pound chopped firm roma tomatoes, the fresher the better
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste, divided
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 of a large yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup favorite salsa (optional)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
• oregano, to taste
• italian seasoning, to taste
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (to taste)
• fresh ground pepper
• meat, and other
• vegetables (optional)
• fresh grated parmesan cheese or other italian cheese, to taste

Recipe

• 1 begin heating your favorite spaghetti sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally.
• 2 in a separate skillet or small pot, brown the chopped onion in 1 tablespoon butter until caramelized. add a pinch of oregano and/or italian seasoning to the onions while they are cooking.
• 3 once onions are caramelized, add them, along with the chopped green pepper, to the slowly heating spaghetti sauce. add fresh ground pepper to taste.
• 4 into the same skillet or pot just used for the onions, put 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, reserved juice from black olives, and 1 teaspoon tomato paste. turn heat to low and reduce this until thickened (about 7-12 minutes). watch carefully to avoid scorching/burning.
• 5 while this is reducing, add 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic, 1 tablespoon liquid smoke, 1/2 cup salsa (if using), remaining tomato paste, fresh chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon butter, and meat and veggies (if using) to heating spaghetti sauce.
• 6 cook spaghetti sauce until thick (no puddling). turn off heat, remove pot from burner and let sauce sit about 5 minutes.
• 7 after 5 minutes, add 3 tablespoons sour cream, one at a time, stirring gently and thoroughly after each addition.
• 8 incorporate the reduced olive oil, olive juice, and tomato paste mixture into spaghetti sauce.
• 9 stir in enough parmesan cheese to your liking.
• 10 serve with hot noodles, cheesy garlic bread, and extra fresh grated cheese.