This is Eric’s go-to sauce. Use whatever veggies you want to add (or what's fresh at the Greenmarket), but this is how he does it. This recipe makes a large batch of delicious pasta sauce with plenty of vegetables and meat. Perfect for freezing in portions!

Eric Johnson's Favorite Pasta Sauce 

Ingredients

• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 4-6 oz mushrooms, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 4-8 cloves garlic, chopped

• 8 oz baby carrots, cut in half

• 8 oz hot Italian sausage

• 8 oz ground beef, lean

• 5 oz tomato paste

• 1 (16 oz) can whole tomatoes, chopped in half

• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

• 1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes

• 1 jar Casa Visco spaghetti sauce

• 1 tbsp fish sauce

• 1/2 tsp dried basil

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

• 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Slightly brown the sausage and ground beef in a large pot, breaking into bite-sized pieces. Stir.

2. After the meat cooks 5 minutes, add the onions. Stir.

3. 2 minutes later, add the garlic and mushrooms. Stir.

4. 2 minutes later, stir in the tomato paste and stir to cook it in.

5. 2 minutes later, add the rest of the veggies (peppers and carrots), cook and stir for 5 minutes.

6. Add all canned and jarred ingredients (whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, fish sauce) and spices (basil, oregano, hot pepper flakes).

7. Stir, bring to a rapid simmer, turn off heat and let cool for 30 minutes.

8. Repeat: bring to a rapid simmer, turn off heat and let cool for 30 minutes.

9. Ready to use or portion into containers and freeze.

Storage Tips

• This recipe makes 2-3 containers of sauce

• One 32 oz yogurt container has enough sauce for about 1lb of pasta

• Freeze in empty yogurt plastic containers for easy portioning