I’m back! I feel like I fell off the face of the planet this week and I apologize for the lack of posting. It was just one of those weeks. I had big plans to post this weekend, but then our Internet went out and we haven’t had wireless at the apartment since Friday afternoon. Awesome. And it won’t be fixed until tomorrow most likely.
But I did have a project last night and I did it with you guys in mind!! Remember my last post where I tried my hand at home making bread to save some money? If you forgot, I baked a loaf of bread for $1.67, a fraction of the cost of a loaf at the grocery store. Well I ran out of pasta sauce (practically my favorite staple ingredient) and when I was at the store staring at the wide variety of jars, I realized that I was spending at least $4 on something I could make myself!
Because of some suggestions via Twitter, I now give you my $2.23 homemade pasta sauce! With 8 servings, that is about $0.28 per serving!! (Price obviously depends on the quality and cost of your chosen ingredients, but I tend to buy what is on sale or the best value).
The vegetable base... add some oomph to your sauce!
I got in a fight with our cheap can opener.
Spice things up.
Top mini gnocchi with your homemade sauce and some crumbled goat cheese for a carb fest!
Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce (makes 8 – 1/2 cup servings)
1 28 oz can crushed tomato (get the “with basil” variety for added flavor if you find it!)
2 cups spinach, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
2 T extra virgin olive oil, divided in 2
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup water
In a large sauce pan, heat 1 T olive oil and add in mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper. Stir until the onions are tender and translucent then add in the chopped spinach. Once the spinach has wilted, turn the heat to medium low and let simmer while you wrestle with the cheap can opener. Add in the jar of crushed tomatoes along with the water, stirring well to incorporate all the vegetables. Add in 1 T olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, and the spices (feel free to switch it up and add what you like!). Once all ingredients are well incorporated, cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat down to let it simmer. Enjoy a glass of wine while it simmers for about 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before storing in the refrigerator or enjoy immediately with a big bowl of pasta! Note: You can also freeze this!
What other grocery store staples would you like me to try to make at home to see how much money (if any) can be saved??
