A tomato sauce is any of a very large number of sauces made primarily out of tomatoes, usually to be served as part of a dish (rather than as a condiment). Tomato sauces are common for meat and vegetables, but they are perhaps best known as sauces for pasta dishes.Tomatoes have a rich flavor, a low liquid content, very soft flesh which breaks down easily, and the right composition to thicken up into a sauce when they are cooked (without the need of thickeners like roux). All of these make them ideal for simple and appealing sauces.The simplest tomato sauces consist just of chopped tomato flesh (with the skins and seeds optionally removed), cooked in a little olive oil and simmered until it loses its raw flavour, and seasoned with salt.Water (or another, more flavorful liquid such as stock or wine) is often added to keep it from drying out too much. Onion and garlic are almost always sauteed at the beginning before the tomato is added. Other seasonings typically include basil, oregano, parsley, and possibly some spicy red pepper or black pepper. Ground or chopped meat is also common.

Pasta Shells Florentine is pasta made with jumbo pasta shells, spinach, low fat mozzarella cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, egg, grated parmesan cheese, ground nutmeg, italian seasoning, and a jar of spaghetti sauce.

Who doesn't love spaghetti? And a lot of good sauces rely on the flavor of Italian sausage to increase the wow power. Here's a sauce that has the same flavor and texture, but contains no animal products.

There are as many versions of lasagna as there are cooks. Filling ingredients vary; but there are two main sauces used, a red and a white. You can alternate them between the layers of pasta and filling. Start with red on the very bottom and ending with white on the top; but do it the way you like it best. That's the Italian grandmother's way!

I am going to Kansas City today to watch the NFL Chiefs fight for the dignity of Herm Edwards. There will be a gang of folks gathering together, the Chiefs are just an excuse to eat all things Italian. My favorite is the Italian Spaghetti Sauce.

The cheesy, nutty, basil-flavoured italian sauce called pesto is easy and inexpensive to make and a boon in the kitchen. Learn to make it today!