Burnt Bacon Spaghetti Sauce
(Shared recipe submitted by Ric.)
Ric writes: "Every time I make this I manage to consume the whole thing....or at least I try to. Most ingredients can be varied. The garlic can be increased to taste, or decreased as such, and so on."
Ingredients
- 3 strips of bacon
- 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons of crushed garlic (see notes below)
- 1/2 pound turkey kielbasa, sliced 1/8-inch thick and split in half
- 5 medium Monterey mushrooms, thin sliced 1/16 to 1/8-inch (can use other mushrooms)
- 1/3 to 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1/4 to 1/3 medium bell pepper, gutted and chopped (see notes below)
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sweet basil
- 1 can (12 ounces) tomato puree
- 2 to 3 ounces dry red or port wine (optional)
In a 16-inch frying pan, lay out the bacon with moderate to low heat, turning as required. When the bacon is nearly cooked, spread the crushed garlic along the top length of each strip. Cover and let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip the bacon with garlic and fry until the garlic turns from light brown to black. This will also blacken the bacon. Pulling the pan off the burner, shake the garlic off the bacon back into the pan, remove the bacon and using paper towels, dry the bacon. Let sit to cool and crisp.
Return the pan to the burner and stir in the turkey kielbasa. Uncovered, move the sausage often to cook all sides in the bacon/garlic grease. After 3 to 5 minutes, add your mushrooms, onions and bell peppers; flipping with a spatula, also add the marjoram as well as the sweet basil. Crush or tear the bacon (no longer than 1/2-inch pieces) back into the pan and blend in. Stir and fry for another 3 to 5 minutes and reduce heat to low. Add tomato puree in stages, stirring as you go. Cover and stir every 15 to 30 minutes. In the first hour, taste will be slightly bitter/sweet. In the second hour, the sweetness will increase as the caramelized onions and garlic give up their sugar. Should the recipe get a little thick for your tastes, add a slight amount of water, on the order of 2 to 3 ounces. For more flavor, add 2 to 3 ounces of a red wine of your choice. For more sweetness, add the same amount of a red port wine. I've used both a Cabernet Sauvignon and a tawny port with great success! Serve after 2 hours with your favorite pasta.
Notes: If the garlic is fresh, cut the amount by at least one-third. Otherwise, most bottled crushed garlic will work great. Use whatever color bell pepper you prefer. Green is slightly bitter, yellow or orange are slightly sweet. In ages past bacon was a luxury, used more for flavor rather than part of a main course. This recipe brings back the flavor of such. It also recognizes that garlic can be caramelized just like onion and takes advantage of it. You won't need salt - bacon has quite a bit of salt as part of the curing process. Pepper? Your choice as to taste, but don't we all do that as we cook, taste and add things as we go? In all cases, cover the pan as you cook, unless noted. This will keep the grease off the stovetop and keep the moisture in while preparing.
Additional recipes submitted by Ric:
Disclaimer: This recipe was submitted by a contributor and has not been tested by TerisKitchen.com.
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