Porky the Pig Part 2

Everyone loves pasta--kids, adults, even my Batman.  They love it more when the sauce is homemade. Homemade pasta sauce is great for a few reasons:

1. The sauce can be made ahead, freezes well, and is easy to reheat on week nights.
2. It is a meal that doesn't require a ton of planning--so when you get home from soccer practice and realize you forgot to thaw that chicken you were going to make you don't have to get take out. 
3. It is delicious and hearty.
4. If you follow my instructions then there are enough veggies in your dish that if you kids don't eat the salad or broccoli or whatever vegetable you make it doesn't matter.

This sauce can be made on the weekend in a large batch and frozen or because the meat is already cooked can be made on a week night.  Remember that pasta sauce gets better the longer you cook it so don't stress too much about cooking times.  I used pappardelle for this because I was having a craving but you can use which ever boxed pasta you have around.  

Pork and Pappardelle
**This makes about 12-15 servings. So enough for dinner tonight plus two frozen batches in the freezer**

2 cups slow cooker pork, chopped
3- 4 oz cans of sliced carrots
2 onions chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic chopped
2- 28 oz cans of kitchen cut tomatoes
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
4-5 fresh basil leaves
1/2-1 cup red wine or beef stock

In a large pot, heat olive oil then add onions and garlic and cook until translucent.  If using a slow cooker, transfer contents to slow cooker. De glaze the pan with red wine or stock then pour into crock pot. If doing on the stove stop just add in wine or stock and simmer. Add carrots, pork, cinnamon, and all spice. Cover and cook for 30 minutes to a few hours (longer you cook better the flavor will be) on the stove on medium heat or in the crock pot on high.  Add in fresh chopped basil leaves and serve over pasta. 


A few adaptations:

• Pappardelle is best with a hearty sauce so I left it very chunky. If you or your children prefer a smoother sauce--finely chop onions and carrots and allow to cook for at least 2 hours.  
• Red wine always adds a nice flavor to a dish. I like to cook with it then drink the rest with dinner :) Its fine to leave it out. 
• Canned carrots are one of my cooking short cuts. It shortens the time the sauce needs to cook because the carrots are pre-cooked. Remember if you use canned carrots and tomatoes don't add extra salt because they are canned with salt so your sauce will be nicely flavored. If you use fresh carrots and tomatoes you will need extra salt. 
• If you have a hard time getting veggies into your kids this sauce and all pasta sauce is great place to hide veggies. Adding a container of baby food carrots or dried baby food will add extra servings of veggies without changing the flavor.

Adding one of these containers of carrots adds an extra serving of veggies

Another way to add veggies