Crystal Godfrey
Ditch the bottles (when you want to) and amp up your pasta dinner with little effort!
TWO SUPER EASY HOMEMADE PASTA SAUCES
- April 27, 2020
- , 1:40 pm
- , Easy Dinners
Okay, I’m just going to say it….bottled Alfredo sauce just isn’t good and did I mention it’s also expensive? Bottled spaghetti sauce is great (especially when you catch it on sale…like 99-cents is a great price!) But sometimes you’re caught without it or you need more of a chunky marinara sauce, not just the run-of-the-mill Ragu stuff. This post is based on a LIVE meet up we did on Instagram (@outsmart.dinner), if you missed it, you can catch it over in the Facebook group HERE.
AMP UP YOUR DINNER WITH LITTLE EFFORT
I’ve got two super easy and delicious pasta sauce recipes to share with you today. The recipes are amazing because they’re easy to make, call for simple ingredients, and they really amp up your dinner without extra cost or effort. The Creamy Alfredo Sauce is from my Outsmart Dinner Meal Planner in the Restaurant Knock-off section because it’s part of my cheater Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo night (including the Olive Garden Salad and some breadsticks on the side!) If you’re interested in trying a sample of the Meal Planner click HERE, or if you’d like to learn more about the planner itself, click HERE. I love the marinara sauce for a more authentic spaghetti or with my Eggplant Parmigiana.
HOW TO STOCK UP AND SAVE MONEY!
Stock up on your canned goods for the Marinara sauce in the Fall when canned goods are cheapest. (In my area, the canned tomatoes get down to $0.49/can and the tomato sauce is $0.30/can). Also, you can buy cream cheese when it’s on sale and keep it in your fridge for at least three months. SERIOUSLY! Next time you’re at the grocery store, check the sell by date on cream cheese, you’ll notice it’s usually at least 3 months in the future.
TURN IT INTO A FUN PASTA PARTY!
These recipes are also perfect for an (EASY FOR YOU) pasta bar featuring 5 different sauces. Here’s how you do it, serve the marinara sauce chunky and blended (that’s 2 sauces) then add some pesto with a portion of the Alfredo, some marinara with another portion of the Alfredo and some Alfredo regular (thats 3 sauces). Serve all kinds of different pastas (penne, spaghetti, fettuccine, etc.) and ask your friends or other family members to bring their favorite pasta topping (think meatballs, ground beef, sausage, vegetables, whatever they want!). Round it out with a simple Italian salad or the Knock-off Olive Garden Salad from the Meal Planner.
Super Creamy Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp. pepper
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter and cream cheese in a sauce pan (or the large skillet you used to cook the noodles, this will save you a dish).
- Add the milk and Parmesan cheese, and stir until fully combined. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
HOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE (MADE FROM STUFF IN YOUR PANTRY)
Equipment
- slow cooker or pot
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped (or 1/4 to 1/3 cup dried onions)
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (omit if bell peppers aren't your thing)
- 2 cloves garlic (or 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic)
- 2 cans (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cans (8 oz.) tomato sauce
- 2 tsp dried basil (or 2 Tbsp. fresh basil)
- 1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepot or small slow cooker, combine all ingredients and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes. I like to make this in the morning and allow it to cook on low all day in the slow cooker. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.