Slow cooker smoky tomato sauce
6
Points®
Total Time
6 hr 20 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
6 hr
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
An effortless version of an all-day sauce, this scratch-made tomato sauce gets a smoky richness from a ham hock. When you shop, find a meaty one because you will be using that hock meat to finish the sauce, adding more flavor and meaty texture. The fennel gives the sauce a slight sweetness and a hint of earthy-goodness while the crushed pepper flakes add a touch of heat, bringing out the authentic Italian flavor profile. Serve this for dinner or freeze the sauce for later. Having your own tomato sauce on hand is such a treat and provides easy dinner options for busy weeknights or last minute gatherings. Toast up some crusty bread to sop up all the sauce on the plate.
Ingredients
Tomato
13 medium, Globe variety, chopped
Onion
1 medium, yellow, chopped
Cubanelle pepper
2 small, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Uncooked fennel bulb
1 item(s), trimmed and chopped
Dried basil
1 Tbsp
Dried oregano
1 Tbsp
Jarred minced garlic
2 tsp
Crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp
Table salt
½ tsp
Smoked ham hock
5 oz
Tomato paste
3 Tbsp, reduced sodium
Uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
12 oz, cooked and drained according to the package