WARNING TIP: Do not use Hunt's Tomato Puree when preparing this marinara sauce. It has very high levels of sodium and your finished sauce will be salty.

Preparation Tips

Slow Cooker/Crockpot
Note: You will need to use a minimum 5 Qt. slow cooker to prepare this recipe.

Pour 4 cans of tomato puree into slow cooker. Add sauce seasoning mix to puree and mix thoroughly.  Cover and set slow cooker on “low.” Prepare meatballs as directed on package.  Add meatballs to sauce.  Make sure meatballs are fully submerged in sauce, but be carefull not to crush or break meatballs in the process.  Cover and cook for a total of 7 hours. Meatballs should be put in sauce with a minimum of 6 hours of cooking time remaining.

Heart Healthy
For a heart healthy alternative, pre-cook your meatballs prior to adding them to the cooking sauce. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and roast meatballs for 20 minutes on a rack on a baking sheet or a broiler pan, allowing excess fat to drip off meatballs.  Pre-cooked meatballs can be used in either the stove top or slow cooker cooking methods.  Add the pre-cooked meatballs to cooking sauce in the same manner as in the standard recipe instructions.

Recipes

Easy Vodka Cream Sauce 
1 Qt. prepared Mamooch's Authentic Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup good quality Vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Simmer the Marinara sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat until the mixture reduces by 1/4, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir the cream into the Marinara and vodka sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.  Serve over your favorite pasta.  See photo of finished product.

FEATURED RECIPE

Mamooch's Baked Rigatoni

Prep time - 30 minutes
Cook time - 1 hour
Serves - 8-10

Ingredients

1 lb rigatoni - cooked al dente and drained
2 lbs ricotta cheese (whole milk or part skim)
1 lb shredded mozzarella cheese (whole milk or part skim) 
2 1/2 cups prepared Mamooch's Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
2 eggs - lightly beaten
2 rounded teaspoons dry parsley flakes
1 rounded teaspoon dry basil
1 rounded teaspoon dry oregano
1 level teaspoon granulated garlic
1 level teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large mixing bowl combine ricotta, romano, eggs, parsley, oregano, basil, garlic and salt.  Mix thoroughly.  Add 1 1/2 cups of Mamooch's Marinara Sauce to cheese mixture and mix thoroughly.  Add 12 oz (3/4's package) of mozzarella to cheese/sauce mixture to combine.  Add drained rigatoni to cheese mixture and mix thoroughly.

Spread 1/3 cup of Mamooch's Marinara Sauce on bottom of lasagna pan to coat and pour in rigatoni mixture.  Spread to level.  Spoon remaining 2/3 cup of Mamooch's Marinara Sauce over top of rigatoni mixture.  Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with a tossed green salad, crusty foccacia and a glass of your favorite wine.

Mangia!