50 Things to Make With a Jar of Pasta Sauce

Found this in Food Network Magazine... (actually, a coworker found it and let me copy it because she saw how excited I was about it. Some of these are really weird, but others sound delicious! I bolded the yummy ones, and italicized the odd ones. What do y'all think?

50 Things to Make With a Jar of Pasta Sauce
1. Spanish Rice: Cook 1 cup rice according to package directions, substituting 1 cup pasta sauce for 1 cup of the water; stir in capers, Spanish olives and chopped scallions.
2. Potato Casserole: Mix mashed potatoes, some pasta sauce and grated Parmesan cheese in a casserole dish; top with more sauce and cheese and bake 425 degrees for 30 minutes.
3. Baked Brie: Slice the top rind off a small wheel of brie. Cover lightly with pasta sauce and seasoned bread crumbs and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes; sprinkle with fresh herbs.
4. Mussels Marinara: Sauté sliced garlic in olive oil in a deep skillet. Add a pinch of saffron, ½ cup white wine, 2 cups tomato sauce and 3 pounds mussels; cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes.
5. Zesty Chip Dip: Combine equal parts sour cream and pasta sauce in a bowl stir in grated Parmesan cheese, ground pepper and oregano.
6. Quick Ratatouille: Sauté chopped bell peppers, zucchini, onion, eggplant and garlic in olive oil. Add 2 parts pasta sauce to 1 part water and some fresh basil; simmer until vegetables are tender.
7. Cocktail Sauce: Mix pasta sauce with horseradish and hot sauce to taste; serve with shrimp.
8. Minestrone Soup: Boil 1 jar pasta sauce and 5 cups water. Stir in cooked small pasta, chopped mixed vegetables, canned beans and grated Parmesan cheese; cook until vegetables are tender.
9. Tomato Butter: Blend 1 stick butter and ¼ cup pasta sauce in a food processor; stir in chopped parsley. Use plastic-wrap to roll into a log; refrigerate.
10. Olive Tapenade: Combine 1 cup pasta sauce with ½ cup chopped kalamata olives, ½ cup chopped roasted peppers, a big spoonful of capers and some parsley; serve with crackers.
11. African Stew: Sauté chopped onion, garlic an d ginger with curry powder; add 1 jar pasta sauce, 2 cups water, 1 can white beans and a diced sweet potato; simmer until tender. Stir in ¼ cup peanut butter.
12. Cream of Tomato Soup: Sauté chopped fresh herbs in butter; add 1 jar pasta sauce, 2 cups water, ½ cup heavy cream and a pinch of nutmeg; simmer for 5 minutes.
13. Stuffed Mushrooms: Mix breadcrumbs, chopped mushroom stems and grated Parmesan cheese with a bit of pasta sauce; stuff into mushroom caps, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
14. Buffalo Wings: Lightly coat chicken wings with equal parts pasta sauce and hot sauce; roast at 425 degrees for 40 minutes.
15. Clam Chowder: Sauté diced celery and onion in butter with thyme and a bay leaf. Add 1 chopped potato, 2 cups pasta sauce, 1 bottle clam juice and 1 cup water; simmer 15 minutes.
16. Tomato Croutons: Toss 2 cups cubed stale bread with ½ cup pasta sauce, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons olive oil; bake at 400 degrees until golden, about 10 minutes.
17. BBQ Brisket: Brown 4 pounds brisket in oil with chopped onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Add 1 jar pasta sauce, 1 jar water, ¼ cup cider vinegar and ¼ cup brown sugar; cover and simmer 3 hours.
18. Eggs in Purgatory: Simmer 1 cup pasta sauce in a small skillet. Crack in 2 eggs, cover and cook until the whites set; top with pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.
19. Tuna Marinara: Simmer pasta sauce with halved olives, capers and a drained can of Italian tuna; toss with pasta.
20. Stewed BLT: Cook chopped bacon in a deep skillet; add pasta sauce and escarole and cook until greens are tender.
21. Pizza Potato: Made a deep slit in baked potatoes, then stuff with some pasta sauce, chopped pepperoni and shredded mozzarella; bake at 400 until the cheese melts.
22. Italian Meatloaf: Add 1 cup pasta sauce, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese and some chopped rosemary to a basic meatloaf recipe (using 2 pounds ground beef). Bake; top with more sauce and cheese 15 minutes before it’s done.
23. Baked Beans: Simmer 1 cup pasta sauce with ¼ cup honey mustard, ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 large can white beans until bubbly.
24. Tomato Mac and Cheese: Mix some pasta sauce with prepared macaroni and cheese in a baking dish; drizzle with more sauce and bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.
25. Instant Salsa: Mix 1 cup pasta sauce with 2 tablespoons lime juice, ½ cup corn kernels, chopped cilantro, diced red onion and a dash of hot sauce.
26. Sweet-and-Sour Franks: Bring 4 cups thinly sliced onions, 1 cup pasta sauce, ½ cup water and 2 tablespoons brown sugar to a boil; cover and simmer 40 minutes. Serve on hot dogs.
27. Vodka Penne: Simmer ½ cup heavy cream and 3 cups pasta sauce in a skillet for 3 to 5 minutes; remove from heat and stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons vodka. Toss with cooked penne.
28. Saucy Marinade: Combine 1 cup pasta sauce with ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and ¼ cup olive oil; add smashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Use as a marinade for 1 pound chicken or pork.
29. Tomato Biscuits: Spread refrigerated biscuits with pasta sauce; top with grated cheddar cheese and chopped scallions and bake as directed.
30. Country Captain: Brown chicken parts in olive oil with curry powder and chopped onions and bell peppers; add pasta sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
31. Taleggio Panini: Spread pasta sauce between 2 slices of crusty bread and top with taleggio cheese; cook in a buttered skillet or panini press.
32. Poor Man’s Parmigiana: Alternate slices of garlic bread and mozzarella in a baking dish; top with pasta sauce and bake at 375 degrees until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
33. Tomato Polenta: Stir a dollop of sun-dried tomato tapenade into some pasta sauce; warm and spoon over prepared soft polenta.
34. Italian Quesadilla: Spread some pasta sauce on a tortilla; top with grated mozzarella cheese, sliced mushrooms and shredded chicken; fold in half and pan-fry until golden.
35. Chilaquiles: Cook 4 cups tortilla chips in pasta sauce until slightly softened; stir in chopped cilantro and top with grated cheddar cheese and sour cream.
36. Creole Stew: Sauté chopped onions, bell peppers and celery; add Creole seasoning, sliced smoked turkey sausages, pasta sauce and a big splash of broth; serve over rice.
37. Poached Cod: Simmer pasta sauce in a skillet; add cod fillets, cover and cook until just firm; top with chopped herbs.
38. Enchilada Sauce: Toast some chili powder in a nonstick skillet; add pasta sauce and canned green chiles and heat; drizzle over enchiladas or tacos.
39. Pizza Sticks: Brush refrigerated breadstick dough with pasta sauce; sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and bake. Serve with extra sauce.
40. Greek Beans: Simmer pasta sauce with a cinnamon stick, a bay leaf and a splash of red wine vinegar; serve over white kidney beans; top with feta cheese.
41. Tomato Omelet: Whisk 3 eggs, salt and pepper; pour into a buttered skillet and top with grated fontina cheese and a few tablespoons pasta sauce. Cook until almost firm; fold in half and cook until desired doneness.
42. Bloody Marys: Mix 6 ounces vodka, 1 cup pasta sauce, ½ cup water, 6 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon horseradish in a pitcher; season with celery salt, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce.
43. Spiced Okra: Simmer fresh or frozen okra and canned chickpeas in pasta sauce season with cumin, mustard seeds and coriander.
44. Polenta Bites: Slice a tube of pre-made polenta into rounds. Broil until heated through; lightly top with pasta sauce and grated fontina; broil until cheese melts.
45. Tomato-Fennel Soup: Thin pasta sauce with water; add sliced fennel, vegetable juice and a splash of pernod and simmer.
46. Chickpea Pasta: Simmer pasta sauce with chopped celery, anchovies and chickpeas; serve over penne.
47. Red Pepper Coulis: Purée jarred roasted red peppers until smooth, stir into pasta sauce and serve with steamed fish.
48. Sloppy Joes: Brown bulk Italian sausage, chopped onions and bell peppers; stir in pasta sauce and heat; spoon onto rolls.
49. Tomato Vinaigrette: Whisk ¼ cup red wine vinegar with ½ cup olive oil, some shredded basil, salt and pepper. Whisk in a spoonful of pasta sauce; drizzle over arugula.
50. Eggplant Rolls: Grill or broil thinly sliced eggplant until tender. Spread with pasta sauce and ricotta cheese; roll up and secure with toothpicks.

Obviously, I find anything that's supposed to be Spanish/Mexican in flavor to be made with ITALIAN pasta sauce a bit odd. Am I wrong for this?

1 comments:

Ginger Gibson said...

At first I thought the Mexican/Spanish dishes were odd. Then I thought about how often I put a can of tomato sauce in similiar dishes and reconsidered.

I think I'm going to have to try some of these, 17, 18, 27, 34...