I’m trying to learn to buy groceries, cook for myself again.

Can’t afford to buy and keep produce. Limited cookware. So, any recipe telling me to crush garlic, dice onions, etc, can’t do.

Need budget, ghetto, for people on a fixed income, easy no frills way to make diy tomato paste pasta sauce.

Good suggestions so far. Tks. I have 1 bowl, 1 plate, 1 spoon, 1 fork, 1 butter knife ; 1 small sauce pan; Only stores nearby are corner stores. Hardly any produce. Having to make due with what you can find in a liquor store.

  • harissa@lemm.ee
    15·
    1 year ago

    Try canned crushed tomatoes. If you can access some seasonings, a bit of garlic powder and dried Italian blend herbs go a long way to making it taste more like pasta sauce. It can be warmed in the microwave or stovetop if you have access. It is safe to eat right out of the can without heat but def tastes better if you can simmer it for a while. Leftovers will require refrigeration or can be frozen. You mentioned that you can’t keep produce, so if you don’t have a fridge or freezer, look for small cans of plain tomato sauce - not pasta sauce, and not tomato paste, but just plain sauce. You can dress this up with herbs also and have a smaller amount to avoid leftovers

    • zabadoh
      5·
      1 year ago

      Optional: Add olive oil, or just about any kind of cheap melting cheese, or even milk, or non-dairy creamer to give it richness.

      Also optional: Add crushed red pepper flakes, just like the ones for pizza, to give sauce some kick.

    • SWIM@lemmy.world
      3·
      1 year ago

      This is very accurate,also maybe add a bit of the starchy water after cooking to the sauce.Once the pasta is in the sauce, add pasta water. This is the most vital step in the process. Starchy pasta water doesn’t just help thin the sauce to the right consistency; it also helps it cling to the pasta better