Spaghetti for Dinner

Spaghetti and other forms of pasta are very low in sodium.  But the trick comes in with what you put on that pasta.   Bottled spaghetti sauce for the most part has a lot of sodium.  Even the so called Heart Healthy versions of bottled spaghetti sauce has quite a bit of sodium. 

I have found a bottled brand that is low sodium, but it is in small bottles and fairly expensive.   Publix carries L.E.Roselli's Low Sodium Spaghetti Sauce that contains 35 mg of sodium in 1/2 cup.   That's great, but a 15.5 ounce bottle costs almost $4 and that's not very cost effective for a big family.   So, I've tried several recipes and found one, with a few tweaks, that I really like and that the family likes as well. 

Spaghetti Sauce
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 - 2 tsp of minced garlic
28 oz no salt added crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning (I use Mrs Dash Italian Blend)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
6 ounces no salt added tomato sauce

Saute pepper and onion in butter until tender.  Add garlic and saute another minute.  Stir in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and Italian seasoning   I add some Morton Salt Substitute and garlic powder at this point as well.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.  I usually simmer a bit longer because the longer you simmer it, the better it seems to taste.  I also double the recipe to feed my big family.   

 

242 grams is just over 8 ounces, which is about a cup.  

If you like a bit more of a salty taste, you can try a bit more of the Salt Substitute.  I try not to use too much because I also have to watch my sodium.  It also has a funny aftertaste if you use too much.   This is a good sauce and it goes together very quickly so you aren't slaving over the stove all day long. 

I add meatballs to the sauce that I make from scratch that are about 57 mg of sodium each.  I usually allow myself 1 or 2 meatballs because the sodium is so low in the spaghetti and sauce.   If you are like me, you love parmesan cheese.  I have found that 4 C makes the lowest sodium parmesan cheese, both in grated and shredded forms.