Your New Favorite Pasta Sauce

Root vegetable pasta sauce from MADE by Scratch & Co.

It’s time we all admit it: jarred, store-bought pasta sauce is not good. The taste of mass-production has never pleased anyone, especially when topped with parmesan cheese that shakes out of a green cardboard tube.

This is where MADE by Scratch & Co., a shelf-stable line of retail goods from the Troy Hill restaurant, comes in. Owner Don Mahaney and his team at Scratch are producing a locally sourced, homemade root vegetable sauce, perfect to top any noodle.

The pasta sauce is one of a handful of MADE items that Scratch is releasing this spring; the rest of the line includes pizza sauce, hot sauce, a bloody mary mix, and a beet vinaigrette. All of these jarred goods – each one is vegan – are built from the same base, a fermented root vegetable mix of beet, rutabaga, and turnip.

MADE is part of Mahaney’s commitment to buy from and support local farms. Ingredients are sourced from Pennsylvania and Ohio producers.

“We chose for this line of products to work with vegetables that can be grown with less fuss on the farmer’s part, and that are available for the majority of the calendar year. In this way, for the local consumer, the whole product line is accessible all year long, but without the foods that go into making them having to travel into our region’s foodshed from someplace else,” he explains.

Mahaney says Scratch is in the middle of a large production run – using about 16,000 pounds of root vegetables – which should provide enough for the MADE products to last through summer.

Before the next production runs, planned for fall and late winter, Mahaney says the team is developing recipes for new product lines that “will feature the amazing bounty of fruits and vegetables we are lucky enough to see in PA in the spring and summer months.” In addition to pastry fillings, Mahaney hints at future collaborations with "Pittsburgh industry favorites."

But, back to the pasta sauce: Mahaney describes it as having a slight tang from the ferment, which compliments an unexpected creaminess, and notes that “there are earthy and bright nuances to this pasta sauce that are extra fun.”

He recommends warming the sauce by itself, then having it over spaghetti noodles. Before adding sharp cheese or vegetables, try it plain, to see where your taste guides you.

Mahaney calls the sauce "incredibly versatile,” and he's right: Try it in lasagna, blending it with béchamel, or pay homage to arrabbiata by mixing it with the hot sauce and adding mushrooms. (Make sure to have garlic toast nearby!)

In spring, Mahaney says he likes to keep things simple by adding a touch of creme fraiche (or coconut milk, to keep things plant-based) to the sauce, then spinach, fresh garlic, and aged parmesan. This summer, he's looking forward to pairing it with eggplants, bell peppers, and seasonal squashes. When Scratch reopens for brunch, you can be sure to find it in their shakshuka.