Paul Newann's bottled sauces are very good. Don't be concerned about using his marinara....it s that good ! I make a lot of Italian meals. No reason to make your own red sauce when there are some great ones on the market....but Prego is NOT one if them IMhO. ALDI has a great selection of red sauces.
Buy a block of Parmesan and grate it yourself. Much better tasting than the canned Parmesan. Italian dishes are easy to put together so don't sweat it. If your make lasagna, use Italian sausage. Yummy!
Www.allrecipes.com has any recipes that are user friendly.
Garlic bread??
I make my "signature" salad to go with my italian meals.
Fresh spinach, tomato, red onion, feta cheese. Fr my dressing I make te Good Seasons Italian mx substituting the regular vinegar with Red Wine vinegar. Olive oil instead of regular oil. Note to my St. Louis friends....instead of feta cheese, I always use provel rope cheese! A St. Louis exclusive!
Don't forget the red wine! merlot or Cabernet go great with pasta dishes.
Have fun!
Sandy