This is our family recipe for a simple and delicious pasta sauce. Take your time and taste frequently. The more you enjoy making it, the better it will be! Here’s what you need to make enough for up to 2 lbs of your favorite pasta:
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 sweet (Vidalia) onion (you choose size)
4 cloves of garlic
Red wine (Chianti will do nicely)
Bay leaf
Dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
Fresh basil
Parmesan cheese
Olive Oil
Sugar
Salt
Pepper
In your favorite sauce pot, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot on medium heat and add in diced onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add one large bay leaf (or two small ones). Let that sweat down for a few minutes on a medium simmer and then add in the garlic, minced as small as you can make it. Please don’t use garlic from a jar or some other pre-fabricated source.
Open the wine and pour yourself a glass.
After a few minutes, things should be heating up. Be careful not to burn the garlic or you will have to start over. Just before that happens, pour in a few splashes of wine, just enough to deglaze the onions and change the color (about 1/4 cup). Let that simmer another minute so the alcohol burns off.
Next, you will add the various cans of tomatoes. Start with the paste and stir vigorously until it breaks down and the onions and garlic are fully incorporated into a thick sauce. Once it starts to simmer, add the crushed tomatoes being careful to pour it in slowly so it doesn’t splash back. Add the tomato sauce last and stir frequently until the sauce is well mixed and bubbling. If it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a slow bubble.
Now it’s time for seasonings, which you will add in steps. Start with a sprinkle of salt and pepper to your liking and add a pinch of sugar. Stir well and add the dried herbs. Start with the basil first and sprinkle just enough to cover the surface of the sauce with a thin layer. Then add the oregano, but use only about half the amount of basil you added. Then do the same with the thyme, in about half the amount of oregano. Let this sit for a few minutes until the sauce is bubbling up through the layer of herbs.
After it’s bubbling nicely, stir in the herbs and sprinkle in grated parmesan cheese to cover the surface of the sauce just like you did with the herbs. Again, let this sit for a few minutes until the sauce is bubbling up through the layer of cheese, and then stir it in. Turn heat to low and cover with a vented lid.
Pour another glass of wine and go relax for a few minutes.
By now, the sauce should be at a low simmer. Be sure to check it every 5-10 minutes and stir as needed so it doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot. Taste again and again, adding salt if needed. The sauce will be ready to eat after simmering for at least 20 minutes, but it will get better with more time. Cook for up to an hour to reduce bitterness and develop rich flavor.
Once you’re happy with the flavor and hungry enough, add chopped fresh basil and spoon liberally over your favorite pasta. Cover with parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Tip: To convert this recipe to a meat sauce, add one pound each of ground beef and ground pork to the onion/garlic simmer before you pour in the wine. Brown the meat and sprinkle with salt. The rest of the directions are the same.