Description
Classic Italian Homemade Spaghetti Sauce radiates authentic Mediterranean flavors with rich tomato depth and aromatic herbs. Simmered slowly, this hearty sauce delivers genuine comfort for pasta enthusiasts seeking genuine Italian culinary traditions you can savor with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 28 oz (794 g) crushed tomatoes
- 14 oz (397 g) diced tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsps sugar
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for added heat)
- Fresh basil leaves (for garnish)
- Grated parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium flame. Add onions and cook until softened and translucent, then introduce minced garlic, stirring quickly to prevent scorching.
- Build Tomato Base: Pour crushed and diced tomatoes into the aromatic foundation. Incorporate sugar to temper the tomatoes’ natural tartness, creating a harmonious flavor profile.
- Season and Enhance: Sprinkle dried basil, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes into the sauce. Stir thoroughly to distribute spices and awaken the sauce’s complex flavor dimensions.
- Simmer and Develop: Reduce heat to low, allowing the sauce to gently bubble uncovered for approximately 25 minutes. Stir intermittently to prevent adherence and ensure even flavor melding.
- Refine and Finish: Adjust seasoning to taste, potentially adding more herbs or sugar. Remove from heat and serve immediately over pasta, garnishing with fresh basil leaves and a lavish dusting of Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Prevent Burning Basics: Garlic burns quickly, so keep it moving in the pot and watch the heat to maintain a rich, not bitter, flavor profile.
- Tomato Acid Balance: Adding a pinch of sugar neutralizes the natural tartness of tomatoes, creating a smoother, more rounded sauce taste.
- Herb Distribution Technique: Stir spices thoroughly when adding to ensure even flavor throughout the sauce, preventing clumping or concentrated seasoning spots.
- Simmering Success: Low and slow cooking allows flavors to meld and intensify, developing a deeper, more complex sauce compared to rushed preparation.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg