How do you make spaghetti sauce?
I make it by first browning the hamburger meat mixed with chopped onions and sliced mushrooms. If you prefer, Italian sausage can also be used. After the meat is browned, drain the grease off then add tomatoes. The configuration of tomatoes depends on how long you plan to cook the sauce. If you use whole tomatoes, you’ll have to cook a lot longer than if you use tomato sauce. I like to use some sauce and some diced or chopped tomatoes, so that the final product has some texture. The amounts vary depending on how large a batch you intend to make. As the sauce is cooking, add spices to taste. These can include salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaf, and various other spices, but the most important is oregano (the main flavor that turns it from “tomato sauce” to “spaghetti sauce.” Other possible additions include wine, parmesan, and sweeteners (if you like sweet sauce). Cook until the consistency you want is achieved, stirring regularly but not constantly.
I add a half cup or so of red wine so my sauce starts out pretty wet, but I simmer it for most of an hour, which cooks down the liquids pretty well. If you still find your sauce too loose, Muir Glen sells canned organic plum tomatoes which contain less water. I get big cans of Italian artichoke hearts (with stems) in herbed sunflower oil and use that oil to sauté the quartered hearts and halved garlic cloves till the garlic is soft. No onions. Then I add Pepsi Blue Muir Glen whole canned tomatoes mushed up by hand, and the wine, and some whole basil leaves. Salt and pepper and let simmer while you make fresh linguine (flour, egg, salt, a little water; knead into balls and let sit for 30 minutes; roll flat with a wine bottle and cut into narrow strips). I add the juice of 1/4 lemon near the end of cooking, and only about 1/4 teaspoon of brown sugar. And some more basil leaves. Try grating fresh pecorino instead of parmesan for a bit of a twist. The pecorino we get here is really salty,
This is something I make every week. If you want simple, you can leave out the wine and the spices and change the canned tomatoes to diced tomatoes. The basics have been covered in the above comments, but just to put it all together here is: Mama Gravy’s Red Sauce 3 Tb Olive oil 1 large yellow onion, diced 2 cloves of garlic minced or crushed 1/4 red wine 1 to 2 TB sugar 2 cans whole roma tomatoes 1 can crushed tomatoes 1 Bay leaf Red pepper flakes to taste pinch of fresh Thyme Salt and pepper Saute the onion in the oil on low heat for 10 minutes and then add garlic. Saute another 2 minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients, including a light salting. Cook slowly, smashing the whole tomatoes as you go. Simmer for an hour or so. Finish with salt to taste. Note: For extra rich, extra thick sauce: After simmering an hour pour into large baking dish, drizzle another 2 TB oil and bake at 325 for another hour or two. This is the best sauce for pizza.
Fresh basil at the very end is an excellent addition. It doesn’t have to cook. Just chop it not too finely and stir it into the sauce right before you ladle it over the pasta. A few capers at the end are also very good. Don’t forget the grated parmesian, and I don’t mean the Kraft crap in the green can. That crap has never seen the inside of my fridge. If you really want good pasta, get you a little tiny block of real parmesian cheese and grate it, no pre-grated garbage; it makes all the difference in the world…oh, and a little crushed red pepper, if you like a little spice. It’s amazingly simple and fast to make an excellent red sauce. The recipes above should serve you nicely. You can have a sauce ready in about a half hour if you have everything chopped ahead of time. Remember, your pasta should never wait on the sauce, but it’s alright if the sauce has to wait a bit for the pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, it should be served soon. When it’s done, toss the pasta with a little oli
