I love my Mom’s spaghetti sauce. It’s sweeter than most people make it. That’s what makes it special. It’s very easy to make with few ingredients, but so flavorful!
We don’t get to enjoy real spaghetti sauce very often, because my daughter is allergic to tomatoes. She was away for several days recently, so we took advantage of her absence to enjoy some traditional Italian pasta dishes and made up a big batch of Mom’s spaghetti sauce.
My Mom is an Old World cook who doesn’t measure anything, so it can be interesting translating her instructions into a repeatable recipe. For instance, her salt measurement for her spaghetti sauce is to pour it around until it starts to sink. I’ve experimented with that and think I’ve come up with a comparable measurement. For the sugar, she estimated it for me at 6 Tbsp and that tasted just right.
Although simple to make, Mom’s spaghetti sauce does simmer for over an hour, so you might as well make a big batch and freeze meal-sized portions for later use. It’s a step above any store-bought sauce, and well worth the effort!
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- Two 12-ounce cans tomato paste
- 48 ounces water (just measure 4 empty tomato paste cans worth – that’s how Mom does it ☺)
- 6 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp salt (or to taste)
- generous grind of fresh black pepper
- 2 tsp dried basil
- Heat oil over medium high heat in a large pot.
- Add onion and sauté a few minutes until it starts to brown.
- Add garlic and sauté about 30 seconds until aroma comes and then add tomato paste and water.
- Add sugar, salt, pepper and basil and stir to a smooth consistency.
- Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes.
- Tilt lid and simmer another 30 minutes to reduce and thicken.
do you have a tomato free pasta sauce because my son is avoiding night shades
You can substitute the recipe for Notmato Paste: http://savorynature.com/2014/02/14/notmato-paste-nightshade-free/ into this spaghetti sauce recipe.