I've been trying for years to make a decent spaghetti sauce. Using canned tomato sauce it always comes out way to acidic and blahhh.

Finally, I have found a recipe that tastes as good as restaurant spaghetti sauce.

Quick note, you must use San Marzano tomatoes. I use canned whole peeled san marzano tomatoes imported from Italy.

Yes, they must be imported from Italy. They are superior. they don't put the anti-caking agents in the can, so the tomatoes break up nicely. Super clean taste, absolutely no acidic flavor. And they must be San Marzano. Do not settle for anything less.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil (I se more...coat the bottom of the pan nice and good)
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot or 1/2 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1 small stalk of celery, including the green tops, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I use 2)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 28 oz. can of San Marzano whole tomatoes, including the juice
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste (I didn't use any and its fine...although, if you use some, use the italian tomato paste in a tube...its more expensive, but way better)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• I ad a little red wine, about 1-3 tablespoons to taste
• optional - a little red pepper to taste

Method

1 Heat olive oil in a large wide skillet on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and parsley. Stir to coat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and cooked through. Add optional red pepper.



2 Remove cover and add the minced garlic. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook for garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, including the juice and shredding them with your fingers if you are using canned whole tomatoes. Add the tomato paste and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered until thickened, about 30-40 minutes.



I might try putting the carrots, celery, parsley and onion in a food processor, just so i don't have to cut it all up.



This stuff is good.

Some Krogers sell the Italian San Marzano tomatoes, and HEB sells them as well. They are more expensive, but well worth the money.
Around 3 something for a 28 oz can.

https://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/basic_tomato_sauce/

Sounds really nice!

You can put the veggies in a food porcessor, just hit 'pulse' a few times - if you let it run full-on they will be mush...

I'm going to try that.

I'll bet that really is good! When/If I make spaghetti sauce from scratch I usually use fresh Roma tomatoes. I'll probably add more chopped onion & garlic & some red pepper flakes too.
From scratch tastes sooooo much better than any canned ones.
Thanks for sharing!

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limitme: 20 yrs ago I worked with a guy from Italy and he invited us over for dinner. I was like: AWESOME! I asked him what he did. He used tomato puree as opposed to tomato sauce.

I use passata, which is essentially puree - POMI is a brand, for example, it's just pressed tomatoes - it makes it really smooth...

Another way you can make a very simple sauce:
Heat some evoo and put in some slivered garlic cloves, cook until just golden and take them out - then add the passata, cook about 5-6 minutes, season and toss with your pasta...

Another that is cooked longer:
lots of chopped fresh tomatoes, lots of chopped onions, cook in a fair bit of evoo for 45 mins to an hour until the onions and tomatoes melted into each other, season and toss with your pasta

I LOVE tomato sauce, can you tell?!?!

I get a passata at the italian store in pittsburgh, it works great

I used to think, you have to use fresh tomatoes to make a good sauce, but after discovering these canned San Marzano tomatoes from Italy, I don't think so.