This is the sauce I make when I need comfort food. We all have that dish or two that reminds of home, of happiness, of comfort. This dish is it for me. As a result, I have become somewhat of a red sauce snob when I go out to eat in restaurants. Same goes for meatballs. I can taste a jarred or canned sauce from a mile away, and sadly too many restaurants use prepared sauces instead of making them from scratch.
I cannot begin to count the ways in which I adapt this sauce for various dishes, so I decided to post the basic sauce, then will just write about the modifications each and every time I concoct one. Use this sauce as your base, then add veggies or meat as you desire. This is a thick and hearty sauce, so use a sturdy noodle like penne or rigatoni.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil (about 2 tbsp)
- 3-15 oz cans tomato sauce
- 1-6 oz can tomato paste
- Water (3/4 filled tomato paste can, mixed between all tomato product cans)
- 1 tbsp granulated garlic or 3 cloves grated/minced; plus more to taste
- 1 tsp oregano +/-
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese; finely grated or the green-can stuff
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
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In a large pot, skillet, or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over a medium-high heat.
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Add garlic and quickly mix around to heat up the garlic, but take care NOT TO BROWN it.
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Remove pot from heat.
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Add tomato sauce, paste, and water. Mix well.
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Return to heat.
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Add oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
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Bring to a low boil or high simmer.
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Taste for salt, pepper, and garlic and add if needed to taste.
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Add parmesan cheese and allow to resume a low boil/high simmer for about 3 minutes.
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*After cooked, discard the bay leaf and serve.
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*If using immediately, reduce to low and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.
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*If using in slow cooker or oven, add to slow cooker/baking pot and allow to cook 3-6 hours on low with desired protein or on its own.
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**The longer this sauce sits "around" the better it tastes!
3 Comments
Joanne/WineLady Cooks
July 12, 2014 at 7:21 pmAn easy and delicious recipe for Basic Red Sauce, a ‘Sunday Supper’ staple in our family. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. Pinned/shared.
Michelle
July 13, 2014 at 8:00 pmYes, Sunday staple! Perfect description.
Pork "Frances" - The Complete Savorist
February 25, 2021 at 2:40 pm[…] Frances uses the basic red sauce recipe but omits one can of tomato sauce. This will initially be a thicker sauce but as the pork cooks, […]