I always thought that making a spaghetti sauce was a lot of work. Boy was I wrong, it may get messy in my kitchen but this quick and easy spaghetti sauce will give you the comforts of grandma’s sauce instead of that jarred processed stuff. Throw away that jarred stuff and give this a try some Sunday afternoon. I was able to throw this together for dinner that night, keep out a small jar for my kids to have homemade pizza one night and freeze two more bottles. It’s even kiddo approved here too! The fresh basil completes this dish so try and get to the store and chop up some fresh stuff.
My secret ingredient is the sugar. My Mom always added sugar to her sauce when I was growing up because it cuts the acidity level. When I was a teenager I had a bad stomach getting heart burn a lot. Mom just added a little bit more sugar for me. My kids love it, if you didn’t know they are very picky but I need to make this sauce about once a month. I use it in a lot of dishes for my kids since I got the “Momma I love it!” Try it in my Orecchiette and Meatball Skillet Dinner, Beef Penne Skillet, or even Gluten Free Zucchini Lasagna or any kind of Pizza!
- 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
- 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (I buy the kind seasoned with garlic and herbs)
- 3 tbsp of tomato paste
- salt and pepper
- 4 tbsp of fresh basil, chopped
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 tbsp of sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- In a large sauce pan heat the olive oil on medium heat. Swirl it around, add the garlic and onions and cook for 5-8 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine. Cover lightly and cook on low for 30 minutes stirring a few times as it gently boils.
- Using an immerse blender puree the sauce until all tomatoes are all broken up. Add tomato paste, sugar, basil and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Cover lightly and cook for another 15 minutes allowing the flavors to come together.
- Bottle and enjoy!
Yah, I profiled a very similar marinara a few years ago and you’re correct: Just a tablespoon or two of sugar should balance out the acidity of tomatoes as opposed to the high levels in jarred sauces.
If you want to further reduce the amount of sugar you use, try preparing this dish with San Marzano tomatoes because they’re naturally sweeter.
Oh that’s a great idea DB, thanks for the tip, I’m going to try it!