Tony's Spaghetti Sauce
Submitted by dpatton1122
Old-school Italian-American spaghetti sauce simmered for hours with whole plum tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and bay leaf. Drop your meatballs in during the last hour and let Sunday dinner take care of itself.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
150 minREADY
170 minEvery Italian family has that one sauce recipe that gets passed down like a sacred text. This is Tony’s.
Whole canned plum tomatoes, garlic, and onion get simmered with oregano, bay leaf, parsley, and a touch of sugar that rounds out the acidity into something smooth and rich.
Two cans of tomato paste go in after the first half hour, thickening the sauce into that deep, cling-to-every-noodle consistency you remember from Sunday dinners at Nonna’s.
Drop your meatballs in for the last hour, let them braise until they’re tender all the way through, and serve over a pound of thin spaghetti.
Kitchen Tips
- Crush the tomatoes by hand. Break them up right in the pot for a chunky, rustic texture. A spoon works, but your hands are better.
- Low and slow is everything. Keep it at a gentle simmer, not a boil. You want lazy bubbles, not a rolling eruption.
- That teaspoon of sugar matters. It balances the acidity of the tomatoes without making the sauce sweet. Trust the process.
- Make a double batch. This sauce freezes beautifully for months. Future you will be very grateful.
Ingredients
Directions
Cover bottom of deep heavy pot with olive oil.
Cook onions and garlic until soft.
Add tomatoes.
Bring to a boil and add spices and seasonings.
Simmer ½ hour, then add tomato paste and simmer for 2 hours, adding meatballs to sauce last hour of cooking.
Enough sauce and meatballs for 1 pound thin spaghetti, or four normal servings.
Hearty eaters may eat more.
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