Let’s talk pasta – specifically the sauce. There are many different versions, and each of them are the best ever, but this one, this sauce really is the best one ever, and so simple. This is my mom’s sauce recipe, which automatically makes it superior. It reminds me of my childhood, you know, a time before I paid all my own bills – good times, good times. Being 100% Italian, we regularly had sauce in some form multiple times a week. It was a staple in our household. When I make her recipe, I tweak it a little to my liking and add crushed red pepper flakes (my fiancé and I love spice!). If you prefer your sauce on the sweeter side, my Nonna typically adds carrots to hers while it simmers, and that does that trick! Sometimes I’ll add ground Italian sausage depending on what I’m planning to use it for. My mom has used ground beef, ground turkey and/or pork ribs in hers before. After letting the sauce simmer all day, the pork ribs are fall off the bone tender. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
This sauce recipe will not disappoint! I’ve used it for lots of dinner favorites – the traditional pasta with sauce, baked ziti, meatball subs, eggplant parmesan, chicken parmesan, and a more unusual dish. I never knew what to call it, but basically, my mom would put sauce in a skillet and add peas, then crack eggs directly in the pan and let them fry up until the yolk was tender. She’d serve it with some kind of bread. I know, I know, it sounds weird, but it’s oddly delicious. I made it for my fiancé before and he ate it up! It’s also a great budget friendly meal. My mom would typically make a large batch on the weekends and freeze family size portions so we could easily have pasta throughout the week. If that’s what you’re planning to do, I would suggest doubling the recipe. Without further ado, here’s mom’s homemade pasta sauce. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Ingredients
2 tsps. olive oil
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
8 oz can tomato sauce
One small white or yellow onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (fresh is best, but whatever you have on hand is fine! It’s a mix of rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, and sage)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions
- Heat your olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add in your chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Add in your garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add to the pot your can of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce. Then add your seasonings.
- Simmer for as long as you can. It tastes better the longer it simmers. I typically shoot for about 30 minutes to an hour if I’m strapped for time or just hungry.
- Serve with your favorite pasta noodles, or however you choose to have your sauce (on it’s own is good too) and enjoy!
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