Easy Pasta Sauce

My mom grew up in an Italian neighborhood in New Jersey.  She's not Italian but the hearty neighborhood cuisine definitely made an impression.  When she had her own big family, what better to feed a crew than pastas galore.  Testing my culinary skills in college, I asked mom to pass along her spaghetti sauce recipe hoping to replicate the spicy, earthy aroma I remembered from home.  Well, as anyone who has tried to replicate her mother's recipes can tell you.....IT DOESN'T WORK.  Very frustrating.

So I used what mom taught me and played with it until I came up with a simple recipe of my own.  I like to make a big pot for dinner then throw the leftovers in the fridge or freezer for another day.  Saves time and money not having to get jar sauce (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Easy Pasta Sauce


Ingredients:
2 large cans tomato sauce
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves diced garlic (in the jar is fine)
2 Tbsp Basil
2 Tbsp Oregano
Sugar
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot.  Chop the onion (size depends on your preference) and cook in the oil until limp, trying not to brown (so keep it moving).
2.  Add in the garlic, basil and oregano, stirring together and cooking a few minutes longer to hydrate and bring out the flavor of the dried spices. 
3.  Add the tomato sauce and diced tomato and stir until all is combined.  Bring up to a low boil, reduce to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes or so. 
4. Add 3 or 4 tbsp of sugar ("To cut the acid" as my mom used to say), 1 Tbsp of pepper and about 2 Tbsp of sauce and stir in until thoroughly combined.
5.  Taste the sauce - I like to just use a slice of bread - and throw in additional salt/sugar/pepper as you see fit.
6.  Allow to cook 5-10 minutes longer and serve with your favorite pasta.

Meat Variations:

• Cook ground beef or turkey in with the onions in the beginning to make a meat sauce.
• Slice up Italian sausage and add to the mixture when you add the sauce.