
About This Recipe:
Even though there are endless pasta options, my favorite Italian dish was always and will always be spaghetti with tomato sauce (aka spaghetti pomodoro.) I am a huge fan of tomatoes in general, and this simple combination of canned whole tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings makes the best homemade tomato sauce. The hardest part is waiting 30 minutes for the sauce to simmer, but I make a huge batch at once so that I can freeze it and have it ready whenever.
Enjoy!
Ingredients (4- 6 servings)
-1 lb spaghetti
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 onion, finely diced
-6 garlic cloves, finely minced
-2 tbls tomato paste
-28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
-1 cup water
-2 tsps white sugar
-1.5 tsps dried oregano
-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
-Optional: grated Parmesan cheese
-Salt and pepper
Instructions (45 minutes)
1. In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat, pour in the olive oil. Sauté the onions for about 5 minutes and then add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3-4 minutes to concentrate. Pour in the whole tomatoes, water, sugar, oregano, and red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes covered.
3. While the sauce simmers, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti.
4. Once the sauce is done, break up the whole tomatoes with the back of a spoon and sprinkle in the basil. Serve over the spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan if desired.
