Tomato Sauce

I never buy ready made tomato spaghetti sauce for one major reason, it’s always so SWEET! On some brands I believe corn syrup is the number two ingredient. Even good ole Newman’s Own has added sugar. I just don’t get it. Tomatoes are sweet to begin with. Anyway,another big reason I don't buy pre-made stuff is that making your own sauce can be so incredibly simple and it tastes so good. The biggest secret is time. That and really good olive oil.


Finely chop one medium onion, put it in a pot with ¼ cup of olive oil and two crushed cloves of garlic and salt. Cook over low-medium heat until soft, but do not let it brown. Add one 28oz can of crushed tomatoes with basil and one 28oz can of whole tomatoes, liquid and all. I just squeeze the whole tomatoes with my hands to break them up as I put them in but you can also dump them in whole a smash them up with your spoon. Now just let it simmer for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. If you can let it go longer, then even better. That’s it. If you have fresh basil you can add some when you’re adding the tomato. If you’re a fan of oregano you can add that too. I don’t bother with any of that anymore as I find this basic version very satisfying.



You may be thinking, doesn’t all spaghetti taste the same? I mean, it is just wheat and water. Well, I don’t believe that anymore and this brand, Bionaturae, is the reason why. It’s so good! Italian, organic, delicious...give it a try and see if you taste a difference.

Of course, fresh pasta is as good as it gets. If you happen to live in Park Slope Brooklyn or the East Village in Manhattan, then I recommend checking out Russo’s. Fantastic pastas made fresh and a mozzarella so fresh it’s sometimes still warm when you buy it.