How to Cook Italian Pasta Sauce

Have you ever wanted to make your own pasta sauce?

Here is a great recipe to create a delicious meal that will make a great impression of your family and friends! I will share with you one of the best spaghetti sauce recipes that was taught to me by my father when I was a young boy. I will teach you first how to cook pasta sauce, then offer some tips on how to cook pasta so that you get the best possible outcome.

This recipe will make one large pot of sauce and will easily serve 8-10 people. You can cut the ingredients in half for a group of 4-5. You will need to begin cooking at least two hours (more is better) before you want to serve, as the sauce needs to cook for at least two hours.

First, here are the spaghetti sauce ingredients:

Vegetables:

Two green bell peppers (large)

Three medium sized yellow onions, peeled

Fresh clove garlic, peeled (at least three cloves, NOT 3 heads, just 3 cloves)

Oils & Seasonings:

Olive oil (very healthy and adds great flavor)

Oregano (about 3 or 4 tablespoons)

Basil (about 3 or 4 tablespoons)

Sugar (about 2 tablespoons)

Optional: Baking soda

Meats:

(You have some options here. You can add the meats of your choice, or, none at all if you prefer vegetarian pasta sauce.) One package of each:

Ground beef

Pork chops

Italian sausage

Tomato sauce:

3 large cans (8 oz) of tomato sauce (Hunt’s or any quality brand from your market is fine.)

Optional: 1 can (6 oz) of tomato paste for a thicker sauce

                1 can of whole peeled tomatoes for chunkier sauce

Preparation

OK, begin by preparing your vegetables and meats. First, using a cutting board and a sharp knife, cut the bell peppers and peeled onions into small cubes or chunks. The pieces should be no larger than a dime. Smaller is better. Now peel the garlic gloves and smash them using the flat part of your knife and your fist or a garlic press. (CAUTION: Please ensure that the sharp edge of the knife is pointing downward before hitting it with your fist!) Place the cut up vegetables into a bowl and set aside.

Next, prepare the meat. Again you have options here, and really I would recommend adding at most two of the three, but here is the preparation for each:

Ground beef: Usually, one package from your market is enough. If you are buying fresh from the butcher, about 1 or 2 pounds is enough. You can make meatballs by placing the ground beef into a large bowl. Add some oregano and basil (about a tablespoon of each) and salt and pepper (about ½ teaspoon or so) to the beef, then mix very well. You can add some of the cut up onions as well for extra flavor. Take a small amount and roll into balls, the size of your choice.

Pork chops: One package of about 6 chops will suffice. I prefer the ones with the bone, as the bone will add good flavor to the sauce. Cut the meat away from the bone, then cube the meat into about quarter-sized pieces, or, optionally, into short strips.

Italian sausage: Best if bought fresh from the butchers, but any market brand will do. Simply cut the sausage into 4- or 5-inch pieces. Easy!

Now, place about a tablespoon of fresh olive oil into a medium sized skillet and set it on low-medium heat on your stove. Let it heat up for a minute or two. First, place the meat into the skillet and increase the heat if necessary. Brown the meat for about 2 or 3 minutes. You don’t have to cook it all the way through because you will add the meat to the sauce and it will continue to cook then.

Remove the meat from the skillet and place it on a plate with paper towels to remove any excess oil, also drain any excess oil from the skillet, and then add the vegetables. Brown them on medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until the onions turn a caramel color. Stir often to avoid burning. Add some oregano and basil at this point and stir in well for about another 30 seconds.

Now place the vegetables and meat together into a large saucepot. This recipe will make a fair amount of sauce so please make sure your pot is somewhat large. Open the cans of your tomato sauce (and paste and tomatoes if you are using them) and gently pour the contents into your pot. NOTE: If you are using the paste AND the whole tomatoes, reduce sauce to two cans. Add about 2 or 3 tablespoons (or more) of olive oil. It is very healthy and will also add good flavor to the sauce. Stir everything in well and cook for at least 2 hours (preferably 3) on medium heat. The sauce should gently bubble throughout the cooking time, but not boil too hard. I prefer to keep the lid off while cooking, which results in thicker sauce because the moisture cooks out of it. Stir well about every 30-45 minutes.

Optional: About 30 minutes before the sauce finishes cooking, you can add about 2 tablespoons of sugar and stir in well. This will give the sauce a slightly sweeter taste. Also, I like to add about 1 teaspoon of baking soda, which will reduce the acidity of the sauce and give it a smoother taste. It’s normal for the sauce to froth up after you add the baking soda. Just be sure to stir it in very well.

After the sauce finishes cooking, take it off the stove, stir one more time, and set it aside to cool and thicken for about 15 or 20 minutes.

OK, now that your sauce is prepared, here is how to cook pasta. For this amount of sauce, you will need the large package of pasta. Any brand is fine, but consider the whole-wheat pastas now offered by some of the major brands. It’s delicious and very healthy. (You can use any kind of pasta; it’s your choice. It does not have to be “spaghetti.”) In a large pot, bring about ½ pot of water to a boil. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt and about 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the water. The salt will add flavor and the olive oil will keep the pasta from sticking together. Cook according to directions on the package but always test to make sure it’s done. Use a fork to extract a strand or two, let cool for a second, then taste it to make sure it’s done. It should not be crunchy at all.

After the pasta finishes cooking, pour it into a strainer, and let the water drain fully. This is important! The pasta needs to be fully drained of any water or the water from the pasta will make your sauce thin and watery when you put the sauce on the pasta. 

After the water has fully drained from the pasta, your delicious meal is ready to eat. Enjoy!