Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce

~In*Memory*of*Brats~'s Note:

This is a recipe I got from my father who got it from a little old lady he knew from Italy. I always simmer this sauce with my meatballs (recipe posted). You can also add sausage if you like. This sauce is to die for!!!!

• Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 2 (28 ounce) cans tomato puree
• 1 (28 ounce) can peeled plum tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion , diced
• 6 cloves
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup grated cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.
2. Empty plum tomatoes into large bowl and squash with your hands.
3. Add all ingredients (including any meatballs or sausage you want to add) to pot and simmer for 3 hours.

Reviews

[ladyhawkb52_12951833]

I had to add one other thing in my review that I forgot to mention: Sautee your onion and garlic in a separate pan, then add to the sauce. I sauteed them in the pot that I was using for the sauce as it calls for, and I could not keep the onion and garlic from sticking to the bottom of the pan. So sautee in separate pan first.

[Chef #935065]

Beware Brits. If you are cooking this then don't do what I did and use the tomato puree as we know it in UK. As I have since found out, the Americans call what we call Pasatta, Tomata Puree. In UK tomoato puree is the thick concentrated stuff that the Americans call tomato paste. It was like wallpaper paste when finished and a bit too tomatoey, but i still ate it, not wasting that many meatballs :). Anyway, since finding this out I have re-tried the recipe with tomata pasatta instead of puree and it is an absolute gem of a recipe. thanks.

[afwthesavvymama]

I am suspicious of any "authentic Italian" claims in a sauce recipe containing sugar. Taking out the sugar would be great. Sugar doesn't improve flavour in my opinion, and I know it does not take away acidity.