How to Make My Grandmother's Sunday Sauce

There's nothing quite like the aroma of homemade sauce simmering on the stove. This recipe has been passed down through generations in my family, and I'm excited to share it with you! If you want to enjoy a hearty, home-cooked meal, this sauce will become a staple in your kitchen. Let's gather the ingredients and get started.

Ingredients: Canned tomatoes, whole garlic cloves, onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, fresh basil, carrot, meat of choice, bronze-drawn pasta (for serving).

Tools: Large pot, 12" pan (non-stick or cast-iron), knife, cutting board, can opener, food scale, garlic press, immersion blender (optional).

Measurements:

1. 1 26oz can of the crushed tomatoes of your choice
2. 1 whole garlic clove
3. 1 whole yellow onion
4. approximately 1/3 of a cup of the olive oil of your choice
5. approximately 3 grams of salt
6. approximately 3 grams of pepper
7. approximately 2 grams of dried oregano
8. approximately 2 grams of dried basil
9. 2 stems of fresh basil
10. 1 large carrot
11. (Optional) 1 lb. of the ground meat of your choice
12. (Optional) 1 lb. of bronze-drawn pasta of your choice (bronze-drawn pasta has a rougher surface, which helps the sauce cling better for more flavorful bites).

Chop the onions and press the garlic. Wash and peel the carrot.

If using whole peeled tomatoes, blend them in the can with an immersion blender after removing the stems. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender, but make sure to do it in small batches to avoid splattering.

Note: Chopping the garlic with a knife instead of a press will work, but it will slightly subdue the garlic flavor.

Tomato Recommendation: If you're in a bind, I highly recommend Cento All Purpose Crushed Tomatoes. If you can't find this brand, look for crushed tomatoes stored in tomato puree with minimal preservatives, such as Calcium Chloride. For this recipe, I'll be using the Cento tomatoes because they have a richer taste and are a brand I trust. Since this dish is comprised of very few ingredients, its important to ensure that these ingredients are to a higher standard.

We can now begin the cooking!

Heat olive oil in a large pot and add the chopped garlic and onions.

Add a large pinch of salt to the onion and garlic.

Cook the garlic until fragrant and golden (about 3-7 minutes, depending on pan temperature).

Caution: DO NOT leave the stove during this step. Garlic burns quickly, which releases an acrid aroma and flavor.

Tip: Try your best to ensure that the onions are translucent, as pictured below. As the onion cooks, more enzymes are broken down, which creates a sweeter tasting sauce. This is important for this recipe because we are not adding any table sugar.

With our base complete, we can begin to assemble the sauce!

Pour in the canned tomatoes, and add the salt, pepper, dried oregano, and dried basil. Stir well.

Tip: If you have the time, fill half of the tomato can with water and add this to the sauce. You will need to simmer longer, but this water allows us to cook the sauce for longer, which deepens the flavor.

Time for the easy part. Lets start our simmer!

Reduce the heat to low, and let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Stir occasionally to allow the flavors to blend together.

If you added additional water in the previous step, ensure that you allow the sauce to simmer for at least an extra hour or according to your desired consistency.

Tip: Check the sauce throughout this process to make sure it hasn't exceeded your desired thickness. If the sauce is too thick, add water until it reaches the desired consistency. If your sauce is too thin, turning up the heat to medium and allowing it to cook at this temperature for a few minutes can help thicken the sauce quickly; however, ensure that you do not cook the sauce for too long at this temperature because it can cook the ingredients and potentially spoil the dish.

The sauce is still missing some key ingredients, lets add those now!

Add salt and pepper to taste. I always add two pinches of salt and roughly 5 twists of my pepper grinder into the sauce.

If you're adding meat, brown the meat separately and add it to the sauce at this stage to infuse it with flavor.

Add the carrot and stems of basil and allow the sauce to simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

Info: The carrot will cook and release sugar into the sauce, which ensures that the sauce is not acrid or sour. This step is the most important step in the entire recipe. If your sauce tastes too bitter, continue to cook the carrot until the sauce is sweet enough for your liking.

Note: Do not cook the basil any longer than 15 minutes, as fresh basil cooks very fast and will release an acrid aroma.

We’re almost there! Time to add the final touches.

Taste your sauce one final time and ensure that the salt-level, sweetness, and consistency are at a desirable balance.

Salt Balance:

1. If the sauce is too salty for your liking, you can add a few teaspoons of lime juice to neutralize some of this salt. Don't add more than 3 teaspoons of lime juice, or the sauce will become too acidic.
2. If the sauce is not salty enough, just add salt in small pinches!

Sweet Balance:

1. If your sauce is too sweet, add some additional salt to try to mask this sweetness. You can also add lime juice in teaspoon increments.
2. If your sauce is not sweet enough, let the carrot cook down a little longer! You can also add a few sprinkles of table sugar.

Consistency Balance:

1. If your sauce is too thick, add more water!
2. If your sauce is too thin, turn up the heat to medium and allow the sauce to continue to simmer.

Serve the sauce over your favorite pasta, or use it as a base for lasagna, pizza, or any Italian dish of your choice!