Best Traditional Italian Red Sauce Recipes

SAN MARZANO TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook garlic: In a large pot on LOW-MEDIUM heat sauté garlic in olive oil for 30-60 seconds. Stir constantly to keep garlic from burning.
• Add tomatoes and simmer: pour canned tomatoes with juices in with the garlic. Add tomato paste, salt, and black pepper. Mix ingredients together, partially cover with lid - but not completely, and simmer on LOW heat for 4+ hours. Stir every so often to avoid burning. Note: if using a parmesan rind, add it in this step and let it simmer with sauce until finished. Remove and discard rind when ready to serve.
• For smooth sauce: when sauce is finished cooking, use a hand immersion-blender to puree. Note: If you prefer a chunkier/thicker sauce (like I do), you can skip this step as the San Marzanos naturally break down while cooking.
• Add herbs: when sauce is finished, mix in chopped fresh herbs. Season with additional salt & black pepper if needed and serve!

CLASSIC MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Pour tomatoes into a large bowl and crush with your hands. Pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. Reserve.
• In a large skillet (do not use a deep pot) over medium heat, heat the oil. When it is hot, add garlic.
• As soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. Add whole chile or red pepper flakes, oregano (if using) and salt. Stir.
• Place basil sprig, including stem, on the surface (like a flower). Let it wilt, then submerge in sauce. Simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface is a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (If using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, adding more salt and oregano as needed.) Discard basil and chile (if using).

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN RED SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Gather your ingredients.
• 2. Introduce the tomatoes (including the juice) to a large bowl.
• 3. Crush the tomatoes up using your hands.
• 4. Chef's Tip: Use your hands... It's therapeutic.
• 5. Take about three cups of the tomatoes, and reserve.
• 6. Prep the remaining ingredients, and have them on hand.
• 7. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil.
• 8. When the butter has melted and the foaming subsides, add the garlic.
• 9. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic begins to color, about 1 minute.
• 10. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, and the oregano.
• 11. Cook an addition minute, or until fragrant.
• 12. Chef's Tip: Okay, here's the deal. I want the garlic to cook for about two minutes; however, if I wait to add the other spices until the garlic begins to brown... The result will be burned garlic. So, we're adding the other ingredients a bit early for the garlic. But, understand, that the garlic will color, and then brown, and then burn very quickly. Therefore, keep an eye on your pot, and watch the heat.
• 13. Add the tomatoes, and combine.
• 14. Add the chopped carrot, onion, and basil.
• 15. Stir to combine.
• 16. Place a rack in the lower position, and preheat oven to 265f (130c).
• 17. Chefs's Tip: Bring the sauce up to a boil, and then quickly return to a simmer. This technique works well with many sauces; however, don't try it if the sauce has a milk, or heavy cream.
• 18. As the sauce is simmering add a bit of salt, and pepper.
• 19. Chef's Tip: Since this sauce is going to reduce, you don't want to add too much salt at this stage of the game.
• 20. Cover the pot, with lid slightly askew, and place into the preheated oven.
• 21. Allow to cook in the oven; giving it a quick stir every hour.
• 22. After about 5 or 6 hours it should be reduced by half, and have a nice deep red coloring.
• 23. Chef's Note: The time depends on the calibration of your oven. Ovens can be off by 20 or more degrees (I hate it when that happens). I have my ovens calibrated every year. This is what you should do: When you open the oven every hour to give it a quick stir, if it looks like it's cooking too fast... lower the temperature. Aunt Josephine baked this at 300f (150c), and it took a bit over 5 hours. I would rather turn the temp down a bit, and have the sauce take a bit more time, than stick to an arbitrary temperature and let it burn. Use your chef's intuition... May the force be with you.
• 24. Remove from the oven, and then discard the carrots, onions, and basil.
• 25. Chef's Tip: Best way to do this is to go fishing with a pair of tongs.
• 26. Add the reserved tomatoes to the pot, and stir to combine.
• 27. Add the fish sauce (optional), and stir.
• 28. Add the parsley, and stir to combine.
• 29. Chef's Tip: Season again (if needed) with salt and pepper.
• 30. Serve over your favorite pasta dishes, or use as a sauce for a meatball sub. Enjoy.
• 31. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

SUGO DI POMODORO (AUTHENTIC ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook and stir until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add passata, basil, and salt. Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tomato sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove garlic halves before serving.

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN AMERICAN MARINARA SAUCE/ RED GRAVY

Steps:

• Rough chop onion and garlic.
• Heat up a large pan on medium heat.
• Pour in all of olive oil.
• Dump in onion and sauté until soft.
• Add garlic, bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Stir all together into a mess and continue to cook, if it seems to hot, turn down the heat, you don't want to burn anything.
• Once everything is well mixed and cooked, turn up the heat for about 1 minute. I tell you to do this as you are about to add the balsamic vinegar to "deglaze" and you will want the pan hot.
• Add balsamic, stir quickly while hot steam rises. the vapors should make you eyes water, and nose run, so be careful to remain hygienic. when vapors stop remove from heat.
• Open all the cans of crushed tomato.
• Stir in one can at a time with wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
• Once all cans are in, stir well again so you don't see any oil on the top of sauce. return to heat. Cook on low heat uncovered, stirring whenever you walk into the kitchen for some other reason. You don't need to stir it every hour, but do it whenever you get around to it. although you do need to stir it from time to time.
• Cook for at least five hours. If you want to do this while you go to work, you can transfer everything to a crock pot, but you must start in a big metal pot. Your choice.
• Serve over your favorite pasta, or use to cook my meatball recipe, which is highly recommended ( look at the reviews). doing my meatballs is particularly easy if you have transferred gravy to a crock pot, but if you do you may need to remove some sauce to fit the balls in the sauce.
• Freeze left over sauce, just pour cooled sauce in zip-lock bags and throw in freezer.

HOMEMADE ITALIAN RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, baking soda, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Stir mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 2 hours.