Any of you ladies and gentlemen have any good spaghetti sauce recipes? I'm getting sick and tired of store bought. Any help is much appreciated!

I make mine from scratch and freeze it when my tomatoes are in each summer. It's about what you can find on Google. (tomatoes, tomato paste, bell peppers, onions, basil, garlic etc) I sometimes add yellow squash and zucchini and call it marinara primavera.

Thanks for the reply Bill! However I could have Googled it. I just thought I'd give this forum I try. Maybe find some secret "knock your socks off " recipes here. You're talking to a man that can boil water....that's about it.

My ex wife could make some killer spaghetti sauce. I wish I had the recipe. That's about the only thing I miss lol.

You boys are killing me....

we have tried a variety of different recipes, but we usually go back to Ragu (various flavors) since it is so much easier & faster ... not going to be much help here.

similar to what Bill said on what all goes in it of those we have tried ... also a pinch of oregano, basil, turmeric, rosemary, thyme along with chopped celery.

I add just enough jalapeno to bring it up to a pepper taste.

I do know she roasted garlic, carmalized the onions,used red wine, and cooked that stuff low and slow. Matter of fact I'm gonna try to make some o dat!

Thanks again. Any measurements, or do you just put peppers, wine, garlic, tomatoes, gun powder, sulfur, tomato paste in willie nillie?

Fast and simple basic starter recipe

1 lg can diced tomatoes
1 lg can tomato sauce
1 sm can tomato paste

add or adjust the following to your tastes
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Note no salt, add to taste after simmering. Some brands of tomatoes have enough salt that none is needed, others have no salt, so add to taste.

Flavor it up, some chopped onion and some chopped jalapenos and saute in olive oil until tender and add that to the mix. Same if you want bell peppers in it, saute before you add them.

Throw it all in a pot and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

That sounds good! I'll be trying that! Thank you sir!

I know it maybe odd for a Korean man to have an Italian recipe :), but I love Italian food and done this countless number of times.
Keep in mind it varies depending on what I have in the fridge. I will add nearly any random vegetable just to not waste.
But starting from scratch, here's mine (makes about 6-8 real people servings):

2 celery ribs
A whole onion
At least one whole bulbs worth of peeled garlic (sorry the Korean in mean demand that or more)
One large green pepper
Small hand full of peppercini
A large carrot
Olive oil, plenty enough to coated and sauté the above.
Chop all the veg (and it don't matter how) and cook all that together on medium heat until everything is completely softened.

Add 3-4 cans of any tomatoes you like, I tend to prefer HEB brand that comes whole with no salt added because it's cheap and good quality. Add the whole can, juice and all.
Add a good amount of Italian seasoning (something with dried oregano and thyme at least), probably about 2 tablespoons, and simmer for a good 15 to 20 minutes.
Then blend it with a blender, but every time I do this I wish I had a stick/immersion blender.

Put it back in the pot. It should be thick and probably more pink in color.
Add one can of good tomato paste. This is usually my first taste of it.
Then I add the following ingredients to taste and desired consistency:
Salt and pepper
Red wine (optional) and/or water
Sugar (but just a very small amount, just enough to cut the bitter out of all the acidity in the sauce but not to sweeten it)
Red pepper flakes
A pinch of paprika
Then let this low simmer covered for at least 30min. I usually go an hour and clean the kitchen in the mean time. Finely chop one bunch of basil. Probably about 5 minutes before serving add about 2/3 of it in, I save to rest to sprinkle fresh on eat plate.

Instead of water or wine, V8 or chicken stock will work too.
For me, the last part is easily adjustable to you and your family's taste preference.

This is more marina sauce than spaghetti sauce. To this you can easily add cooked ground beef, Italian sausage, mushrooms, whatever. When I go through this much effort, I usually make meatballs from scratch and let them simmer on LOW heat in this sauce covered for an additional hour or so.

Tomato sauce is the same as one can tomato paste and two cans of water.

I am no cook! Thank goodness I have a husband that is a fantastic cook or I would starve. He makes the best spagetti sauce in the world. He browns 1 lb. hamburger meat, 1 lb. Mild Italian sausage, and adds several sprinkles of Italian seasoning. Drain the grease and put back in large skillet. Ok, this will make enough to feed 4 to 6 so we always have left overs which are so good the next day after all the seasonings soak in. Anyway back to the recipe. Pour 1 large jar of Prego spagetti sauce in any flavor you like best over the cooked meat. Simmer on low for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. Add a Texas thick slice of garlic toast, a small side salad, and 1 large glass of red wine. My favorite meal.

Thank ya ma'am! That does sound good! I think even I could manage that one. However, I would substitute A Coke for wine though. I quit drinking five years ago. Bad things happen when I drink.

Yea it's an easy recipe and oh so good. Many congrats to you for not drinking
Now, talking about this spagetti has made me hungry, going to have to make a batch of it this weekend!

Amaze your friends but don't tell them how you made. Use this ratio.

- 32 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 16 oz can tomato sauce
- regular can of Campbell tomato soup (yeah the basic old siimple condensed one)
- 1 small can tomato paste

Put barely enough olive oil in a pot, swirling it around to coat bottom. Add chopped/minced garlic and onions if you like. Saute medium heat for a couple of minutes still the garlic turns barely brown. Be sure to stir around.

Add all of those cans of stuff above. Add some Italian seasoning, maybe a teaspoon or tablespoon depending on how much you like. I like to also add some celery seed and/or dried celery leaves you can get in the spice section. You can also add a bay lef or two if you like. Cook slowly on low heat. Stir occasionally. Be very careful not to burn. If you need to add some liquid, add beef or chicken broth but only a little.

For meat sauce, cook some hamburger in a skillet, drain in colander and then on paper towels. Add to sauce.

You can do all sorts of things with that basic sauce.

That is about the same as I make from home grown tomatoes, but here again, I do not use tomato sauce. It's redundant to use tomato sauce and tomato paste. Just dilute your paste more. I use fresh basil, but only because I have it in my garden by the bushel.

All sound awesome! Now I'm gonna have to learn how to cook. Great. I sure appreciate everybody's help!

Our "go to" sauce when we don't have the fresh ingredients or much time is:

Brown 1# ground meat.
Add 1 can diced tomatoes w/oregano & garlic.
Add 1 can tomato sauce.
Cook about 25 minutes.


And if you like to play chef (lots of knife work), a vegetarian version is:

Ingredients:

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup picante sauce, Paces
30 ounces tomato sauce (2 - 15 oz cans)
1 carrot, large, shredded
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
8 ounces mushroom, sliced
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 ounce parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 cups broccoli

Directions:

Cook onion, green pepper and garlic in oil in 3 quart saucepan over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, Pace Picante Sauce, carrot, Italian seasoning and basil. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in mushrooms, broccoli and red pepper, continue to simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon over pasta, sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Serve with additional Pace Picante Sauce. Makes about 7 1/2 cups sauce.

The mushrooms will add a little panache in most any dish.

I make things by sight and smell and ofcorse taste. I will make a lazagna soon and will try yo wright it down. Will PM.....

Cool! That'd be awesome of ya.

I use whatever store bought sauce that I enjoy. The thing I do different is I will smoke a few links of sausage and cut it up and mix it in with the sauce. The smoke flavor makes it really good. (If you like the smoke flavor.)

I prefer sausage to ground beef.