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My grandparents were born and raised in Italy. They came from a little town outside of Rome called Frosinone. One thing I remember about my Nonna (grandmother in Italian) was that she made the most delicious tomato sauce. Once you’ve had the real thing, you will never want anything else!
Since I was young when she passed away, I never learned from her how to make her sauce. Fortunately for me, I married an Italian. Now my husband can’t cook, but his father sure could! My father-in-law was born and raised in Italy, just like my grandparents were. He was from Abruzzi, a region in southern Italy. He was a wonderful cook, making everything from homemade pizza, sausage, pasta carbonara and of course, his homemade tomato sauce.
My father-in-law was funny, in the sense that every time I asked him how he makes his sauce, he seemed to tell me a different version of his recipe. He once said that if we knew how to make his sauce, we wouldn’t have a reason to come over for dinner. He was a clever man!
I have come pretty close to his recipe. It’s not exactly his, but I suppose now it is my recipe- and it is still very good. Below you will find the recipe for my authentic Italian tomato sauce- a perfectly delicious sauce for your choice of pasta!
Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- Choice of meat (ground beef, country ribs, Italian sausage)
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4-5 Garlic Cloves
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Jar of Tomato Paste
- Tomato Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Garlic
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Onion
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 32oz jars Tomato sauce
Directions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, butter and garlic. Cook garlic for 3-4 minutes, or until garlic is slightly toasted brown. Be careful not to burn!
- Add tomato paste and stir frequently. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Do not walk away during this time! Keep stirring until the paste starts to separate. You will know it is ready when it smells rich and delicious.
- Add your dried garlic, onion, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
- Reduce heat. I take my pot off the heat at this time to avoid any splattering and add the tomato sauce. Stir and put back on the heat.
- Increase the heat and bring sauce to boiling- stirring frequently. It will take a while to fully boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and let simmer. If adding meat, do so at this time.
- Cook for at least 2 hours, reducing heat to simmer if necessary.
If you don’t can your own tomatoes each year (or have a family member/friend who does!), these are the strained tomatoes I would recommend. I love that they are organic and come in glass jars! Use the link to purchase right from amazon! https://amzn.to/3zZiuM1
This is my go-to tomato paste. I love that its organic, non-gmo and made in Italy!
Use the link to purchase right from amazon! https://amzn.to/3XXiFQ8