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Mom's Best Spaghetti Sauce

SUBMITTED BY: KRAZYBARB      PHOTO BY: Jennifer6486

"A simple, slow cooked, authentic spaghetti sauce, as good as the restaurants serve...or better! The secret ingredient is baking soda, but do not taste the sauce right after adding it. Wait a while, and this sauce will not disappoint you. It is good right from the stove, but the flavors blend overnight. Best served with your favorite meatball recipe, where the meatballs cook in the sauce the last half hour. Be prepared to take a nap after eating."
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 8 servings
    
About  scaling  and  conversions

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 (14.5 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 4 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
  • 3 cups water
  • 4 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 teaspoons white sugar
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 pinches baking soda
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix together whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, mushrooms, onions, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper, basil, and 1 pinch of baking soda in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 4 hours minimum.
  2. Stir in another pinch of baking soda; the sauce will foam. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and almost brown. Make sure to scrape the sides of the pan in to the sauce.
  3. After the sauce is fork consistency, stir in Parmesan cheese. Watch that the cheese does not burn. Taste sauce. If it is too tangy or acidic, add another pinch of baking soda and simmer another 1/2 hour.
  4. Cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, reheat and serve.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 3 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Apr. 14, 2004 by Debra
This is a good recipe for starters. I am 100% italian and my family owns restuarants all over where I live. My homemade recipe is very similar to this, however I deleted the mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and the baking soda. I add a little more garlic then this recipe calls for and NO water. I also add oregano to mine. When cooking it is important to cook the onions and garlic in some olive oil first. This brings out the flavor. I also add the fresh parsley basil and oregano (chopped), and salt and pepper to that first and cook a few minutes. Then I add the whole tomatoes and the juice in the can, very important to take your hands to them and crush them a little. I let that come to a boil first before adding the sauce. After adding the sauce, I simmer and let it cook for 3 or 4 hours, stirring occasionally with the lid partially on. I also add additional seasoning as I taste and go along. What really turns the sauce unbelievably awesome is that I make meatballs seperately in a frying pan and once they are cooked I add them to the sauce during the last hour. WOW! gives the sauce such an awesome flavor.

49 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Nov. 15, 2003 by KRANEY
Was my first time to make homemade sauce - definitely a keeper! I added 1 tsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. oregano, and 2 bay leaves - really would have been too tomatoey without the extra spices. I cooked the sauce 6-8 hours, and added my grandma's homemade meatballs to it the last 3 hours. Wow! Thanks for the recipe!

18 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Aug. 29, 2002 by Rebslo
I used canned crushed tomatoes and added oregano and a few bay leaves. If you plan ahead this is a nice dish. A dutch oven works well for simmering too! The taste was nice, although it didn't knock my socks off.

13 users found this review helpful


 
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NUTRITION INFORMATION

Servings Per Recipe: 8

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 184

  • Total Fat: 2g
  • Cholesterol: 2mg
  • Sodium: 1739mg
  • Total Carbs: 39.4g
  •     Dietary Fiber: 8g
  • Protein: 9.1g

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