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I'm trying to perfect my spaghetti sauce...

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Start by dicing and sauteing a half an onion in a hot pan with some olive oil. Once the onion begins to cook, it converts the starches to sugar and sweetens up. Same for garlic, but add it in just as the onion is done because garlic will cook within 1-2 minutes. Also you're using too much tomato paste. Try using 1 can sauce + 1 can small diced tomato. If you still want to thicken it up, add in 1 tablespoon paste at a time. It shouldn't take more than 2 Tbsp. Fresh basil gives the best results. Don't overkill your sauce with too many different spices, choose one, either basil or oregano. Mushrooms are nice, but they add a woodsy flavor, not sweet. And lastly, dont add in your cheese until just before you serve it.

just my 2 cents

Edit: forgot to add in, only use 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon sugar. the sugar is used to cut the acidity of the tomato, not sweeten the sauce.
 
you need onions, carrots and celery, some wine, not so much paste (let it simmer and reduce, instead of using so much paste)

add a little sugar at a time, like a teaspoon or so, to cut the acidity.

i usually make sauce like this:

1 can crushed or whole tomatoes (28oz or so i think is the size)
1/2 diced onion
3 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 carrot, diced
1/2 rib celery, diced
a splash or two of red wine
some olive oil (2 or 3 tablespoons, to cook the veggies)
a pinch of chili flakes
some dry basil and oregano

cook diced onion, carrot, and celery over medium heat until softened (10 mins or so, the larger the dice, the longer the cooking, but i chop it rather small)
add garlic and chili flakes, cook another minute
add tomatoe (if whole tomatoes, i let them cook down a bit, then mash them apart)
bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer until thickened (40 mins or so at least, more sauce = more time)
once thickened, add salt, pepper, basil and oregano to taste.

if i have some ground beef i add some to it, maybe 1/4lb or a bit more.

try foodnetwork. theres 101 ways to make sauces there, ive tried a number of them and theres some great stuff there.
 
NO SUGAR, that ruins it! That's why Ragu and every other jarred sauce tastes like ASS.

BASIL is what will take away the acidic taste of tomato leaving only tomatoeee goodness.

Go buy some crushed basil (they sell it in the plastic jars just like onion/garlic powder/etc)

Put about 1tsp per 32oz of tomato product. Trust me. I'm Italian and have been making my own gravy for 15 years.

Yes, GRAVY. Meatballs, Beef (as in pieces of Chuck Roast), Sausage and Lamb in the gravy, simmer for 6 hours qualifies it as nice, thick with meat juices gravy.

I rock.
 
Use crushed tomatoes instead of stewed, if you must use paste make it 1 can. Clarify the onions first in good olive oil then add fresh garlic (don't let the garlic brown, just slightly clarify) then mushrooms and peppers then meat (I like at least 85% lean ground beef and a couple links sweet sausage either cut into bite sized peices or skinned and mixed with the beef) and seasonings (salt, fresh ground pepper, rosemary, thyme, majoram, basil and a little oregano. Leave out the bay leaves, parmesan and don't add sugar). When the meat is browned add tomatoes 1 can at a time (add 1 can and wait for it to start bubbling). Let cook as long as possible. The longer it cooks, the less tart it is. I usually cook mine for around 6 hours very slowly.

Speed
 
Originally posted by: speed01
Use crushed tomatoes instead of stewed, if you must use paste make it 1 can. Clarify the onions first in good olive oil then add fresh garlic (don't let the garlic brown, just slightly clarify) then mushrooms and peppers then meat (I like at least 85% lean ground beef and a couple links sweet sausage either cut into bite sized peices or skinned and mixed with the beef) and seasonings (salt, fresh ground pepper, rosemary, thyme, majoram, basil and a little oregano. Leave out the bay leaves, parmesan and don't add sugar). When the meat is browned add tomatoes 1 can at a time (add 1 can and wait for it to start bubbling). Let cook as long as possible. The longer it cooks, the less tart it is. I usually cook mine for around 6 hours very slowly.

Speed
Click to expand...


Nice. 😎 I will try yours next time.
 
Originally posted by: MichaelD
NO SUGAR, that ruins it! That's why Ragu and every other jarred sauce tastes like ASS.

BASIL is what will take away the acidic taste of tomato leaving only tomatoeee goodness.

Go buy some crushed basil (they sell it in the plastic jars just like onion/garlic powder/etc)

Put about 1tsp per 32oz of tomato product. Trust me. I'm Italian and have been making my own gravy for 15 years.

Yes, GRAVY. Meatballs, Beef (as in pieces of Chuck Roast), Sausage and Lamb in the gravy, simmer for 6 hours qualifies it as nice, thick with meat juices gravy.

I rock.
Click to expand...

you better share or i'm driving up there and jacking your shi!t up
 
Originally posted by: MichaelD
NO SUGAR, that ruins it! That's why Ragu and every other jarred sauce tastes like ASS.

BASIL is what will take away the acidic taste of tomato leaving only tomatoeee goodness.

Go buy some crushed basil (they sell it in the plastic jars just like onion/garlic powder/etc)

Put about 1tsp per 32oz of tomato product. Trust me. I'm Italian and have been making my own gravy for 15 years.

Yes, GRAVY. Meatballs, Beef (as in pieces of Chuck Roast), Sausage and Lamb in the gravy, simmer for 6 hours qualifies it as nice, thick with meat juices gravy.

I rock.
Click to expand...
Red Gravy :thumbsup:

 
how i begin all meat based sauces

1/3 onion chopped finely
4-5 garlic pieces chopped finely

fry it in 1-2 tablesoons of corn / vegatable oil till golden / light brown

add ground beef and cook till completely browned and cook about 5-10 minutes after that

then add fresh tomato / tomato sauce / tomato paste i usually just use a blend of fresh tomato and paste or classico if i am feeling lazy

then add salt, oregano, basil leaves etc. and cook for about 10 minutes

imo browning the onion and garlic is key and i have not found any recipe that tastes better than this
 
Originally posted by: MichaelD
NO SUGAR, that ruins it! That's why Ragu and every other jarred sauce tastes like ASS.

BASIL is what will take away the acidic taste of tomato leaving only tomatoeee goodness.

Go buy some crushed basil (they sell it in the plastic jars just like onion/garlic powder/etc)

Put about 1tsp per 32oz of tomato product. Trust me. I'm Italian and have been making my own gravy for 15 years.

Yes, GRAVY. Meatballs, Beef (as in pieces of Chuck Roast), Sausage and Lamb in the gravy, simmer for 6 hours qualifies it as nice, thick with meat juices gravy.

I rock.
Click to expand...

Pfft..

What do Italians know about spaghetti 😉
 
Originally posted by: MichaelD
NO SUGAR, that ruins it! That's why Ragu and every other jarred sauce tastes like ASS.

BASIL is what will take away the acidic taste of tomato leaving only tomatoeee goodness.

Go buy some crushed basil (they sell it in the plastic jars just like onion/garlic powder/etc)

Put about 1tsp per 32oz of tomato product. Trust me. I'm Italian and have been making my own gravy for 15 years.

Yes, GRAVY. Meatballs, Beef (as in pieces of Chuck Roast), Sausage and Lamb in the gravy, simmer for 6 hours qualifies it as nice, thick with meat juices gravy.

I rock.
Click to expand...

That's very close to mine.... Italian cooking is the best..

Edit: Give it a try MichaelD, took me a couple of years to get it to where I like it...🙂

Speed


 
imo browning the onion and garlic is key and i have not found any recipe that tastes better than this
Click to expand...


Agreed; that's the best way to start the gravy/sauce. You get the flavors flowing from the onion/garlic that way. Cool thread. 🙂
 
I always like recipes that use wine. They almost never require a whole bottle, so you end up with some left over.... 😀

note "cooking wine" sucks, use the good stuff
 
Originally posted by: MichaelD
imo browning the onion and garlic is key and i have not found any recipe that tastes better than this
Click to expand...


Agreed; that's the best way to start the gravy/sauce. You get the flavors flowing from the onion/garlic that way. Cool thread. 🙂
Click to expand...

Sauce --> pasta
Gravy --> mashed potatoes
 
Originally posted by: Gibsons
I always like recipes that use wine. They almost never require a whole bottle, so you end up with some left over.... 😀

note "cooking wine" sucks, use the good stuff
Click to expand...

If you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it. My rule for cooking with wine..🙂

Speed

 
Originally posted by: Siddhartha
Use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock.
Click to expand...
This is the key to have the best tasting sauce...nice one.

I tend to use:
1 large can of chicken stock (can be replace by vegetable stock as sweetener)
1-2 large can of dice or crush tomato
1 small can of tomato paste.
1 onion diced (sweetener)
1/2 cup of diced carots (sweetener)
1/2 bulb of fresh garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1-2 pinch of baking powder.
1 tea spoon of basil/oregano

meat ball:
1/3 diced onion
1/2 bulb of garlic
2 lbs of meat
1 table spoon of flour
1 tea spoon of basil
1 tea spoon of salt
a couple dash of course ground black pepper.
 
ya gotta do the sugar ..it's what keeps it from eatin'ya from the inside out . it makes a realy good red gravy ... better ....dump the dried stuff, most of the flavor goes out with the water . real is real ....a little wine . gaaahlic .. good bread to dip , and test
 
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