Spaghet Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, halved, stems removed
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried dill
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (24 oz) can Cento whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Place the onion halves cut-side down in the pot, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and brown for 5–10 minutes. Flip the onions, sprinkle the other side with another pinch of salt, and brown again.

Add the butter, Italian seasoning, basil, dill, and red pepper flakes to the pot. Stir for 1 minute. Add the garlic and stir for an additional 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes to the pot, along with 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of pepper, and the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water.

While the sauce is cooking, prepare your pasta according to the package instructions.

Before serving, discard the onion halves and bay leaf. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt or seasonings if needed. Serve with your choice of pasta.

Optional: Garnish the pasta with dried parsley and fresh Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Our preferred tomato brands are Bianco DiNapoli, Cento, and SanMarican. Lower-quality tomatoes may result in a more acidic or watery sauce.

If your canned tomatoes are watery, drain them before crushing, and reserve the liquid. Add the liquid back during cooking if needed to adjust the consistency.

If you do not want to hand crush the tomatoes, crush the tomatoes in the pot with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon.

For a richer finish, stir in 1–2 Tbsp of butter or more olive oil off the heat before serving.