Mom's Best Spaghetti Sauce

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.

This is the best spaghetti sauce. My first two wives were italian. There spaghetti sauce was good. This recipe is as good or better. I did make a couple changes. I deleted the mushrooms my present wife hates mushrooms, I would like to keep her. I did not use the Parmesan cheese either. I did add crushed red peppers, a little fresh parsley and I know that oregano never goes in spaghetti sauce but I did the unthinkable(just a little). We usually feed the dogs the left over spaghetti, not this time. The dogs want me to go back to Prego, They love spaghetti. Great recipe THANKS.

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!

This recipe was AWESOME- UNTIL I added the cheese! It became sickeningly sweet and everyone was disappointed! I was sad that I put so much effort into this and everyone was commenting on how great it tasted and smelled during frequent taste tests but that 1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese completely destroyed the taste! WARNING! This recipe is so huge that you will have a difficult time fitting it into a normal pot! Will feed at least 15 guests!

USE BROWN SUGAR INSTEAD OF WHITE> COME ON

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.

You would have to have 8 people with huge appetites for this to be 8 servings. This makes tons of really disgusting looking, bland mushroomy tasting downright gross sauce!

I thought this was pretty good. Next time, I will omit the tomato sauce and add a cup or so of extra water instead. This recipe makes quite a lot of sauce....enough for four dinners for my family of 6. It freezes well.

I gave this recipe 5 Stars based on the following from a previous review from Debra. I made a big batch and froze 1/2 of it. I also took the advise of another and omitted the white sugar and added brown sugar instead. Delicious! Per Debrah, "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."

Didn't even get one compliment on Mother's Day for this sauce. OUCH!

Very overated. Not worth the mess and time.

This is a fantastic base recipe for a delicious sauce, and easily customizable to your preferences! This sauce is extremely versatile- I've made it with ground turkey for spaghetti, used it on eggplant to make eggplant parmesan, used it as a pizza sauce, the list goes on! Make a big batch and freeze it. I usually add a little extra garlic/onion, one red and one green bell pepper, some shaved carrots/zucchini, and a dash of hot sauce or cayenne pepper. It's fabulous!

i used brown sugar instead of white and 3 teaspoons. i also used fresh tomatoes( plunging them in water and peeling the skins off) from my garden and subbed red bell pepper for the mushrooms since i didnt have any mushrooms and didnt add water since my tomatoes were fresh. kept all the seasonings the same. i simmered this on the stove all day until it became thick. i added ground beef to it for a meatsauce. i know i changed this based on the ingredients i had but the seasonings are the right amounts.

This sauce is so delicious. I edited based on a previous reviewers (Debra) comments. I didn't use water nor did I use the cheese. I put in some italian seasoning, basil, oregano, etc. It was definitely a smart idea to sautee the onions and garlic first in the pot - then just add the tomatoes (use crushed if you can - though there's no shame in hand smashing the whole peeled canned tomato). I tested the sauce through out the almost 4 hour cooking process and added spices as needed. I added homemade turkey meatballs for the last two hours. I had enough to freeze for later and enough to serve tonight!

I followed this direction exactly as directed and was disappointed. I ended up throwing the sauce out. It was bland and tasted like canned tomatoes. I probably could have saved it with additional spices - but didn't have time before the dinner party to continue to experiment.

This is a wonderful sauce if you like a traditional sauce. I don't personally like my spagetti sauce spicy. That is what chili is for. If you don't follow the directions it will not come out right. Had no problems with any of the ingredients so I know some of the comments are from errors in preparation. I cooked this recipe over night in a slow cooker on low and then refrigerated during the day. Also froze some and ate it the next week. It had thickened up and was even better. Thanks MOM for your recipe.

This sauce is AMAZING!!!! Added oregano...... My Dad is requesting that I make more and freeze for him!

I made this at the Firehouse for the men and they all loved it. The only thing i changed was that i put raw meatballs and sausage in it and let it cook 5 hours. This is a deffinate keeper. Thanks

This will be my new sauce from now on! I followed other reviews and made a few changes. Definately add some wine. I used 1/2 c. White Zin, which is all I had open, but dry white would also be good. I omited the mushrooms (not a fan) and added some oregano. Skipped the parm cheese per suggestion and added more garlic. Making pizza today using it as the sauce.

Way too bland and didn't like the brownish color I believe to be caused from the baking soda. I think, forget the baking soda first off, but this recipe needs so much tweaking I won't try again.

I was disappointed with this sauce it took a long time to make such a bland sauce. I even added extra garlic, and some oregano and it didn't improve the flavor. I guess I like a sauce with a little more zing and personality than this.

My grandmother was from Sicily. Her sauce was out of this world. This is a good starter recipe in which you may omit or add to your own taste. I omitted the tomatoe sauce. Used canned diced tomatoes (italian style), tomatoe paste, light brown sugar and a throw in of here and there seasonings. I will comment on those who used a crockpot to make this sauce...a big no no! Spaghetti sauce should only be made on the stove, very low heat, just enough to keep a low simmer. I also simmered the garlic and onion in olive oil before adding all the other ingredients. Just brings out the flavor even more. After two hours of slow simmer is when I started taste testing....then adding this and that to my taste.

Great placed to start. So much can be added! Some chopped peppers and and a dash of tabasco sauce to begin. More basil. You can really get creative with this recipe.

Sorry to anyone who read my original review, but I followed the recipe and turned out looking like something I would have to change in my truck. Like an oil job. The kids hated it, it smelled awful and I had to throw the whole thing out! Sorry folks, but spaghetti sauce should not be the color brown/black!

This recipe is a keeper. Better than a jar any day. Like another, I did omit the water, baking soda and parmesan. Just didn't feel it would need those. The sauce was of a perfect consistancey and full of flavor. I served it over a breaded chicken patti crowned with a good bit of mozzeralla. Delicious.

Great simple sauce. Full of flavor. Try adding 1 tbsp. sugar, but make sure to stir often so it doesn't burn at the bottom.

Best spaghetti sauce I ever ate. It took some time, but it was worth it. My family couldn't get enough.

Be forwarned this recipe takes a lot of time to make and it will help you stock up on a freezer full of sauce. However, the resulting sauce is good. I read that some reviewers disliked the slightly sweet taste of the sauce, but this did not bother me ,in fact, I liked it. This was a nice "first sauce" recipe for me and I suggest you try it.

I used a crock pot to cook, so I didn't have to worry about it. I sauted onions & garlic and added red wine to suated onion & garlic, let it cook a couple of minutes then added it to the crock pot. I left out he mushroom and basil, because I wanted a neutral sauce ( I added seafood at the end for a seafood marinara) I also threw in a bay leaf. The slow cooking definitely made this sauce.

The first time I made the sauce, it turned out pretty bland (my husband's allergic to onions, so I had to leave them out). Then I added 2 red bell peppers and 1/2 tsp. each dried chipotle pepper and red chile flakes - they added a great smoky/spicy note. I make a big batch and freeze it in quart freezer bags - great for a quick dinner. Thanks!

I thought the recipe was only fair. It was quite bland for my tastebuds and required a lot more seasonings. I also thought it had too much tomato paste. If I make it again I will use 1/2 the tomato paste, and more seasonings.

The reason some of you aren't having success is you are not cooking it under a low LOW temp. If your sauce is starting to get real brown around the edges, two things are happening; 1) your heat is too high or 2)you haven't added enough water and it is burning and causing it to get too brown. Check to see what kind of pan you are using too... too thin.. it burns. If you don't like the seasoning, too bland etc, then add extra spices..

This sauce is excellent. My son will never eat my spaghetti, but he loved this sauce. I started it on the stove, then poured it into a crock pot to simmer the rest of the time. The baking soda is the key. I added small pinches throughout the day until the tangy taste was gone. thanks!

Rest assured this is NOT your ho-hum tomato sauce. The cooking time of four hours is not a big deal. If you second giess the flavor, switch tomato brands. I used a can of Muir Glen Fire Roasted crushed tomatoes and Hunt's for the rest. Also I cut my onion in quarters and placed into the sauce as is. I removed the pieces when ready to serve. I do not like onion in my sauce.

turned out watery

I don't mind spending time on a sauce, but this one is NOT worth the effort. Even after a significant amount of doctoring it up, it was still bland and unimpressive. You will not be happy with the results no matter what, and you especially won't be happy after you invest 6 hours or more.

This sauce rates close to my own that has come down through the generations from my Sicilian and calabrian ancestry, I jus don't measue and it is hard to share the recipe with friends , when I say a handful , a pinch or about. The recipe is wonderful. I do use some port wine in the place of the sugar and Olive oil. Thank you

The Best!!! I've tried different receipes for a good spaghetti sauce but this was the best. I did add 1 heaping tsp. of Italian Seasoning for an extra zip which I don't think it helped that much but the 4hrs were worth it. Thank-you!! My family loved it as much as I did.

I have been looking for a good sauce recipe to use canned tomatoes from my garden. I have found it, excellent sauce!! I also added a splash or two of balsamic vinegar.

This is the first time I've made a good homemade spagetti sauce. Adding meatballs made it wonderfull.

If you could only hear the ooooh's and aaaaaah's when I serve this incredible sauce. Generally,I add the whole bunch of parsely,and increase the amount of mushrooms,and of course,the garlic. Must try this one.Elaine in CA.

This is the best sauce ever and the only one I make.

I was disappointed with this sauce. My boyfriend and I didn't think it tasted any different than jar sauce. The only difference was that it was sweeter due to the sugar. I followed the recipe and cooked it all day and let it sit overnight. I started it on the stove and then put it in the crockpot on low for the rest of the duration. The only thing I did differnet was add more basil, garlic and other seasonings which we couldn't taste anyway. I also changed the serving size. The flavor was just "alright". After reading all the reviews I thought it would be great. My co-worker tasted the sauce and said the same thing..it's not spectacular. It's alright. I've made worse and I've also made better. I won't make this again. Very disappointing. Sorry!

I added oregano and bell peppers and black olives. The sauce tasted okay. It wasn't really worth the effort to me, though. I don't think I liked the baking soda. I used a tiny amount and let it cook for over half-an-hour after I added the last pinch, but it just did something I didn't like. I'm going to stick with simpler recipes.

This is a great start for a homemade spaghetti sauce recipe. I did tweek it with fresh basil and parsley and added a little more sugar than called for....but other than that, it tasted great. I made a batch and froze it medium sized containers for dinner options.

I love the recipe it made a great gravy. The only thing I do differently is brown pork neck bones and simmer them along with the sauce for at least an hour. My mothers friend who would be over 100 yrs old now gave my mother this helpful hint. It brings out such great flavor sweet and savory...try it just once and you won't go back. For sweetness I add a little brown sugar and grate a hint of nutmeg

I thought that this recipe was absoluetley excellent. However, the serving size should be changed to account for at least 12 people. But overall, I loved the recipe (I added turkey burger to the sauce and it turned out awesome).

I've been making this recipe for a year now. I'll never buy a jar of sauce again.

This was my first attempt at homemade sauce, and it was awesome! my whole family loved it!! will definately make this again...

I did not care for this sauce. My kids and husband liked it but I thought it lacked flovor and texture.

This sauce is okay, but for all the time it takes to cook, jarred sauce tastes just as good for a lot less time! I have no idea what the baking soda is supposed to do, but the sauce is nothing earth-shattering in my opinion.

Tastes wonderful, easy to make, but the time it takes to cook it is kind of a turnoff even though it is worthwhile. Could use a wee bit of personalization in terms of spices and stuff. I'll make it again, but on a cold winter day when it's OK if I heat up the house! ;O)

This is a really good place to start if you are learning to make spaghetti sauce. I made it following the directions the first time, and after that I started to tweak it to my family's taste. This recipe is definitely worth a try.

Very tasty sauce, needs a little of personalizing with some chili spice to give it a zing!But its good

Excellent sauce. Not too thick, but definitely not runny. A great taste for such a simple recipe. Although it did take a while to cook, I believe this is common with good spaghetti sauce.

A great recipe...thanks! My husband doesn't like spaghetti, but he liked this sauce. I made a few changes, I added a little more garlic than called for and toward the end I added cornstarch+water mixture to make it really thick (we hate runny sauce). I added ground beef, but it doesn't need it. A good recipe..thanks!

This is my family's very favorite sauce. I am allergic to onions, and so leave them out, but I add a TON of herbs (I like it flavorful) according to taste. I usually make two or three batches at a time and freeze it. Then we have sauce for months at a time. It is also good if you add whatever veggies you have in the garden, although I have to put them in the blender so my husband and kids don't complain (they don't like chunks).

I loved this recipe but made some variations as suggested by reviewers. I added less than one cup of water(probably 1/2 a cup or less). One reviewer suggested omitting the water altogether - but I like my sauce a little less thick. I left out the mushrooms and parmesan cheese. I added a splash of red wine, some crushed red peppers to the sauce and turkey sausage in the last 1 1/2 hours of cooking. (I pan fried the turkey sausage and chose to use sliced sausage for the sauce). I also used dried basil in addition to fresh basil. I did brown the onions and garlic cloves (I used three)in a pan with olive. oil first. I added salt, pepper and oregano to the onions and cloves before mixing it with the sauce. I crushed the whole tomatoes in the sauce pan, and let it simmer a bit before I adding the sauce. I also had a bit of left over ready to eat summer garlic sausage so I threw that in as well. I taste tasted along the way and made adjustments as necessary. This recipe yields a huge pot of sauce.

This is the only spaghetti sauce recipe I use. I cube some chicken and beef, saute in large saucepan with the garlic until no longer pink, then I begin to follow the recipe. It is absolutely AWESOME with the added meat. I now cut the recipe in half as we are a family of four and it made too much for us. Great recipe! I also agree with leaving out the parmesan.

This was my first time making homemade spaghetti sauce. This recipe was so easy and the results were fantastic! I received so many compliments on it that I will definitely make it again!

A good sauce. I made it for guests and they raved about it. I'd say it makes almost twice as many servings as the recipe suggests. Even better leftover!

Definitely tasted homemade and was delicious. Made much more than recipe stated.

This is a great recipe. I have used the baking soda trick with minestrone soup since using this recipe. Thanks for the tip!

Hardest thing to this recipe was opening all the cans and this is the first time I ever tried making homemade sauce. This is absolutely the best sauce I've ever had. Family loved it and didn't have to be called twice to come to the table. Will definately make this again! Thank You for such a good recipe.

Great! I did add more garlic, but we really like a strong garlic flavor in our sauce. One of the best sauce recipes I've found.

Absolutely one of the best spaghetti sauces we've add. I just added a little Italian seasoning for additional spiciness, other than that - perfect! Thanks.

Alsome spaghetti sauce my whole family loves it. No more store sauce in my home. Thank you so for making me a hit as a cook.

I was skeptical about the baking soda, but once I tasted it........... FANTASTIC!!!!! I can't believe what a difference it makes to my own pasta sauce recipe!

Don’t do what I did! Ok...at 63 I made my first pasta sauce from scratch. Sad cuz I’m 50% Italian (mom is 100%). Learned cooking from Italian grandma who rarely made pasta sauces. They claimed that Emiglia-Romana wasn’t a province that centered on making it. So my skill is making a fabulous sauce by doctored a jar of grocery store red sauces. Had too many tomatoes laying around, found this recipe with baking soda and sugar as ingredients. Because grandma never measured (I added lots of oregano, basil, rosemary) and while on a roll adding spices, I didn’t ‘pinch’ the baking soda. Big mistake! I put a teaspoon in and it was horrible! I chased the “demon” baking soda flavor all day by adding more tomatoes, (whole canned and fresh) then a jar of vodka sauce, the sugar, then salt/pepper. The pot is almost full right now. (More than I wanted) but I simmered it all day. Finally it’s a good (edible) sauce. Please don’t make my mistake. I’m pretty sure (need to do it again correctly) this is an amazing sauce. So don’t be like me and follow the directions. Post your toss-in-ingredients recipe for me! Apologies to the chef & author of this recipe.

Barb, This is the first time i have ever made homemade spaghetti sauce and this turned out the BEST!!! I added one green pepper to the recipe and everyone LOVED it!! Thank-you, Thank-you for sharing such a great recipe with all!!!

I have made this recipe over and over and over for family and friends and it is devoured every time. It is the best recipe and really easy to make. My kids love it, I will continue to make this recipe many more times. I cut the recipe in half but other then that I didn't change a thing.

I've been making this recipe for years now, put it in crock pot for 8 hours on low.

This was a great spegetti sauce. it did take some time to cook, but i felt like a real chef working over the stove making an authentic sauce. the results were wonderful. it makes a pretty large quanity so we froze the rest.

I made this for my Italian husband and he raved about it. Guess my old sauce recipe is out the window!

Got so many compliments ...recipe is a keeper!

In a word "FANTASTIC!".

I can hardly wait to use this recipe to make a pizza sauce. My mom used to make one that was AWESOME and as far as I can recall, very similar to this one. She's in the early stages of Alzheimer's nowso doesn't recall her exact recipe. Hers had sliced green olives added, was chunky with lots of onion and she always used cheddar cheese on her pizza which had a lot of sauce ladeled on. I was in high school before I knew that pizza was *supposed* to have white cheese. Her pizza was so awesome that she could can jars of the sauce and give as gifts and the recipients would almost cry in gratitude. :o) Thanks for posting this! I think it will be a good base from which to start recreating her recipe.

I am not quite sure what the baking soda does to it, but i thought the sauce was average. I added lots more garlic and more Italian seasoning because it was very tomatoey! At least it served about 10 of my friends, and that says alot for a group of hungry college kids.

It does take awhile to make but you don't have to babysit it. Really easy and delicious.

This took a little longer than I would've liked, but the end result was great! Next time I will half the recipe as I had more than half leftover.

Excellent! We have this everytime we make spaghetti.

Excellent!

A good sauce, takes awhile but doesn't need to be watched too closely. Easy to prepare. If you're looking for a unique taste you might look elsewhere, I made this for a dinner party and although it was devoured and apparently enjoyed, no one really commented on it either way.

It was cool to make spaghetti from scratch. I'm a new cook so making something for a whole day was a pretty big challenge. Everything turned out right on my end. I used all the ingredients above, even the white sugar. Although, I didn't need to cook it for 5 hours and it still was pretty tasty. I think it was nice to prove to myself i could do something like this, but next time I may just buy a couple cans of Bertoli's.

Alsome spaghetti sauce my whole family loves it. No more store sauce in my home. Thank you so for making me a hit as a cook.

Very good. Tastes great right away but best the next day.

This is the closest to my Nannas sauce that we had every Sunday after church while I was growing up. I love it! It is especially good with meatballs or pork ribs cooked in it after it sits in the refrigerator over night first.

the spaghetti to small and look like it is for children yuck and no parmanse cheese on spaghetti

Good, but not really worth all the trouble.

Very thick, husband is picky when it comes to spag. sauce. Usually likes meat in it and lots of veggies. He liked this one and said it was a keeper!!

We really enjoyed this recipe. I liked how much better it tasted the next day. I will make again.

The best!

Very good.Sweet and tasty

My family loved it, thanks Barb.

Easy and tastey

Delicious! I did not add the mushrooms as my family doesn’t care for them. But this sauce is delicious! I added 2 bay leaves, & did not add the cheese to the sauce. Instead served on the side as a garnish.