Easy Family Style Sunday Spaghetti Sauce: Perfect On Everything!
This recipe for homemade spaghetti sauce is hearty and saucy, savory, and bright with San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, and Italian sausage. It assembles in just minutes and is delicious on absolutely everything. Recipe courtesy of Lilly & Kathy DiRanna and Janet Alcorn.Yields 12 Cups.
To a large 5 quart pot add the olive oil and heat on medium-medium high until shimmering.
If using onions (see note below) add them here and cook on medium for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and soft.
Add the garlic, bloom for a few seconds.
Add the Italian sausage, using your spoon to break up the meat. Cook until browned. It doesn't have to be thoroughly cooked through, it will finish cooking in the sauce.Dab away or drain excess oil.
Add the 2 cans of whole tomatoes, using your spoon to mash the tomato a bit to break it up.
Add the tomato sauce, then fill the empty can 3/4 full with water, stirring to get the remaining sauce combined with the water, then add this to the pot.
Add the tomato paste and stir.
Add the sugar and oregano. Cook on medium heat until the sauce starts to bubble. Then turn it to low.
If using the parmesan rind, add it now and let the sauce simmer.Stir often, scraping the bottom of the pot, then allowing it to simmer on low, ideally for 1-2 hours to develop more flavor. Can be used after 30 minutes of simmering if you're short on time.
Taste for seasoning, adding salt & pepper if needed, and removing the parmesan rind if used.
Notes
Use your favorite Italian Sausage. We prefer the Johnsonville brand, using 1 mild and 1 hot. You can also use 1 lb sausage and 1 lb 80/20 hamburger meat. If you can only find the sausage in links, slice open the links and remove the sausage, breaking it up in the pot. You might notice the sauce doesn't technically call for onions, but feel free to add 1 large finely chopped onion (about 1 cup), browning it in the olive oil in the first step. The sauce is fantastic with or without onions, so if you have people who aren't fans of onions, this sauce will work great!