Red Sauce

People have been . . . gently suggesting to me in ever-louder voices that I post my recipe for red sauce. Red sauce isn't a hard thing to make, and there are as many variations as there are people that make it. I don't even make it the same way twice, but there are some pretty general guidelines to follow.

The best thing about red sauce is that it is something you can make for a great meal when you have very little time for preparation. Once you learn how to make a great red sauce, you will have a tool that opens many horizons of cooking to you. As a bonus, you’ll stop thinking of it as “spaghetti” sauce, and be able to modify the seasonings in subtle ways that will allow you to use the sauce in dozens of ways and places.

Plus, if you do things right and the Culinary Gods smile on you, you’ll one day run in terror from bottles of Ragu and Prego.

Ingredients:
1 medium Onion, finely minced
2 (or more) Cloves Garlic, finely minced
1 T. Basil, dried
1 T. Oregano, dried
1 T. Rosemary, dried
2 T. Olive Oil
1 106-oz. can Crushed Tomatoes
½ cup Red Cooking Wine

Directions:
1. In a deep, heavy-bottomed stock pot, sauté the Onion, the Garlic, the Basil, the Oregano, and the Rosemary in Olive Oil over medium-high heat.
2. When the onions are translucent, but not yet brown, add in the Crushed Tomatoes, and heat through.
3. When the sauce is hot, add in the Cooking Wine, and simmer for a few more minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or longer.
5. While the red sauce is simmering, boil a pot of salted water. When it begins to boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
6. Drain the pasta and shake out all of the extra water (do NOT rinse it).
7. Serve immediately while the pasta is still hot. Top with a good quality, freshly grated parmesan or asiago cheese.


For variations, if you want a good red sauce done in the Greek style, add in a teaspoon of good quality ground cinnamon. For a spicier experience, add in a ½ teaspoon (or more) of cayenne/peperoncini. This spicy alternative has a wonderful flavor, and is called an arrabbiata sauce.
Also, you can use fresh herbs in place of the dried ones. If you do that, you may want to double the quantity, as fresh herbs tend to be less powerful than dried.