This Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce comes courtesy of my friend Roseanna's maternal grandmother Rosina Tegano. She would make pasta every Thursday night for dinner and Sunday for lunch using this pasta sauce.
This sauce recipe is almost 100 years old! She would often add meatballs into the simmering sauce. This is some of the best homemade pasta sauce I have ever had. She also shared her Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti recipe. Yummy!
If you are Italian or have Italian friends, you know they make everything in huge quantities. This recipe is no different.
Unless you are feeding a small army. I would suggest cutting the recipe in half or preserving the sauce in mason jars or something similar.
💭 How to seal Mason Jars
Using a ladle, fill sterilized mason jars leaving about ½ inch of headspace.
Remove any air bubbles by inserting a flexible spatula down the sides of the jars. Adjust headspace if necessary.
Wipe jar rims, place lids on jar and screw on bands finger tight.
Place jars in a large pot of boiling water for 20 minutes. Move jars to a cooling rack and let cool until the lids "pop". Do not tighten bands. Let jars cool for at least 4 hours. Test seal by pressing the center of the lid. It should not give. If it makes a popping sound, it has NOT been sealed.
🐄 How to Handle Raw Beef
Thaw raw ground beef on a plate on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator, to avoid dripping onto other foods.
Keep raw and ready-to-eat meats separate.
Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw ground beef. Wash cutting boards, bowls, and utensils used to prepare raw ground beef with hot soapy water and rinse well.
Use separate plates to carry raw ground beef patties to the cooking area and cooked patties to the serving area.
Use a Thermometer to ensure Ground Beef Reaches the Safely Cooked Internal Temperature of 160°F.
You can also substitute the ground beef with ground turkey if you prefer. I've made it both ways and they are both delicious!
Just use what you have on hand. And if you happen to prefer a green sauce with your pasta, make sure you try my Pesto Sauce Recipe. Yummy!
If you are fortunate enough to own an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker you should also try my Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce recipe. Super easy to make!
You also might want to check out these fabulous recipes while you are at it:
📋 Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Olive Oil, Yellow Onion, Garlic Cloves, Basil, Dried Oregano, Parsley, Chili Flakes, Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Water, White Sugar and Ground Beef.
🥣 How to Make Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in the onions stirring until almost translucent.
Add the garlic and keep stirring so the garlic does not burn.
Add all the spices, stirring together with the onions and garlic. Once the spices are mixed into the onions and garlic, quickly add in the jars of tomatoes as well as the tomato paste and stir together.
Add the water, salt, pepper, and sugar cup and stir together. If the sauce is still too thick, add a bit more water. Taste the sauce, and if it is still too acidic, add a bit more sugar to cut the acid of the tomatoes.
Bring the covered pot to a boil, stir once again, then reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered for a couple of hours.
While the sauce is simmering, fry 1 ½ lbs lean ground beef or turkey in 2 tablespoon of olive oil.
Season with parsley, salt and black pepper to taste. Drain meat in a colander to remove fat, and add to the pot of simmering sauce. Keep stirring until the meat is incorporated into the sauce. Keep stirring every so often so that the sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the sauce has thickened to your liking, turn off the heat and enjoy with your favorite pasta.
📖 Recipe
Rosie's Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 6 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoon Basil
- 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoon Dried Parsley Flakes
- 2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 80 oz Diced Tomatoes, drained
- 4 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 tablespoon White Sugar
- 1 ½ lbs Ground Beef
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions stirring until almost translucent.
- Add the garlic and keep stirring so the garlic does not burn.
- Add all the spices, stirring together with the onions and garlic. Once the spices are mixed into the onions and garlic, quickly add in the jars of tomatoes as well as the tomato paste and stir together.
- Add the cup of water, salt, pepper and sugar and stir together. If the sauce is still too thick, add a bit more water. Taste the sauce, and if it is still too acidic, add a bit more sugar to cut the acid of the tomatoes.
- Bring the covered pot to a boil, stir once again, then reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered for a couple of hours.
- While sauce is simmering, fry 1 ½ lbs lean ground beef or turkey in 2 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Season with parsley, salt and black pepper to taste. Drain meat in colander to remove fat, and add to pot of simmering sauce. Keep stirring until meat is incorporated into sauce. Keep stirring every so often so that the sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the sauce has thickened to your liking, turn off the heat and enjoy with your favorite pasta.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
Jack
I made this sauce for company that were coming and everyone just loved it. It was very Italian and very tasty. I will keep this recipe for future uses.
Jennifer
I just love this recipe. Very flavourful.