# Pasta Sauce from Scratch **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623 "2005-08-25T20:55:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/61 "2005-08-28T00:56:23Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The only thing I would add to his recipe is a note to fry the onions in a good extra virgin olive oil. Absolutely–I can’t believe I forgot to mention that! In my defense, we end up using good extra virgin olive oil for most of our cooking needs, so I sort of assumed that everyone does :). Daniel ---
**Author:** ![BlueKangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/62 "2005-08-28T01:09:17Z")
I consider extra virgin olive oil a staple. I more often have it in my house than just about any other single thing. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/63 "2005-08-28T04:17:01Z")
> [@sj2](#): > > Like peppers? Roast them under a broiler until blackened, stuff in plastic bag, peel and add with tomatoes. Don’t you mean a \*paper \*bag? ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/64 "2005-08-28T04:48:38Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Absolutely–I can’t believe I forgot to mention that! In my defense, we end up using good extra virgin olive oil for most of our cooking needs, so I sort of assumed that everyone does :). > > Daniel Nitpick: Isn’t the primo good stuff for salads, etc. (raw), while all EV’s are OK for cooking? ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/65 "2005-08-28T04:54:32Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > Don’t you mean a \*paper \*bag? No, a plastic bag. Not a plastic shopping bag, but one of those sandwich bag type things with the twist ties. The point is to capture the steam from the peppers which loosens the skin. Alternatively, you can use a bowl covered with plastic wrap. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/66 "2005-08-28T05:42:54Z")
Not a lot of experience with fresh tomatoes, so apologies to the OP. I’ve had it come out a bit watery, as stated above, but it is hard to worry about that when you are having fresh tomatoes and fresh basil at the peak of freshness. I’d be enjoying that right now, and later thinking about using all those \*other \* tomatoes to make sauce for the winter. The recipe below is more for general purpose spaghetti sauce. I make 4 batches at once, and freeze three for later. -EV olive oil, onions and garlic (as stated above, don’t burn the garlic) -Chopped red and green peppers -4 cans of crushed peeled tomatoes -4 cans of tomato paste -1 bottle of red wine (that’s why 4 batches at once, and so much paste) -Salt, pepper, fresh basil (oh yeah!), oregano to taste Simmer for a few hours I’ve found that the wine adds another dimension, but it can really add to the acidity. I’ve tried sugar which seems to work. I’ve also put a carrot or two in the food processor, and added before simmering; it thickens the sauce a bit and sweetens it. I’ve also tried adding baking soda (cool science experiment when it first goes in) but it left the sauce a bit bland. For non-vegetarians: -I fry Italian sausages, then chop and add to the sauce before simmering -I throw a few ribs or pork chops into the pot before simmering, then remove before serving (makes a nice sandwich) -Meatballs with a mixture of beef, turkey and pork (veal if your conscience allows), plus egg, breadcrumbs and seasonings. I bake them on a rack in the oven, then throw them in the the sauce toward the end. best to all, plynck ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/67 "2005-08-28T06:40:23Z")
> [@Oslo Ostragoth](#): > > Nitpick: Isn’t the primo good stuff for salads, etc. (raw), while all EV’s are OK for cooking? For something like a tomato sauce where olive oil is a major flavoring component, I would use something tasty like, my favorite, Frantoia. So, no, I wouldn’t hesitate using primo olive oil for tomato sauce. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/68 "2005-08-28T10:03:10Z")
Fresh tomato sauces and canned tomato sauces are two different animals, IMO. If I have good fresh tomatoes, I like to make a sauce in which they’re just barely cooked and stand on their own. For canned, the recipe I use is based on the one found in _The Wiseguy Cookbook_, by Henry Hill (of _Goodfellas_ fame). In addition to being one of the best basic Italian-American cookbooks I’ve ever seen, it’s also a great collection of stories about the Mob and the Witness Protection Program. His big trick is to stir the sauce about every fifteen minutes, and before you do it you skim the acid off the top. It also doesn’t use many ingredients–just canned tomatoes, garlic, oil, basil, Italian parseley, salt, and pepper. (I add some red wine up front and a little dried oregano for the last fifteen minutes.) I can’t vouch for the scientific accuracy of the whole alcohol thing, but I know it seems to make for a brighter sauce. I cannot overemphasize the imporance of not oversauteeing garlic. My rule is to never start garlic in the pan unless I have something sitting at the ready to stop it–namely, my first can of tomatoes. Stop it within about thirty seconds of really smelling the garlic–not more than a minute altogether. For tomato sauce, I prefer the garlic in kind of a chunky chop rather than pressed or sent through the Microplane. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/69 "2005-08-28T14:09:41Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > One more point I wanted to make. **Trunk** complained about the sauce not sticking to your pasta. If you use the right type of pasta (spaghetti would be perfect for your type of recipe; penne not so much so) and cook it correctly (al dente, sans olive oil) so that the pasta retains some of its starchiness like it’s supposed to, your ingredients should not separate into a pile of pasta and a pool of sauce. > > The whole point of tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes is that it’s supposed to taste like, gasp, _fresh tomatoes_. And minimal of ingredients and minimal of cooking (as in Daniel’s recipe) is perfect. The only thing I would add to his recipe is a note to fry the onions in a good extra virgin olive oil. I believe even Alton Brown has indicated that a little oil in the pasta water has a negligible effect on the pasta’s ‘stickability’. I don’t notice any difference, particularly if I return the pasta to the dry pot and quickly cook off any residual moisture. Olive oil is a personal taste. It can overwhelm a delicate sauce (for instance, aglio y olio, which should be made with a neutral oil), so unless that flavor is what one wants, I would advise proceeding with caution. ---
**Author:** ![BlueKangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/70 "2005-08-28T14:14:54Z")
I’m getting really excited. The farmers’ market is Tuesday, and with all of this ahead of me, I can’t wait. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/71 "2005-08-28T15:46:34Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I believe even Alton Brown has indicated that a little oil in the pasta water has a negligible effect on the pasta’s ‘stickability’. I don’t notice any difference, particularly if I return the pasta to the dry pot and quickly cook off any residual moisture. True. But the thing is, I haven’t noticed any difference with or without oil. I honestly don’t know why people put olive oil in the water, because all it does is float there. So why use olive oil at all? (Not a rhetorical question. I want to know.) My “no olive oil” warning was more for those people who toss their pasta in olive oil after cooking. > [@](#): > > Olive oil is a personal taste. It can overwhelm a delicate sauce (for instance, aglio y olio, which should be made with a neutral oil), so unless that flavor is what one wants, I would advise proceeding with caution. Sure. Then again, I drink olive oil out of the bottle, I love it so much. 🙂 As for more neutral oils, I actually quite like Goya, and I find that most people aren’t overwhelmed by its flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/72 "2005-08-28T17:19:17Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > True. But the thing is, I haven’t noticed any difference with or without oil. I honestly don’t know why people put olive oil in the water, because all it does is float there. So why use olive oil at all? (Not a rhetorical question. I want to know.) A couple of drops of olive oil on the surface of the water can really cut down on foaming; if you’re having a problem with the pasta boiling over, this can be the solution. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/73 "2005-08-28T20:36:24Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > True. But the thing is, I haven’t noticed any difference with or without oil. I honestly don’t know why people put olive oil in the water, because all it does is float there. So why use olive oil at all? (Not a rhetorical question. I want to know.) > > My “no olive oil” warning was more for those people who toss their pasta in olive oil after cooking. What a bizarre thing to do, unless that’s the sauce base! As mentioned by **Lefty** , it can keep the pot from boiling over, but so can turning down the heat. I like non-tomato sauces made from olive oil, shallots, herbs, etc., but that’s the only time I would toss the skeds in it. > [@](#): > > Sure. Then again, I drink olive oil out of the bottle, I love it so much. 🙂 As for more neutral oils, I actually quite like Goya, and I find that most people aren’t overwhelmed by its flavor. Yeah, I use olive oil heavily, and probably where it doesn’t ‘belong’. Not quite a beverage, but close. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/74 "2005-08-29T00:51:12Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > No, a plastic bag. Not a plastic shopping bag, but one of those sandwich bag type things with the twist ties. The point is to capture the steam from the peppers which loosens the skin. Alternatively, you can use a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Actually, I find it works just fine to invert the glass bowl over the peppers on a cutting board. Bonus: you aren’t creating more plastic waste. ---
**Author:** ![BlueKangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623/75 "2005-08-29T01:21:54Z")
This is wonderful. Yummy sauces, and tips on how to roast peppers. I am a happy kangaroo. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pasta-sauce-from-scratch/318623.md?page=3)