# Spaghetti sauce: Would this work?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-would-this-work/978002
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** food-cooking
**Created:** [January 10, 2023, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-would-this-work/978002 "2023-01-10T23:40:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 53

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### Author: ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2023, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-would-this-work/978002/53 "2023-01-11T15:25:47Z")

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From a long time ago:

> [@post your family spaghetti sauce recipe!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-family-spaghetti-sauce-recipe/564891/5):
>
> I’ll never disclose the secret sauce recipe. Never!
> 
> Or whatever. There’s not a written recipe per se, more like an oral tradition. (Note to self–start writing down recipes…)
> 
> You need extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, onion, tomato, tomato sauce, thyme, oregano, salt and sugar.
> 
> First put enough oil to thickly cover the bottom of a skillet (steel, not cast iron, and definitely not aluminum) and set it to low heat. Skin and roughly dice about a third of a garlic bulb, put in skillet and turn up heat to medium. Skin and rough dice about half of an onion bulb, put in skillet and turn heat up to high. Garlic should be nicely brown by that point. Wash and rough dice two tomatoes, put in skillet. Add small can of unsalted tomato sauce. Add generous amounts of thyme and oregano, more than a teaspoon, less than a tablespoon, each. Add a scant teaspoon of salt and sugar. Stir well, cover with lid, turn down to medium heat.
> 
> Check on it after five minutes or so, add water if too thick, or leave off lid if too watery. Total time is about 15 minutes, and makes enough for generous portions for two or small portions for four.
> 
> For extra fun, add sliced mushrooms or diced squash.

If I use unsalted paste, which is usually available at grocery stores in mine area, the only salt is what I add myself. The optional mushroom adds a more “earthy” taste. The optional squash adds a mellower, sweeter taste; similar to an earlier suggestion of carrots.

I should note that many people don’t like the taste of toasted garlic. If you don’t like it, don’t toast it, maybe by putting the onions in first and garlic second.

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