• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 can diced tomatoes drained, 16 ounce
  • 2 cans tomato sauce, 8 ounce
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, loosely chopped
  • 3 cups chicken stock (or water)
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
  • Fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped

Every region of Italy has its own basic pasta sauce.  As you go north, cream or mascarpone cheese is added to the rich tomato based sauces of Sicily and Calabria.  In Italy’s north, cream based sauces rule.  Each of these basic sauces serves as the foundation on which entire regional cuisines are built.  However, there is a single classic pasta that is universally Italian.

Don’t let the simplicity of this sauce fool you.  The final result has been a staple in Italian homes for generations.

A word of advise: don’t skimp on the fresh ingredients or the cheese.  Fresh basil is easy to come by in any grocery store and easier even to grow.  Stick a sprig of fresh basil in a glass of water on your window sill and in about a week, you’ll notice roots growing.  Simply transfer this to a small pot and before you know it, you’ll have fresh basil any time you need it.   Parmigiano-Reggiano is just as easily available.  There are many different Parmesan cheeses, but there is only one Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Directions:

  1. Add enough Extra Virgin Olive Oil to cover the bottom of a medium size, heavy skillet and place over a medium high heat.
  2. Add the tomatoes to the hot oil.  We actually want to brown these a bit.  This will make the tomatoes release some of their sugars and really add to the richness of the final sauce.  Keep moving them around the pan so they don’t burn.
  3. Once the tomatoes are just a bit browned, add the garlic stirring them in for about a minute.
  4. Add the tomato sauce, basil, sugar, chicken stock, fresh ground black pepper and salt.  I like to use chicken stock but that’s just my own preference.  You’ll find that the black pepper takes on an almost sweetness in this sauce.  Be conservative with the salt until near the end.
  5. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes.  You are looking to reduce the liquid by about 3/4ths.  Pull it off the heat just before it starts to stick.
  6. Cook your pasta of choice to al dente, drain and immediately add to the sauce skillet tossing to completely coat.  We want to the pasta to finish cooking by pulling in a bit of the sauce.  We also need a bit of the pasta water that the wet pasta will bring to the sauce.
  7. Place a serving on a plate or in a pasta bowl, liberally dust with grated cheese and top with the fresh chopped parsley – the same order in which these colors appear on the Italian flag (red, white and green).