Basic Red Sauce for Italian Cooking

*1 onion
*2 cloves garlic
[*In Puglia (the part of Italy that is in the "heel" of the "boot"), many people insist that you should use either onion or garlic, but never both together, because the tastes are so similar. Other regions of Italy, however, do not have this same opinion. You decide.]
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large can tomatos (preferably imported from Italy), or 3 3/4 cups diced fresh tomatos
pinch of sugar (see caution at bottom)
salt and pepper
6-10 basil leaves

Fry onion and garlic in olive oil. Add tomatos, sugar, salt, pepper, and one basil leaf. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the sauce has thickened, blend in a blender. Pour back into sauce pan and reduce for another 5 minutes. Chop remaining basil and add immediately before serving.

This is the basic sauce for all of your red sauce Italian requirements. While the sauce is excellent with no additions, you can also consider this the blank canvas to which you will add your favorite meat and vegetables.


CAUTION: With regards to sugar, less is more! One of the mistakes most commonly made by Americans when cooking Italian is the tendency to add too much sugar. Nothing is more calculated to make your sauce seem a cheap American imitation instead of an authentic Italian masterpiece! If you use sugar at all (and you certainly do not need to!) only use a pinch!