Nettuno, Italy where I spent some time in the early 90’s. It’s an hour from Rome.
Many years ago (early 90’s), I had the pleasure of spending some time in Italy (sort of long story that I won’t go into now). And, I got to eat with the locals & learn a little bit about how they cook & do things over there. In my mind, I had always thought that the spaghetti sauce that they make must take hours to make (after all, that’s how most “real” Italian cooks did it over here, or so I thought). I was very surprised to learn that they use very simple ingredients & it only simmers for 30 min. or so & then they serve it over fresh pasta. I watched & learned from some of those local ladies & brought home my own recipe for fresh pasta sauce. It does help that my mama cans her tomatoes out of their garden too, so she keeps me stocked up on the most flavorful canned tomatoes. I just brought home a new box after our last visit, so I’m good to go. 
Our very first tomato from our little backyard garden. I think I picked it too early, cause it wasn’t quite juicy enough yet. We are going to let them sit on the vine now until they are good and ripe. 
My mama’s canned tomatoes. What would I do without these? I use them in my pasta sauce, chili, & anything that calls for chopped tomatoes. They are SO good! “Rhoda red sauce” So, I thought I’d share with you this simple, fresh marinara sauce that is served at our house at least once a week. A fresh green salad & bread if you’d like, and it’s a meal….a very delicious meal! You can add anything to this too…I sometimes add black olives or mushrooms. I don’t care for meat sauce & like to keep it simple.Rhoda’s Marinara Sauce
1 large can of chopped/diced tomatoes (32 oz. from the store?) you know the large ones or crushed tom. works too
1 can tomato paste
2-3 TBL EV olive oil
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 TBL dried basil (Add chopped fresh basil leaves too if you have them)
1 TSP dried oregano
1/4 TSP dried red pepper flakes (to taste)
Salt & Pepper to taste
In saucepan, drizzle olive oil in bottom & heat to medium, press garlic or mince & saute in olive oil for couple of minutes. Add large can tomatoes, along with the tomato paste. Add rest of ingredients, bring to a boil, then lower & simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over fresh pasta. I use thin spaghetti or penne pasta most of the time. Of course, freshly grated Parmesan is best, but I’m not opposed to canned. Enjoy!
I think you’ll like this! I never have complaints when I’ve served this pasta sauce & once you make your own, you’ll never do canned again. Beats the heck out of Prego or Ragu. Those are so sweet to me now.
Buon Appetito, Ya’ll!
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This sounds delicious, Rhoda! I just printed it out and I’m definitely fixing it soon. I don’t usually make meat sauce either, and in fact, my 16-year-old son became a vegetarian a couple of months ago. He’ll love this.
I’m glad you ladies like red sauce too! I think I might make it again tonight.
And, Lucinda…yes, small can of tomato paste is what I mean.
Hope y’all enjoy & thanks so much for stopping by.
Hi Rhonda! You always have such lovely photos to go along with your great posts! No exception here! I can’t wait to try this recipe for your sauce. I bet it tastes fabulous! Thanks for sharing it and your talent!
D~
Yummy Rhoda! Fun, you got your first tomato. I started freezing my tomatoes, roasting them first. I put my recipe on one of my earlier blogs (can’t remember which one).
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sandy
For Reluctant Entertainers
Yummy, that looks so good, and you already have your first tomato, wow! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂 and your new background template looks great!
Yummy! Thanks Rhoda, it sounds wonderful…we can always use a great sure to please recipe.
Trying it this weekend with some great tomatoes. I agree with Tina Leigh
“Good night a livin!! “
Lol
Lidy
Hi Rhoda! Thanks for an awesome recipe and a wonderful blog! It’s just a breathe of fresh air to visit you here ever since I saw you on Funky Junk Co.’s blog! I love doing projects just like yall…they are slow but surely tho! As is my new blog…so come by for a visit if you can…I’ve done some fun projects recently. Keep up the great work…I added you to my favorite blogs! I see you are from Ga. originally…me too! Still am!
Tori
raedanaedesigns
http://raedanaedesigns.typepad.com/my_weblog/
I’ll bet this is so good. I will try it, soon we will have open air farmer markets with fresh tomatoes. (I don’t grow them.)
I love your new background, it look great..!
xo
Love your new background! And Rhoda’s Red Sauce sounds wonderful. I’ll have to give your recipe a try. I like Rosemary’s comment about adding meat to her sauce. I’ll try that as well.
Thank you Rhoda I am always looking for a new pasta sauce recipe as my boy could eat pasta every day! I’ll try yours and get back to you on it!
I HAVE to have pasta at least once a week. I notice you don’t put onions in your sauce. I’ll try it that way. When I was in Italy, I think I remember them not putting onions in either. I add some red wine to my sauce. If you want a good, non-sweet, store-bought sauce, try Classico. I often doctor that up — tastes homemade.
Rhoda, that dish looks so yummy…my family and I are pasta eaters and are always trying new sauces…thanks for sharing your recipe.
Rhoda – thanks for sharing – when my tomatoes come in I’ll definitely try the recipe. My garden looks great now – veggies are climbing toward heaven since the wonderful rain this week – and last night it really came down! Today I fertilized as Tue. I leave on vacation – hate to leave my garden when it’s growing so fast but hopefully it will survive!
I’ll post tomorrow and then be back June 22 to catch up with everyone’s news.
Take care – Mary.
I know this is an old post but I just read it. I am very italian my dad came to this country when he was 14 and I have never done canned or bottled sauces. Yes I make my sauce very similar but I add ground beef and sauce for a meat flavor. You have to cook that longer since the meat cooks with the sauce but still very good. Enjoy!
I think that Italian-American sauce is different because many Italians here are from the southern part of Italy. I think that they cook their sauce longer in the Southern part…I am not sure. There is another recipe using fresh tomatoes…I have to find it for you…you don't cook the tomatoes at all.
I know this is a really, really old post – but I cook just about every night, and am in a real slump. This sauce looks fantastic – and is the perfect example of a product that people feel fooled into buying canned, because they think they can’t make it homemade. There are so many things that are SO easy to make as long as you have a good recipe – salsa, guacamole, salad dressing, mac and cheese – and yet people go to the processed version because of simple ignorance or fear of cooking.
Can this recipe be canned?
Heather, I am not sure, but I suppose you can can anything like this. I’ve never tried it!